1800s Sefer Torah - Funny Alef, Hole in Klaf
Two interesting things caught my eye:
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Here's a larger photo of the area in question. Also note the alef at top left. The bottom alef appears to be an exaggerated version of the alef on top:
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And here's the alef out of context. I think it would fail a shaylas tinok, and at first glance out of the corner of my eye, it appears like the word "af", almost like it's an alef-fey ligature:
If he would have made the gag of the alef a straight diagonal, as in the following digitally altered copy of the above alef, it would have the tzurah of an alef:
It would seem to me that the sofer erred in his understanding of the basic shape of the alef. When he wrote his regular size alefs, he curved the gag a little, as many sofrim do, which forms a perfectly fine alef in regular size. I think his error was in assuming that the curve was supposed to turn into a flat line on top. In so thinking, he naturally assumed that he could just drag out the top to stretch out the letter.
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And here's more high quality photos: http://www.auctiva.com/hostedimages/showimage.aspx?gid=1047454&image=589251723&images=589253080,589251723,589251674,589251632,589251581,589252628,589251540,589251390,589251503,589251441,589252861,589252814,589252765,589253013,589252993,589252909,589251353,589253052,589252699,589252948,589252585&formats=0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0&format=0
the extended alef issue as you give here is found in the later melaktim, it seems their concensus is shaylas tinok unless the guf [center line] of the alef is a clear reish.
ReplyDeletethanks for the blog !!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteIn terms of this stretched alef, it would suffice to do m'chika on the alef and tzadi. Next, break the tzura of the hey and extend the gag to where you could re-write the tzadi and alef in proportion with proper tzurah.
ReplyDeleteOverall this Torah probably needs a thorough b'didka. It appears that the upper-yud on this alef is brown and I'm sure that there are other letters in similar condition.
Also check closely for issues with tzura on letters such as mem-sofit and samach - I was priveleged to receive a pre-WWI era Torah that was in similar condition. The work needed to restore it is extensive and I think that it's better to know exactly what work is required on all levels to make it kosher.
Bracha v'hatzlacha!!
Why should it be necessary to to touch the tzadik and hey at all? Why not just re-write the alef as in my example?
DeleteWe don't write an alef like that any more, that's true, but wouldn't it be better to do it that way than to ruin two perfectly good letters?
Bracha Vihatzlacha to you, too, thanks!
Great post. Thanks for sharing this. I will show it to R' Shammai when he comes back from vacation...
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteDid you show it to Rav Shammai yet?
He doesn't claim that it's kosher. Perhaps he's assuming that people will think it is?
ReplyDeleteA Sefer Torah with such a history, background, etc mistama should be checked first, no?