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.
If the skin that comes from the bayis under the titurah on dakkos is missing a piece or has come away from the corner on the underside of the titurah, does this affect the ribuah?
In regard to the piece stuck under the upper titura - that is indeed questionable (and seems to be kosher), but the piece that is the lower titura [as in picture] is definitly pasul, because the lower skin [titura] isnt ribua.
OK I fixed it. I peeled the whole underside off, soaked the skin in a cup or water for 10 mins and stretched it out. I then glued it back on and trimmed the edges so we now have perfect ribauh
as long as the ribua will stay - good. but I doubt it will stay that long, since you had to over stretch it, it will start drying and shrinking to less then the ribua.
if you glue it well it will hold, you culd also take a pice of klaf cut a square in it put it over the bayis then fold it over the bottom so now you have a full new titura. regarding or echadthe the bayis is still or echad but its not or echad im hatitura wich is a hidur that is not brought down lehalacha and in lubavitch thy did not make batim like that.
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...
In regard to the piece stuck under the upper titura - that is indeed questionable (and seems to be kosher), but the piece that is the lower titura [as in picture] is definitly pasul, because the lower skin [titura] isnt ribua.
ReplyDeleteso how would you fix it?
ReplyDeletethe only way to fix it is to glue another kosher skin to complete the ribua - but it will not be "or echad"!
ReplyDeleteOK I fixed it. I peeled the whole underside off, soaked the skin in a cup or water for 10 mins and stretched it out. I then glued it back on and trimmed the edges so we now have perfect ribauh
ReplyDeleteas long as the ribua will stay - good. but I doubt it will stay that long, since you had to over stretch it, it will start drying and shrinking to less then the ribua.
Deleteeven if its strongly glued? I will check it again in a few days....
Deleteif you glue it well it will hold,
Deleteyou culd also take a pice of klaf cut a square in it put it over the bayis then fold it over the bottom so now you have a full new titura.
regarding or echadthe the bayis is still or echad but its not or echad im hatitura wich is a hidur that is not brought down lehalacha and in lubavitch thy did not make batim like that.
shkoyach. anyway it's still holding the way I fixed it
Delete