פתום הקטורת
What is the significance of having the pitum on klaf?
How about the Bais of Uleovdo?
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Klaff Tanning question:
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.
Rabbi Reuvain Mendlowitz clarifies his position on Ksav Chabad (and my final thoughts)
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...
The Zohar says that reading it helps remove impurity from the world and the Arizal writes that a careful recitation of these passages helps bring one to repentance because as R. Hirsch says the incense was all about making our actions pleasing to God. Because the ingredients are precise and if there was variation one ‘deserves death’ - one is told to read it from a text (rather then from memory) in case you make a mistake in the reading.
ReplyDeleteSeder Hayom states that one who fears for himself and for his soul should be put great effort into this matter to write the entire text of the Ketoret on kosher k’laf in K’tav Ashurit. The Kaf Hachim says that if you read from a k’laf then it is a segula to merit wealth and do well in business - i.e. to increase your parnassah (income). The Zohar too adds this will bring blessings for livelihood, health and peace as well as atonement.
Part of this is derived from the fact that the incense was used to ward off a plague and so is seen as a protective charm of sorts.
Yes, basically it's a segulah for ashirus...
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly a Parnassah for the Sofer ...
ReplyDeleteSince this topic has been brought up again, does anyone, perhaps newcomers here, have any comments on these questions I once asked and surprisingly received no response to?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.stamforum.com/2012/07/pitum-haketores-and-lamenatzeach.html
(Since the link I entered in the comment above is not clickable, here it is in clickable format:)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.stamforum.com/2012/07/pitum-haketores-and-lamenatzeach.html