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Klaff Tanning question:
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Rabbi Eli Gutnick
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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)
By
Rabbi Eli Gutnick
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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...

If the sofer was a sefardi, this never would have happened!
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the spelling mistake, note that:
ReplyDeleteThe ך of the second בשבתך and ובשעריך are most probably פסול.
The foot of the big ד is to short.
The extra תגים are not at all exact: 6 on מ of ובקומך(?),
דגנך ותירשך ויצהרך like in תפילין, in מזוזה should be nothing on ותירשך and on the ר of ויצהרך.
Lacking the תגים in many places (וקשרתם, אחרים and others).
In short, this sofer (in my opinion) needs to do a little bit homework before he continues.
I wouldn't have thought the kafim are Pasul. Lechatchila - definitely not. But I think they're kosher bediavad since the regel is longer than the gag (not easy to see in the pic) and they are yored mehaketiva amongst a ktav that has fairly consistent letter heights. Maybe at most a ST, but I'm not even sure about that.
ReplyDeleteAlso the regel of the dalet is short but also I think its kosher.
If the Regel is not longer than the Gag then it's a serious Safek of Tzuras Ha'os. After all, if this were the large Raish of Acher (ki lo sishtachaveh l'eil acheir), would it be Pasul because it's a long Kaf?
Deleteואבדתם
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, the two most common spelling mistakes in a mezuzah are:
ReplyDelete1) in the 2 places where the words letotofos and mezuzos are written - where the sofer has mixed up the moleh or choser and either left out a vov or added a vov.
2) in the two v'avadatems where he has mixed up the ayin / alef.
In my opinion, after checking a mezuzah normally, it is worth glancing over those 6 words a second time.
Also, I have commonly found the first written ועבדם - lacking the TAV
ReplyDelete