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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...

Depends how it looks at arm's length, i.e. normal reading distance
ReplyDeleteI think it is ok.
ReplyDeleteIf it was "Odom benoni sh'koreh me'al habimah" it would definitely look like a vov. At a distance of one amoh, it looks like a vov. In my normal close up checking position, it hit me instantly that it could possibly pass as a zayin, ie a potential shinuy tzurah was obvious. This gets back to the bigger issue of how close do you have to scrutinise the letters. If we follow the well documented principal that if at normal reading position you encounter a doubt, then you can look at it at closer scrutiny, and even use a magnifying glass to help ascertain the status (see Dovev mesharim 1:1)
ReplyDeleteI presume you're discussing the 2nd Vav. It seems to me that the letter is kosher.
ReplyDeleteNo, the first.
ReplyDelete- The first vov has the (thin) regel protruding from the middle of the head, like a zayin.
- the regel fattens towards the bottom like a zayin.
- The piece protruding from the bottom right corner of the rosh is mainly roshem at the end, so ignore it.
- from far, looks like a vov with a blemish. From close you can see why it could be a problem. Click on the picture.
- Most likely its fixable because from a normal reading distance it DOES look more like a vov. but at close scrutiny, a lot more like a zayin...
I thought there was something covering part of the regel.
ReplyDeleteWhat's protruding from the bottom right looks black enough to me and does make it look strange. Based on what I see, I'd ask a shailas chacham.
Yes, agreed, definitely a shailos chachom, would likely pass given that from normal distance it's not too bad, as well as that streak coming out of the bottom corner, however I'd be too nervous calling it myself.
ReplyDelete