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 have heard in the name of Rav Elyashiv that a hollow “yud” is halachikly a small “mem stuma”.
ReplyDeleteThanks Etan. But does anyone say it's definitely kosher as a yud?
ReplyDeleteOur Tinokot Shel Bet Rabban.
DeleteThat "Sh'mu'a" in Rav Elyashiv's name seems odd. If we see a Mem Stuma with a strong Regel protruding from the bottom right, descending as long as the letter is high and then curving toward the left, and the lower left corner protruding downward, and the top left corner sporting a Makal, we might (at least) have to ask a Tinok is this is a mem.
ReplyDeleteRav Elyashiv always chose to fill in a Yud when given the kavod off filling in a letter because, as R' Etan writes, he held it was (or maybe was - I'm not sure which) a kosher Mem Setuma and hence by filling it in he was actually writing a letter and not just filling in an already kosher letter.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that it depends on the way it was done. if it has a nice outline with a short regel -yes it can be a mem stuma , just take a pen and draw a mem stuma and add a small regel-it will still stay a mem stuma-fill it up and you have a yud
ReplyDelete