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...
Shalom R. Eli,
ReplyDeleteWe are strict to sew the Megillah with at least 9 stitches. Three at the top of the yeriah, three in the middle and three at the bottom.
The minhag is like the Chayyei Adam (I believe), which, I believe, is the consensus of the poskim, that the din of 3 tfiros is a KULA in megillah, i.e. it need not be stitched as well as a Sefer Torah. However, we do NOT say it l'chumra. Therefore, in general, when we stitch a megillah from top to bottom like a Sefer Torah (leaving a bit unstitched at the edges, of course), there is no need to go out of one's way to stitch nine stitches.
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