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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...

Ari, I dont think this measure is accepted. I think this is a shinuy tzuras ha'ois. This reish is actualy lacking a regel.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Rav Moshe. Where did the above mark up go wrong?
ReplyDeleteThe regel of a reish does not need to be completely vertical. The lower vertical part is short - maybe only one kulmus, but the upper, angular part also counts for something.
ReplyDeleteI looked at the general tzura of the letter, and to me it looked as a gag without a regel.
ReplyDeleteI accept that others may look at the tzura a bit different.
Interestingly, I also had that impression. At first glance the reish gives the image of being essentially just a gag.
ReplyDeleteBut upon closer inspection I definitely can see horizontal and vertical eivarim. I attribute the original impression to the combination of a very wide upper right angle and a very short regel.
I showed Rav Friedlander this enlarged image and he said you make a borei pri adama on it. (He actually said, "It's a banana" and I retorted, "So Rebbi is saying it's an adama?".)
ReplyDelete