The International STa"M Forum

I have heard that the OK will soon be giving a hechsher on Tefillin, Mezuzos and Sifrei Torah... Has anyone else heard of this? Update : Someone sent me this. Seems INDEED this is the case. See below.

A friend showed me this mezuzah and said he was advised by a credible magiah that this mezuzah was pasul. I saw these pencil markings on it. I noted the mem of matar has the gag touching "too much" but mishnat hasofer says bediavad (even if the gag is a complete straight line) this can be fixed in a tefillin and mezuzah. Does anyone know of any source which would hold this mem is pasul? https://drive.google.com/open?id=1H8W4BsYWNIVvuvkhXGFAug4k3maJmbbv

Has anyone heard of any major posek saying double sirtut reduces (halachic) hiddur? I know there is a source in rishonim not to have more than one sirtut. Does anyone know where? Is this taken into account buy today's poskim? Thanks

Download here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yeriotshlomo The video shiurim are excellent...

ב״ה Since I just joined the forum I figured I would post something small that I found interesting to introduce myself. Here is A source in Rishonim for the minhag of the backwards head of the letter Tzadik. The Minchas Solet (R' Menachem Mendel Meshi-Zahav), perush on the Baruch Sheamar, brings that, while the custom of having the right head of the letter Tzadik face towards the right seems to originate from the Arizal, the truth is that you can find an earlier source for in the Rishonim. Namely, the Meiri and in his understanding of Rashi. In explaining the statement in the Gemara that you should be careful in writing that your letters Tzadik and Gimel should not look alike ( לא יעשה צדין גמין ), one explanation is that if you flip the gimel around it will look like the long Tzadik. Now, the sefer Hatruma qualifies this that the head of the backwards gimel will not match the right head of the Tzadik, since it will face towards the right. However, the Meiri unde...

Hi everyone, I have recently come across 2 cases of those plastic retzuos which were first discovered about two and a half years ago. This is the type that has the thick plastic (not paint veneer) heat pressed onto poor quality leather that easily tears once it is separated from the plastic. One was from a pair of tefillin purchased in NY , the other, from Israel. Both sets were a few years old and could have easily come from those fraudulent batches being sold a few years ago. My theory is that some of them began splitting right away or within a short amount of time, so people changed them. Some people may also have tested them when the fuss was being made once the fraud was discovered, and changed them then. But in all likelihood, many did not, and if the two parts are still bonded together (some may have been manufactured better than others) then people would be unaware that anything is wrong. The common pask on those retzuos were that they were possul. I'm wondering i...

Hello,  I am looking for a table while I am in Eretz Yisroel. I am here until next Wednesday, and the only tables I have seen are the ones that stand on an existing table or the Lanai one that I have shown on the right. I plan to bring the Table back to America in two checked bags.  I found the one on the right for 2000 shekels, and I am wondering if anyone knows a better price? If possible I would like to see if other table options exist already in America besides the one Merkaz Hasofrim sell (I think the Lanai one is better). Specifically I would like a Larger writing surface for working with large sheets of Bristol Vellum, but I still want the ergonomic benefits of the Sofer Table. I was thinking of just making my own piece of wood and attaching it to the Lani Table to suit my needs. Perhaps I would incorporate a Light Board into the Lanai Table. Any Help would be appreciated. מרדי