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.
Considering that the sefer is probably written in oak-gall ink, I'm not sure that that's a good first step. The ink is highly volatile and is as likely to flake off with the dust as not, as I've seen in some older sefarim and megillot in my schul.
ReplyDeleteHatzlocha rabba, though.
PS. Any photos of the k'tav?
DeleteI know that the Met does that all the time. I don't know if they'll work with private individuals though. My rebbi once mentioned to me that when he restored prewar scrolls (this was much closer to the war) he used a certain solvent which is now illegal because it depletes the ozone layer and managed to take of the dirt without the ink. I've been meaning to test some of the replacements for a while but I never got around to it.
ReplyDeleteHatzlacha
Who is your rebbi where did he learn procedure from is it an old procedure how does it work
DeleteSorry about the delayed response. I tried twice but both times happened to be on a spotty internet connection and it didn't go through. My rebbi (for safrus) is Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneider. He doesn't practice safrus fulltime and hasn't for many years. Apparently he learned it in the 70s from European sofrim who immigrated to the States after the war so it's old but not that old.
DeleteI'm not entirely sure how it works since I only have about 1.5 semesters of college chemistry but as I understand it, it's a polar solvent so it dissolves most of the compounds that make up "schmutz" but won't touch the iron based compounds that make up ink. We have at least 2 chemists in the forum who could explain better/correct me. As I said, I've never used it but I have used Everclear which also works.
What would you suggest is the best procedure to go about restoring .
ReplyDeleteWhen I rub it with eraser kesav is quite decent underneath and not as faded as it appears it has a lot of potential but must get rid of the dust and loose particles from the mashuach on the back.
front is not mashuach
Just use 92 percent rubbing alcahol. To look good you can repackage it and label it "Special solution "
ReplyDeleteJust use 92 percent rubbing alcahol. To look good you can repackage it and label it "Special solution "
ReplyDeleteJust use 92 percent rubbing alcahol. To look good you can repackage it and label it "Special solution "
ReplyDelete