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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.
The forum is back online...for reference and research purposes.
By
Rabbi Eli Gutnick
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Dear Readers and Members, The forum has been down for over 6 months because the domain name (www.stamforum.com) lapsed and it is no longer available to re purchase. Although this forum is now defunct (it has morphed into several whatsapp groups), I have had many requests to put it back online because it contains so much information (over 1,800 posts and thousands of comments in the discussions, on a wide range of topics related to STa"M). I have therefore put the forum back online at blogger, so the address is www.stamforum.blogspot.com. The forum lasted for a decade...not a bad effort! It was pretty popular back in the days before whatsapp and managed to receive over a million hits in it's short life. It was one of the only organised forums in the STa"M world and definitely the largest in it's heyday. I would like to thank all those who cobtributed over the years, particularly the early members who helped build it up. Thanking you all, Eli
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ReplyDeleteI think it still has tzuras mem.
ReplyDeleteFrom memory: rabbi stern requires but allows to correct על ידי כתיבה since we need four sides inside.A small inside is ugly but kosher.
I always wondered if scratching is allowed after correction ע"י כתיבה or would it be a form of panim chadashos
Definitely allowed so long as you don't do ponim chadoshos mamash
DeleteDefinitely allowed so long as you don't do ponim chadoshos mamash
DeleteIt's important to note that with respect to the MEM SETUMA the IKAR that determines whether the letter retains is shape is that it be squared on the outside alone. The shape of the inside is NOT a matter of concern as long as the letter is squared on the outside. The concept of it being squared on the inside is only LECHATECHILAH. As such, BEDIEVED, this letter maintains its shape.
ReplyDeleteIf one is worried and insists that it should be corrected על ידי כתיבה then just square it a bit on the inside top right corner and the bottom inside base. However, there is no reason to invalidate the letter if it's fixed by removing the excess ink within the HALLAL, even before correction, as it cannot be considered CHAK TOKHOT.
I don't think Rav Moshe's concern was that the inside isn't square but that perhaps the tzuras Mem was affected/lost. I agree that it wasn't and is kosher and that the inside can be cleaned up.
ReplyDeleteRegarding tzuras haos ,that is deformed on inside only:
ReplyDeletethe sefer mishmeres stam brings a pischei tshuva that is machmir, unfortunately I didn't see this in the pische tshuva.
Regarding missing limb from inside:
Rabbi Silbiger in ksiva tama disagrees with mishmeres stam and holds its kosher.
Rabbi Stern brings this discussion 3 times . page 65,79 and page 91 that if a wall or roof is missing on inside אין לפסול בדיעבד
HERE IS AN INTERESTING STORY: When i was doing shimush for haga I checked 25 mezuzas and I didn't realize that the 2 feet of the tav meet inside and therefore there is no roof. The magia that rechecked after me claimed it was bdieved - we went to Rav Stern where I argued that in ם he writes its kosher so why are you saying now its bdieved- in the next publication he added a piece to his sefer when discussing letter tav where he writes אין לפסול בדיעבד see the sefer page 91 where this discussion is inserted at later time
In any case he told me personally that he holds its bdieved until corrected .
I asked the forum members if it is fixed by adding ink may we then scratch or maybe the members feel it becomes mehudar by scratching. Please post your thoughts