Yalkut Yosef
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...
Alberto -
ReplyDeleteYou incorrectly described this as a teshuva. It is not. It is a peirush on a likut from Rav Ovadya by Rav Ovadia's son.
Also - did you actually read this?
He quotes an array of Sheelos UTeshuvos from both sides debating whether or not the paint (or the oil used in preparing the retzuos) must be min hamutar bficha. Some hold that it must be mutar b'ficha, but then explain why paint specific cases (ie. oil from a tamei fish) are mutar (i.e. the tamei ingredient is botel, etc). Others hold mutar b'ficha only applies to items from which you can tell their origin by looking at them (ie. the Shoel UMaishiv).
Furthermore- he says the same thing that I have been writing and that Rav Friedlander confirmed - milsa yeseira, items not intrinsic to the meleches shomayim, do not need to be mutar b'ficha. This is why some inks with treif ingredients may be mutar b'dieved or m'ikkar hadin mutar.
This section doesn't contribute to the discussion one way or the other.