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I heard in the name of the Chasam Sofer that the first mitzvah of a bar mitzvah boy is that of simcha (happiness). Does anyone know where I could find the original source of this?

I searched Google and found the following quote here:

The Chasam Sofer (1762-1839) writes “the very first mitzvah one should be fulfilled by a bar mitzvah boy upon his reaching his 13th year is to rejoice and be happy to accept the mitzvahs of Hashem; for being b’simcha is a positive mitzvah in the Torah, i.e., to serve with joyousness and good-heartedness emanating from all the goodness which has been bestowed upon you.”

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  • possibly relevant judaism.stackexchange.com/q/18744/759
    – Double AA
    Jun 23, 2014 at 18:09
  • I have excepted this from www.dafnotes.com from the 1st page of the current Daf Yomi cycle: the author of Chidushei HaRim zt”l explained simply: The mitzvah of kerias shema is the first mitzvah incumbent on a boy when he becomes an adult on the evening of his bar-mitzvah. It is therefore clear why Rebbe opened tractate Brachos with this mitzvah.
    – DanF
    Jun 23, 2014 at 19:12
  • the first mitzva (of the 613) is actually shema. this is why it's the first mishna as the vilna gaon writes there.
    – ray
    Jun 24, 2014 at 5:30

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Thanks to Double AA I found the source in Piskei T'shuvos footnote 12 which refers to the Chasam Sofer on the Torah in Parshas Vayechi, Divrei Hamaschil "VaYar Yosef".

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    Edited - You meant to say "Divrei Hamaschil" - words that begin, not "Divrei Hamaskil" - words that make you wiser. It's actually a clever typo, as the Chasam Sofer's commentary DOES make you wiser. But, I don't think that's what you meant, here ;-)
    – DanF
    Jun 24, 2014 at 13:44
  • Divrei is a smichut, so it should either be dibur hamaschil or dvarmim hamaschliim
    – blockhead
    Sep 29, 2020 at 6:07

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