Ratzuos too long
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?
Rabbi Reuvain Mendlowitz clarifies his position on Ksav Chabad (and my final thoughts)
Last week I posted some thoughts in response to a public lecture given by Rabbi Reuvain Mendlowitz regarding Ksav Chabad (the Alter Rebbe's ksav). I felt he did not represent the issue fairly, and since I had received questions about it from a number of people I felt it made sense to write a general response. After I posted my response on this forum, Rabbi Mendlowitz reached out to me by email and we ended up having a respectful and productive email exchange regarding the relevant issues surrounding Ksav Chabad. His position is a lot clearer to me now, and I think he also took certain things on board that I clarified with him. The purpose of the Stam Forum (at least back in it's heyday before all the whats app groups took over) was to connect sofrim from around the world, to promote achdus and build bridges, as well as to offer support and advice. In that spirit, I felt I should write a follow up post, to clarify some of the issues and misconception...
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?