why kuf?
The halacha regarding a small, thin negiya (kechut hasarah) between the left regel and gug of a hay is well documented. Scraping is prohibited and considered chok tochus. This is in stark contrast to other letters in which such a negiya is fixable, for example where two roshim of a shin are connected with a thin line or the yud of an alef is connected from the other side as well as the yerech.
It seems the hay is more chomur because with such a negiya it can become a ches. However a thin line connecting the left side of the bottom yud of the alef or two heads of a shin are less problematic because in both cases its still clearly an alef or a shin.
So why then do we rule that a kuf, where the left regel and gug of a kuf is connected by a thin negiya, that it's outright possul like a hay. Surely it's still recognizable as a kuf in the same way other letters that have a thin negiya without causing a shinuy tzurah. Why do we treat it the same as a hay?
I never understood this and if anyone has any svaros / mekoros I'd appreciate it.
It seems the hay is more chomur because with such a negiya it can become a ches. However a thin line connecting the left side of the bottom yud of the alef or two heads of a shin are less problematic because in both cases its still clearly an alef or a shin.
So why then do we rule that a kuf, where the left regel and gug of a kuf is connected by a thin negiya, that it's outright possul like a hay. Surely it's still recognizable as a kuf in the same way other letters that have a thin negiya without causing a shinuy tzurah. Why do we treat it the same as a hay?
I never understood this and if anyone has any svaros / mekoros I'd appreciate it.
My understanding is that by having this join it resembles the kuf devukah and there seems to be a great deal of antipathy towards that particular idea with many sources saying explicitly that it shouldn't be done (even in the two places it is supposed to be.)
ReplyDeleteIf I am not mistaken it is because when there is a נגיעה in other letters besides ק and ה, the problem is that it is not מוקף גויל therefore you may scratch just the נגיעה. But with the ק and ה it is פסול because they are supposed to be in 2 parts, so you need to be מבטל the צורת האות.
ReplyDeleteMakes sense. When you get a chance can you please try and remember where this svara is brought down?
Deletein short and without sforim
ReplyDeleteEvery letter must be golem echad
a hay and kuf must be two golems
Makes sense. When you get a chance can you please try and remember where this svara is brought down?
DeleteI just found it, the Rivosh - siman kuf chof brings this down.
DeleteA difficult question:
ReplyDeleteIn the olden days (as shown in המגילות הגנוזות) the left legs of ה and ק were connected to the roof. I don't know when they were "disconnected". How is it possible that today we consider it פסול if the legs touch the roof?
It's also brought in ב״י או״ח ״והיכא שנגעו...״ that for hey and kuf it's part of צורת האות to have them as two separate entities.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of it becoming a Chet is mentioned in ביה״ל לב:יח ״רגלי הה״א״ acc to the GRA in agreement with the Mordechai in a situation where all chetim are written with חטוטרת and the negia is a hairline. עי״ש.
Although MB is machmir like SA, he does say t the end of that biur halacha that in makom hadchak if the whole letter can't be erased (eg shemot were written after it) AND we know the negia was made after Ketiva, possibly one could combine the shita of the Smak to scrape away the negia. But he leaves this as צ״ע.
I would presume the inyan being two golems removing the שם צורת האות is a machloket (don't have the sefarim in front of me to chekx the Sugya) - but if that's the case it could possibly answer Zvi's question.
Thoughts?