Popular posts from this blog
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...

התמונה לא מספיק ברורה, אבל נראה בפשיטות שהוי"ו כשר. ומותר ורצוי לגרר הדיו הכחול
ReplyDeleteHi Eli,
ReplyDeleteNot only is there an ink mark there, but also after 1) ELECH, 2) ANASHAV, 3) SONeAV, 4)VAYELAKH. Obviously, someone marked all of the ends of PESSUKIM with blue ink, rendering this TORAH passul... for we admit of no extra marks on the scroll. There is no other choice, but to go and remove all of them.
Question, is the blue ink so engrained and absorbed into the KLAF, so that when you scrape, you are not able to remove it in its entirety?
For example, it appears from the picture that you have tried removing the mark after ELECH. However, there is still a small residue remaining. Ultimately, if the ink has been absorbed into the klaf, there is a point at which one can no longer proceed; for by scraping one risks making a hole onto the parchment.
Does anyone know of a good chemical process for removing blue ink? I have just tried a little alcohol, as well as acetone on a q-tip. Both seem to work by helping dissolve + lifting-up the ink. Any other ideas out there?