The International STa"M Forum

Many are aware of the shocking story circulating about "Rabbi" Michoel Tzadok Elkoen, a Charedi sofer from Jerusalem who was found to be a non Jewish Christian Missionary. While the story itself is very concerning, some people are worried that may have ended up with his STa"M (Sifrei Torah, Tefillin or Mezuzos), since these items often go through many hands until they reach the end customer. Well, the good news is that he did not write in large quantities, he was involved in many other things besides Safrus. Furthermore, he wrote Sephardi Ksav, so if you don't buy Sephardi ksav then you definitely have nothing to worry about. For those interested, I am posting a picture of his ksav below. (He posted pictures of his writing several times on the internet.) If one is really worried, an expert sofer can tell if a suspected item is a potential match to the said ksav. (There are certain nuances that are different here to your typical Sephardi ksav.) Certainly if there is a...

 Hi - another question I received and was asked to post on the forum: " What is the minimum width of a Yud (by kulmus and cm) and how would that translate in a Shiur Parsha?"

 Hi - I received the following question and was asked to post on the forum: Can a mezuzah be written in a way to have a Stumah that is according to the Alter Rebbe and Ta"z (simultaneously)? Thanks