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...
were they opened or closed?
ReplyDeleteSpeculations are risky. Good kosher Tefillin are not placed in gnizah without a reason. He could have made a prohibited correction and later discovered that it was prohibited; he could have discovered something else wrong with them, that cannot be inspected (i.e. non-kosher klaf); and who knows what else.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Rabbi Groner personally told me that the Rebbe held that if the Tefillin are good according to the Chabad minhag, except for the Ktav being not Alter-Rebbe, then, the Tefillin should not be replaced.
it was closed
ReplyDeleteTefillin in a Genizah are Hefker. They have no owner. The fact that they are closed means that they were not invalidated after being checked.
ReplyDeleteYour friend can certainly have them checked. If they are good, by all means they should be put to good use.