The International STa"M Forum

It's written on gvil, very old... Is it possibly temani? Feedback appreciated.

I remember seeing somewhere a machloket poskim as to whether mezuzot of a school should be checked twice a shmita like private homes or twice a yovel like public city gates and buildings etc. I don't remember where or the maskana but I think those in favour of twice a shmita were arguing that if the school has a board that runs it specifically and is responsible for it then its considered a reshut hayachid (for this purpose). Does anyone have any sources or know what is noheg lema'ase?

a friend of mine found a pair sfardi tefilin in a gnizah in 770 can he have them checked and assume that they are kosher since they were probally put there because someone changed to chabad tefilin

Kosher? Chok Tochos?

Mezuzah checked today! Have fun finding the mistake!... I named the file with todays date, in order to accommodate the ones who were complaining that I'm taking away all their fun by naming the file by its mistake... So, I hope your fun won't be spoiled now...   www.mezuzamehudar.com  

HI I was wondering what the olam uses to keep DYO in while writing and if there is something that is good that be opened & closed & moved around without spilling THANK YOU

Since the other Shaloh went over so well and thank you everybody for your answers I have another shaloh. This is the Beis Medresh where I Daven Mincha everyday. In the back of the Beis Medresh there is a opening to the Seforim shelves, as you can see in the picture (and I made a red box around it) there is a Mezuzah on the right post, its been nagging me for a while whether this opening really needs a Mezuzah, there is a door on the left side so maybe its considered a opening to the door? Any insights? Thank you,

Wishing all Forum members and readers a freilichen Purim!

This came up as a theoretical question today. Mishna Berurah says that one can scrape connected letters even within Names and it isn't considered mochek es haSheim if they were connected at the bottom. Is there any difference if the connection is on top (assuming the letters were written in a way that nichtav b'psul is not an issue)?

saw this in an old sefer torah today during the laining for תענית אסתר: the rosh of the lamed from "ולישראל" generously protrudes into the חלל of the ך from "אפך" would love to hear everyone's point of view on whether this is kosher or the opposite - and especially would love to know what r' moshe weiner and r'shammai say on a tangential note: r' moshe and rav shammai: where/when are your hours for hora'ah in yerushalayim? it would be a privilege for me to meet you in person... may everyone who contributes or reads this blog be inscribed in the book of purim along with all of klal yisrael. and for everyone outside the holy city and the holy land - please come home soon!

If anyone writes kesubas and is interested in writing one for someone from my shul, Knesset Israel. I live in Los Angeles. Thank you

I think this Dalet is pasul, and there is no place for a shaylas tinok. It is actualy a Reish (although pasul for a reish also) with a oketz stuck to the upper part of its foot. The basic structure of the letter reads it a reish.

I received a pair of parshiot where pasha of shema and vehaya im Shomoah in tefillin Shel Rosh still connected in one piece of Klaf. The Baal Magiah said its Bedieved and sends me to Simen LAMED BEIS Seif BEIS and to the Mishna Brura there. I asked few Sofrim Moomchim and I can’t get a clear answer if the tefillin are kosher lechatchila or not.

If all the writing was uniform in height I'd think maybe this vav requires a sheilat tinok. But since it isn't, and all the parshiyot are much longer than 4-5 kulmusim - does anyone feel that a sh"t is required?

After thinking a bit more about the case posted by R. Sholom Kass, I looked in Sefer Pitchei Shearim and found this example. It seems that the case posted by R. Sholom would be similar to the second illustration here, which according to the Pitchei Shearim is obligated in a Mezuzah. The only difference between the cases is that in R. Sholom's example, the left wall continues beyond the descending wall. This is a mitigating factor regarding a brocho, but I believe we usually put a Mezuzah mtzad safek when it is the left wall that continues and not the right one.  It would seem clear that in any case the two columns in the middle are to be disregarded since they are only to hold up the roof. So perhaps there should be one Mezuzah on the right-most column and affixed without a brocha?

What is the Halacha in regards to Mezuzos for the three beams in the picture? Thanks

There is a shailo that I've heard asked by R' Shammai Gross now a few times. The teshuva is not so clear so perhaps the olam here might have some insight. Someone working in STaM and teaching wants to use old batim that are now pasul to teach with. It'll involve "breaking" them apart, cutting, putting holes, sanding, etc, etc. His question is since they were once used for the mitzvah of tefillin and have kedusha even though they are now pasul perhaps it's a problem to do this. Does anyone have any sources on this or experience? R' Shammai at first was noteh lhakil however said he's not sure and needs to look into it more. I will post more if there will be any updates.

According to the interpretation of R. Yosef Tov Elem (980-1050), composer of the piyyut Chasal Siddur Pesach, the mem sofit in וטהרתם in Bamidbar 31:24 is written small. However this is clearly a very minority opinion as I have not seen it listed elsewhere else. I found it recently listed in a web list but without a source and haven't seen it in any other listing. Has anyone seen this before or even in a Sefer Torah?

If anyone on this forum is travelling to Dallas, Texas in the next week or two to check or review sifrei torah or a single sefer torah, please be in touch with me: sofer@bloomenstiels.com.  There is a, well, "delicate situation" here that you may want a hakdama to before getting involved. HaMavin Yavin.

The heads of the shin are touching with a thick negiya. It is customary to pasel this type of negiya, and consider scratching it "chok tochos".