In his first lecture for Torah in Motion on the Chatam Sofer, professor Marc B. Shapiro says: “The Chatam Sofer permitted using an umbrella [already opened] on the Sabbath within the eruv. I don’t know anyone who follows this psak (rabbinic ruling) today. The Chatam Sofer is not an extremist.”
“Today if you carry an umbrella on the Sabbath, I don’t think you’re permitted to be a witness at a wedding.”
“I know a haredi posek who says it is permitted to use an umbrella on Shabbos but tells people not to do it.”
“The Chatam Sofer says the Sabbath ends earlier than anyone says today.”
“Reb Moshe [Feinstein] forbade liquid soap on Shabbos but no one in his own family followed him.”
The Chatam Sofer began lecturing publicly at age 13. Early on, he declared his grandfather was wrong on something. His father slapped him and rebuked him for chutzpah.
The Chatam Sofer’s mentor, R. Nathan Adler, told him to have nothing to do with his father again. From that day on, the Chatam Sofer never spoke to his father. He treated his father with respect but never spoke to him. The Chatam Sofer went to live with Nathan Adler.
The Chatam Sofer did not marry until he was 25. Prior to that, to keep his hormones under control, he engaged in blood-letting.
During that time in Frankfurt, yeshiva students did not marry until about age 30.
The Chatam Sofer did not see his mother after he left Frankfurt with R. Nathan Adler. He could not leave because his yeshiva students would be without a Torah teacher if he left and teaching Torah is more important than visiting your mom.
