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...
Superficially speaking: it requires skill to do it without the Chatoteres filling up with ink. So, some air on the side of caution and just don't do it at all.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is important to note that the A"R cites the Ari Za"l as the source. Tagei Lame"d have sources much earlier.
ReplyDeleteI fail to understand why the A"R citing the Arizal as a source is reason for not doing it.
Regarding the fact that it's difficult and requires skill. I think you'll find a lot of diyukim and hiddurim are " finicky" but we still do it anyway. (Take your own example of tagei lamed, it's very easy to make negiyos on the line above or have a tag go a questionable space in the line above. It can be very finicky at times but we still do it). The ches is much easier to modify than many other things. Futhermore there are only four chesin in a mezuzah, I really find it's not a very big deal to touch up at all.
I couldn't agree more. I was not justifying. Just observing:)
ReplyDeleteOk, no problem. I'm just wondering...
ReplyDeleteThe kol yakov http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=34817&st=&pgnum=58 is the source for not making right side of chatoteres thicker
ReplyDeleteactually what I touch up on the 4 chesin is that the makal should be a makal and not a kotz. Reb menachem always makes it thin and taller then the chatoteres.
ReplyDeleteהכוונה בקול יעקב שם - לא לענין החטוטרת. אלא שלפי האר"י אין קבלה כלל לעשות ו' ז', אלא תמונתו כמו בכתב ב"י ז' ז
ReplyDelete