Earliest source for kesidran in tefillin and mezuzos?
Does anyone know the earliest source(s) for the law of kesidran in tefillin and mezuzos?
How about the Bais of Uleovdo?
Popular posts from this blog
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 Rosh in hilchos tefilin quotes Mechilta parshas bo [tanaic source].
ReplyDeleteThank you. Is it clear that the Mechilta is referring not just to the physical placement of the letters, words and the parshiot relative to eachother, but especially to the point in time the letters, words and parshiot were written relative to eachother?
Deleteits not so clear from the mechilta, that is why tosfos argues. see the 2nd bi'ur halacha to siman 32
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Was the Rosh the first to explain the mechilta this way- i.e. the letters, words and parshiot must be written in the temporal sequence that they appear in the Torah?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteNo this law is quoted earlier than the Rosh, in Rambam. But the Rambam didn't mention any source.
DeleteTrue the Mechilta is not clear, if speaking about seder of the parshiyos in the batim of rosh [or on the klaf in yad] or the seder of the writing.
The Mechilta doesn't regard mezuza, only tefilin.
The Rambam writes that the law c'sidran applies to mezuza as well. Rishonim [see Cesef Mishna H. Stam ch 1) quote Yerushalmy Megila as source of Rambam.
DeleteThanks. I looked in Rambam hilchos sta"m and I couldn't find where he mentions kesidran as we understand it today. Where do you see it? I only found that he says that the 2 mezuzah parshiot must be in the correct order on the klaf.
Deleteהל' תפלין פרק א הלכה טז: אבל במזוזה ותפלין אין תולין בהן אפילו אות אחת
ReplyDeleteכסף משנה שם: בירושלמי פ"ק דמגילה והטעם משום דהוי שלא כסדרן, ואמרינן במכילתא כו'.
Thanks. I didn't catch that. I was only looking for the word "seder/sidur". This teaches that "kesidran" in writing applies within a word or parshah. Where do we learn that it also applies between one parshah and another? - I.e. Shema must be written before Vehaya im shamoa?
DeleteSee Cesef Mishna ibid that doesn't differentiate, between words or parshiyot.
ReplyDeleteThe simple neaning of the Michilta refers to the 4 parshiyos, while the Yerushalmi mentioned specifies letters or words.
Thanks again. The first clear expression of "kesidran" as also applying to the timing of when each parshah was written relative to another parshah - does this first appear in the Rosh or in the Cesef Mishnah?
ReplyDeleteThe Kesef Mishnah tends to interpret the Rambam in light of other Rishonim. In fact, it is not at all clear that the Rambam himself holds that "kesidran" applies to the sequence of writing each letter. See חדושי מרן רי"ז הלוי. Rav Kapach (in his commentary to Mishneh Torah) agrees with Kesef Mishneh, but (לענ"ד and not that he needs my haskama) the Brisker Rav's analysis is convincing.
ReplyDeleteThanks. In Rambam hilchos stam 1:16 it says for tefillin and mezuzot if one letter was forgotten then one can't go back and write it but must be gonez it. If there was a tikun then why must he be gonez?
ReplyDeleteWhich parts of the Kesef Mishneh does Rav Kapach agree with?
What does the Brisker Rav conclude?
Yankev,
ReplyDeleteAfter rereading the Rambam hilchos stam, especially the halacha I cited before (1:16), I agree with you now that it is not at all clear that the Rambam holds of this at all. 1:16 is speaking about "hanging" the letters and not about erasing and correcting. Thanks.
I'm beginning to suspect that there is no clear source older than the Rosh for sh'lo kesidran exactly as we hold today that every letter must be written in sequence, not just within a parshah but also between parshiot.
ReplyDeleteSee also Chazon Ish (OH 5)
Delete