In today’s day and age, virtually every kosher product available to the consumer comes with a hechsher. By hechsher, I mean an official and recognised rabbinical body or agency that certifies the kashrus of a product, be it a food item or a religious article. Hechsherim play a vital role in providing consumer confidence, and something branded by a reputable kashrus agency will be considered more legitimate than a similar product that does not. The agency has rigid policies and protocols in place to ensure correct standards are met, and they are independent of the manufacturer so that there is no conflict of interest. As we have discussed on this forum previously, there is a distinct lack of official hechsherim on Sta”m products - Tefillin, Mezuzos and Sifrei Torah. Even the Vaad Mishmeres Sta”m, the oldest and most well- known rabbinic agency in the Sta”m world does not certify products. They test and ordain sofrim and magihim (examiners), offer a computer checking service (sp...
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