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Ratzuos too long
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By
Yehoshua
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If the ratzuos of the tefillin shel yad (davka) were made too long and the person already wore the tefillin to be yotzee the mitzvah (i.e. they have more kedusha now) May the ratzuos be cut down to make smaller?
Iמ SA YD 290 it is forbidden to cut away from the gilayon of a sefer tora, because "asur lhorid bekdusha". This rule should apply as well in your question. But I noticed sofrim permit themselves to cut from the ends of parshiyos of tefilin, that they complain are to long. When I asked them, what is the heter? They told me since it is customary, it is as if m'lechatchila they made a tnai [as written in SA OC 42]. Maybe the same applies to long retzuos that some times people find to long, it is as a tnay was made beforehand, by the retzuos maker that if they are interfering one can cut them. It's questionable who decides this tnay the retzuos maker or the one to first wear the tefilin?
I don't think you can, after he has made a bracha on them... Regarding cutting of the ends of the Tefillin (Rav Weiner) I mostly encountered that problem in Mezuzot, where you have extra klaf on one side and some people want to cut it off after they check it so that it rolls up easier, which is not permitted (I was told by a Rav) he told me to fold it a bit, but not on the sirtut going down, so as not to harm the letters, but that they cannot be cut at all.
In truth there should be no difference between ST tfilin or a mezuza - as you wrote. So it is indeed forbidden to cut the gilyonos of a mezuza, because "isur horada". But the sofrim that allow themselves in tefilin consider it as a tnay beforehand, because they plan on cutting it for their convenience so it will fit well in the bayis [basicaly Parshiyos shel rosh]. I admit this doesn't sound so applicable to yehoshua's question in regard to retzuos, because I don't think many people cut their retzuos. But maybe if many people find it difficult to adjust long retzuos and become accustomed to cutting them it will be considered as a tnay {that was what I was trying to say}
We all know that there is no ancient source that requires ink to be מן המותר בפיך . Possibly, as said here before, because in the olden days ink was always מן המותר בפיך and the question was never raised. It was probably self-evident. Nowadays, no decent Rav will approve an ink which is not מן המותר בפיך . Who was the first one to raise this question? Was it raised because of animal ingredients or because of non-kosher wine?
Thank you for commenting on my ink article. In your comment you stated: "Many poskim disagree... Many rishonim have clearly stated the use of our ingredients." Would you please be kind enough to teach us (so I can include it in the article) which Poskim and what exactly and where did they say that the עפצים וקנקנתום type of ink is preferable over good quality דיו עשן that does not fail? We are not interested in biased פילפולים , or in those who said that דיו עשן is not being used because it fails easily or because it was not known how to make good quality דיו עשן. Nor are we interested in those who said to use עפצים וקנקנתום וגומא ואין לשנות when they discussed specifically the עפצים וקנקנתום type of ink. We are interested to find out where and who (if any) said explicitly, based on sources, that the עפצים וקנקנתום type of ink is preferable over good quality דיו עשן , even when there is דיו עשן of good quality that does not ...
Iמ SA YD 290 it is forbidden to cut away from the gilayon of a sefer tora, because "asur lhorid bekdusha". This rule should apply as well in your question.
ReplyDeleteBut I noticed sofrim permit themselves to cut from the ends of parshiyos of tefilin, that they complain are to long. When I asked them, what is the heter? They told me since it is customary, it is as if m'lechatchila they made a tnai [as written in SA OC 42].
Maybe the same applies to long retzuos that some times people find to long, it is as a tnay was made beforehand, by the retzuos maker that if they are interfering one can cut them.
It's questionable who decides this tnay the retzuos maker or the one to first wear the tefilin?
I don't think you can, after he has made a bracha on them...
ReplyDeleteRegarding cutting of the ends of the Tefillin (Rav Weiner) I mostly encountered that problem in Mezuzot, where you have extra klaf on one side and some people want to cut it off after they check it so that it rolls up easier, which is not permitted (I was told by a Rav) he told me to fold it a bit, but not on the sirtut going down, so as not to harm the letters, but that they cannot be cut at all.
In truth there should be no difference between ST tfilin or a mezuza - as you wrote. So it is indeed forbidden to cut the gilyonos of a mezuza, because "isur horada".
ReplyDeleteBut the sofrim that allow themselves in tefilin consider it as a tnay beforehand, because they plan on cutting it for their convenience so it will fit well in the bayis [basicaly Parshiyos shel rosh].
I admit this doesn't sound so applicable to yehoshua's question in regard to retzuos, because I don't think many people cut their retzuos. But maybe if many people find it difficult to adjust long retzuos and become accustomed to cutting them it will be considered as a tnay {that was what I was trying to say}
Yehoshua,why is your question by the Yad Davka?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it the same for the Rosh?