A place for English speaking sofrim (scribes), magihim (examiners), rabbis and vendors of Stam (Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzah scrolls) from around the world to communicate, share ideas, ask questions and offer support and advice.
I am not familiar with that sefer, but I can't see any reason why this should be a problem. It is an almost perfect Dalet. The Gag and the Rosh are almost exactly the same size. This is besides the fact that a chaf Sofit must be round.
It wouldn't necessarily be a kosher kaf peshuta (as per Mishnat HaSofer on kesset HaSofer ot Kaf where he says basically that if it has a sharp corner or akev it's pasul) but it may be enough to make a shinuy tzura from a Dalet. Yalkut HaSofer (printed under Mishnat HaSofer) brings that if one made the regel of a Dalet long there could be a chashash of shinuy tzura to kaf that requires a sheilat tinok.
The inyan is that a letter can be shinuy tzura to another letter even if that letter would be Pasul had it been written that way.
My understanding is that davka if one makes the regel long there is a chashash because it would descend beyond the line of the ktav thereby becoming a kaf - whereas if the rosh is just shortened, even if the proportions of rosh to regel are the same as if the regel was lengthened, it wouldn't be chashash (of kaf peshuta at least) because the regel doesn't descend.
Hence since this Dalet rabati descends the shura of ktav I thought maybe there's a chashash - granted the rosh isn't really much shorter, just a little.
the question to ask is - had this dalet been written with a square corner and no akev (or had it been a reish rabati) would it be a sheila? Is the akev alone enough to say it's a dalet and not a kaf?
Hi Ari, A Khaf Peshuta that has an EKEV on the top right hand corner (similar to a Dalet) is KASHER - Bedieved. See Magen Avraham as there is an ancient practice to write the KHAF this way + an added ZAVIT on top. Accordingly, the custom among SOFRIM is to be lenient and accept it. However, we also should add a bit of ink to round the EKEV to the accepted modern form, and in this there is no SHELO KESIDRAN.
Learn from the above that, the EKEV is not the defining difference between a DALET and a KHAF PESHUTA. Rather, the defining difference would be the length of the FOOT vis a vis the length of the HEAD.
Likewise, if the DALET was written with a square corner and NO EKEV, it is also 100%, as this is it's original form. The EKEV is just a newly adopted distinction to further differentiate it from a RESH.
As to the present DALET, it is KASHER. The foot is short of 2 KOLMOSIM in length when compared to the thickness of the ROSH. Likewise, as pointed above by Aaron Shaffier, the ROOF and the FOOT are about the same length. Hope that this helps.
The rosh excluding the ekev is actually longer than the regel and the regel is actually 2x less the thickness of the rosh so it is a Dalet
Alberto mentions that a Dalet with a square corner is kosher. However, that refers to a sharp corner (more than 90 degrees) If the corner is 90 degrees it would be a shailas tinok.
We all know that there is no ancient source that requires ink to be מן המותר בפיך . Possibly, as said here before, because in the olden days ink was always מן המותר בפיך and the question was never raised. It was probably self-evident. Nowadays, no decent Rav will approve an ink which is not מן המותר בפיך . Who was the first one to raise this question? Was it raised because of animal ingredients or because of non-kosher wine?
Thank you for commenting on my ink article. In your comment you stated: "Many poskim disagree... Many rishonim have clearly stated the use of our ingredients." Would you please be kind enough to teach us (so I can include it in the article) which Poskim and what exactly and where did they say that the עפצים וקנקנתום type of ink is preferable over good quality דיו עשן that does not fail? We are not interested in biased פילפולים , or in those who said that דיו עשן is not being used because it fails easily or because it was not known how to make good quality דיו עשן. Nor are we interested in those who said to use עפצים וקנקנתום וגומא ואין לשנות when they discussed specifically the עפצים וקנקנתום type of ink. We are interested to find out where and who (if any) said explicitly, based on sources, that the עפצים וקנקנתום type of ink is preferable over good quality דיו עשן , even when there is דיו עשן of good quality that does not ...
I am not familiar with that sefer, but I can't see any reason why this should be a problem. It is an almost perfect Dalet. The Gag and the Rosh are almost exactly the same size. This is besides the fact that a chaf Sofit must be round.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aaron.
DeleteI agree.
DeleteIt wouldn't necessarily be a kosher kaf peshuta (as per Mishnat HaSofer on kesset HaSofer ot Kaf where he says basically that if it has a sharp corner or akev it's pasul) but it may be enough to make a shinuy tzura from a Dalet. Yalkut HaSofer (printed under Mishnat HaSofer) brings that if one made the regel of a Dalet long there could be a chashash of shinuy tzura to kaf that requires a sheilat tinok.
ReplyDeleteThe inyan is that a letter can be shinuy tzura to another letter even if that letter would be Pasul had it been written that way.
My understanding is that davka if one makes the regel long there is a chashash because it would descend beyond the line of the ktav thereby becoming a kaf - whereas if the rosh is just shortened, even if the proportions of rosh to regel are the same as if the regel was lengthened, it wouldn't be chashash (of kaf peshuta at least) because the regel doesn't descend.
Hence since this Dalet rabati descends the shura of ktav I thought maybe there's a chashash - granted the rosh isn't really much shorter, just a little.
the question to ask is - had this dalet been written with a square corner and no akev (or had it been a reish rabati) would it be a sheila? Is the akev alone enough to say it's a dalet and not a kaf?
ReplyDeleteHi Ari,
ReplyDeleteA Khaf Peshuta that has an EKEV on the top right hand corner (similar to a Dalet) is KASHER - Bedieved. See Magen Avraham as there is an ancient practice to write the KHAF this way + an added ZAVIT on top. Accordingly, the custom among SOFRIM is to be lenient and accept it. However, we also should add a bit of ink to round the EKEV to the accepted modern form, and in this there is no SHELO KESIDRAN.
Learn from the above that, the EKEV is not the defining difference between a DALET and a KHAF PESHUTA. Rather, the defining difference would be the length of the FOOT vis a vis the length of the HEAD.
Likewise, if the DALET was written with a square corner and NO EKEV, it is also 100%, as this is it's original form. The EKEV is just a newly adopted distinction to further differentiate it from a RESH.
As to the present DALET, it is KASHER. The foot is short of 2 KOLMOSIM in length when compared to the thickness of the ROSH. Likewise, as pointed above by Aaron Shaffier, the ROOF and the FOOT are about the same length. Hope that this helps.
he has exactly twice the gug in the regel. it looks unusual because he write half teh gug below the sirtut so it's sitting low. but its def a daled
ReplyDeleteThe rosh excluding the ekev is actually longer than the regel and the regel is actually 2x less the thickness of the rosh so it is a Dalet
ReplyDeleteAlberto mentions that a Dalet with a square corner is kosher. However, that refers to a sharp corner (more than 90 degrees) If the corner is 90 degrees it would be a shailas tinok.