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...
Was this written in China?
ReplyDeleteI don't see how this ksav is that unique for a basic level ksav that it should rouse such a response. It's overall better than lots of cheaper parshios and mezuzahs out there. In all likelihood the Yud was scratched.
ReplyDeleteIt appears as though the yud was touching the reish and it was scraped.
ReplyDeleteLa'aniyus daytime it's a Shalas tinok (although the "chaser eiver" community would probably passel outright)
Out of context, it has no Tzura of a Yud. Eiver or no eiver. In context, even an asterisk can be "read" as a Yud.
ReplyDeleteI discussed with shailah with 2 colleagues, senior talmidim of our rebbi, Harav Friedlander zt"l. One felt it was pasul due to lacking a guf. Another felt it could be fixed as a bedieved. I hear both sides.
ReplyDeleteWhile I was asked about the Yud and didn't take notice of other letters, one sugested that the Chaf peshuta (next to the Yud, is a shailas tinok.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about the yud, but about the chaf, Rav Menachem Davidovitch was Machmir in any Rosh that did not have 2.5 Kulmus widths, but Rav Friedlander ztl was Mekel up to 2 Kulmus, where in that case he refered a Tinok. Again, as a rule, he said you can count the width of the Regel as belonging to the Gag also,. After taking that into account it doesnt look like the haf poses a problem.
ReplyDeleteBut what about the nun underneath it, or the vov of the lamed on top, and, hey, that's a nice tzadi of artzechem (or is it an ayin)?