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.
Much human suffering and devastation in the aftermath of Sandy. Another victim was a shul in New York as their Sifrei Torah were water-damaged. Click here for article and picture.
My heart goes out to them and all other families that have sustained losses due to the storm. It is a hard and trying time. Yet above all, we must remain grateful for the blessing of life, even with all the travails that it brings.
From the pictures on the news article, it is apparent that water damage to the scrolls is pervasive. Attempting to repair them, appears as a misuse of hard earned community resources. Likewise, it places and extra and unnecessary burden on these already hurting communities. It is my opinion, that their rebuilding efforts would better directed by purchasing new scrolls.
If they were written with דיו לנצח nothing would have happened to them. They would remain kosher. Here is a picture of water flowing over a klaf written with דיו לנצח : http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwSDH6rpzyM/Tu5AAih5G2I/AAAAAAAAAIs/kB-JvduNAMc/s1600/wet3a.jpg
Dear Zvi, as far as one can see in the photos, situation of the ink in these seforim is not so bad. Maybe they also remained kosher. Maybe good old ink makers knew something as well?:-)
Six Sifrei Torah were damaged. Here, on the left, is a closer look at one of them. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e0A75JxyVN8/UJXdk-hGajI/AAAAAAAAATc/mHw8jiWNPGk/s640/flooded-torah.jpg
Dyoy lonetzach is great if a drop of water sprays on it, but in such a situation you need klaf lonetzach as well.... I got a pair that went through the flooding, the letters were fine but the klaf was ruined beyond repair it became stiff and black... as well some acid somehow got in, maybe sea salt? and ate through the klaf in a few spots it was interesting because the letters were complete but parts of the letters were hanging over the holes... I showed it to HaRav Vosner and said its possul regardless because even though it doesnt need to be mukaf gvil leachar hakesivah the letters need to be written on klaf.
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.
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...
sad
ReplyDeleteMy heart goes out to them and all other families that have sustained losses due to the storm. It is a hard and trying time. Yet above all, we must remain grateful for the blessing of life, even with all the travails that it brings.
ReplyDeleteFrom the pictures on the news article, it is apparent that water damage to the scrolls is pervasive. Attempting to repair them, appears as a misuse of hard earned community resources. Likewise, it places and extra and unnecessary burden on these already hurting communities. It is my opinion, that their rebuilding efforts would better directed by purchasing new scrolls.
Lets hope they were insured
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIf they were written with דיו לנצח nothing would have happened to them. They would remain kosher. Here is a picture of water flowing over a klaf written with דיו לנצח :
ReplyDeletehttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pwSDH6rpzyM/Tu5AAih5G2I/AAAAAAAAAIs/kB-JvduNAMc/s1600/wet3a.jpg
Dear Zvi, as far as one can see in the photos, situation of the ink in these seforim is not so bad. Maybe they also remained kosher. Maybe good old ink makers knew something as well?:-)
ReplyDeleteSix Sifrei Torah were damaged. Here, on the left, is a closer look at one of them.
Deletehttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e0A75JxyVN8/UJXdk-hGajI/AAAAAAAAATc/mHw8jiWNPGk/s640/flooded-torah.jpg
The sefer on the picture on the left is damaged indeed. HaMakom yemale chesronam.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDyoy lonetzach is great if a drop of water sprays on it, but in such a situation you need klaf lonetzach as well.... I got a pair that went through the flooding, the letters were fine but the klaf was ruined beyond repair it became stiff and black... as well some acid somehow got in, maybe sea salt? and ate through the klaf in a few spots it was interesting because the letters were complete but parts of the letters were hanging over the holes... I showed it to HaRav Vosner and said its possul regardless because even though it doesnt need to be mukaf gvil leachar hakesivah the letters need to be written on klaf.
ReplyDelete