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.
I believe it is a minhag common among Sefardim,and some Ashkenazim and therefore would be ok. You can find some of them with ancient Atzei Chaim, which shows this isn't a newer minhag.
ReplyDeleteBesides for the atzei chaim, it is also common to have it in a silver or wooden case. Look at pics below:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Olive-Wood-Judaica-Esther-Scroll-Megila-Case-/260955298823?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc225dc07
http://www.ebay.com/itm/COMPLETE-ESTHER-ANCIENT-MANUSCRIPT-SCROLL-PARCHMENT-JEWISH-JUDAICA-JUDAIKA-/120852970717?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c2365fcdd
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEZALEL-PALESTINE-SILVER-FILIGREE-ESTHER-MEGILA-Scroll-/380391722405?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58911d0da5
Where does the minhag come from though?
ReplyDeleteHi Yehoshua,
ReplyDeleteBekitzur, the question is the other way around. Is it MUTAR to have a Megillah without an etz chayim?
If one looks at Shulchan Aruch 691:2, one will read that the megillah requires an AMUD at the end. Although, the minchag is not as such, take a look at the guemara in Bava Batra 13b, where Rashi informs us that the AMUD refers to a wooden pole that the scroll is wrapped on.
Regards.
As Alberto puts it "Is it MUTAR to have a Megillah without an Eitz Chayim"
ReplyDeletethe Rema brings the Mahril that the Minhag is "not" to put an eitz at all.The question is what brought this Minhag.
If I recall the Aruch Hashulchan(or might be other achron)explains that since there is a safek of the amud-wooden pole goes in the beginning and the empty column at end or vice virca the Minhag is not to put the eitz. My Rebbe the Pnei Menachem used a Megila with 2 Eitz Chaims (all Gerer Rebbes were careful not to handle Megila with bare hands as brought down in Sharrei Tshuva)
I had a thought, the reason the wooden Megila case with the little wood as a pullout piece was used was to have an Eitz on both sides without openly going against either explanation.