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...
Pshat of Gemara end of Megila that the Sefer Tora was kept in a box - reminds the Sefardic custom of keeping the ST in a box. Seems that the Me'il of ashkenazic custom is a newer variation.
ReplyDeleteThe citation which R. Moshe brings is in Gemara Megillah 26b were it describes a Torah Scroll kept in a tik (box). In addition, there recently was discovered an ancient synagogue in Dura-Europos (Syria) which was destroyed by the invading Persians around the year 250 CE. The synagogue contains many murals among which there is one with a Sefer Torah in a Tik. However, this tik is different in configuration to that currently used by Jews of Middle-Eastern descent.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of the vestments of the Sefer Torah paralleling that of the Kohen Gadol is rather new, as it doesn't appear in our earlier Rabbinic literature. However, from time immemorial, they have also been dressed like a bride or royalty. This was the case in Spain, Italy, and Europe.
In addition, one of the oldest articles is the mitpahat (wimple). This is already attested in the Mishna, Kelim 28:4 where it discusses whether one can use of figures/illustrations in the wrapping of our Torah Scrolls.
Interestingly, although the common understanding of Mitpehot is bands or wrappers for Sifrei Torah, there are also those who understand Mitpehot to refer to actual cases.
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