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Klaff Tanning question:
By
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...

I don't disagree, but I do admire your courage.
ReplyDelete(In any case, the second VeHayu might need a Kotz added to the Yud.)
I question whether it is wide enough to pasel.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be so quick to passul, it's regel is bending inwards & a tinnuk would most likely read it correctly,
ReplyDeleteNot so sure. If it would be the top of a Vav, there would be hesitation about if it's a Reish. It's MUCH wider than any Vav in that Ksav. A Tinok might read this as a Yud, only because what else could it be. The Tinok might do so even if this were 50% longer, with a nice Kotz top and bottom, and a nice Regel.
DeleteYes, if it were a vav that would be a reish, however it is not and it also can't be mistaken for a reish, it therefore should remain a sheilas tinnok, as with a shinu tzurah.
DeleteWere it longer it would be worse, and we may not rely on a tinnok if we know he is clearly wrong.
Shaylas Tinok
ReplyDeleteI am not only concerned in regard to tzuras haos (as all agreed there is at least a shaylas tinok involved), but also a dimensional change.
ReplyDeleteA yud is a nekuda, here it is a kav IE a gag. So what Aharon said in regard to reish-vav is a problem, to my opinion.
Would you also be machmir if a nun had a rosh that was that wide, even if the moshav were extended well beyond the rosh and therefore no chashash of a beys?
Delete