A place for English speaking sofrim (scribes), magihim (examiners), rabbis and vendors of Stam (Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzah scrolls) from around the world to communicate, share ideas, ask questions and offer support and advice.
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}
I received this question via email. I am not really a klaf expert, I was wondering if anyone could answer this question: Dear Rabbi Gutnick, I am writing to you because a good friend of mine has put the idea into my head that the klaf in my tefillin were not really tanned and therefore are not kosher. He referred me to Megilla 19a re diftera. From the research that I have done so far, it seems that the klaf that is used today is tanned only with a lime wash. On all of the tanning websites I’ve seen so far, they say that the lime doesn’t accomplish tanning but only the removal of the hair and some other pre-tanning effects. Would you be able to explain to me or refer me to a website that explains how the tanning process that is used today takes the hide out of the category of diftera? Thank you very much.
Dear Readers and Members, The forum has been down for over 6 months because the domain name (www.stamforum.com) lapsed and it is no longer available to re purchase. Although this forum is now defunct (it has morphed into several whatsapp groups), I have had many requests to put it back online because it contains so much information (over 1,800 posts and thousands of comments in the discussions, on a wide range of topics related to STa"M). I have therefore put the forum back online at blogger, so the address is www.stamforum.blogspot.com. The forum lasted for a decade...not a bad effort! It was pretty popular back in the days before whatsapp and managed to receive over a million hits in it's short life. It was one of the only organised forums in the STa"M world and definitely the largest in it's heyday. I would like to thank all those who cobtributed over the years, particularly the early members who helped build it up. Thanking you all, Eli
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?