The International STa"M Forum

Hey, what's the common practice regarding making a brachah when putting a mezuzah back up after it was checked? I always tell my customers if its going back on the same day they need not, but next da (or subsequent days) they do. Does everyone agree with this?

There are a couple things with the yud of יפתה that I'm not sure about. 1) it looks like its made of regel and kotz with no Rosh, but not easy to tell 2) the regel is slanted to the right instead of straight down or to the left 3) the regel has a strange shape Are any of these concerns in this case apparent enough to be meakev here?

Relating to a previously brought up issues of trust and assumptions - this is a parsha I received not long ago: I have no issues not being machshir this parasha due to the fact that something was clearly erased and the words משה לאמר קדש where clearly written almost definitely after the parasha was completed. (Aside from the fact that the reish in לאמר is a vav...) My question is more theoretical than practical - if in this case I wanted to use the other parshiyot or the batim, would I be able to? Or is there a chashash that they can't be trusted because of this instance? Or would I say that the Sofer would be trusted and the incident above is the work of a magiha? Thoughts?

Tzadi of ועצר?

Open the image in a new window to enlarge.

In the yud of beneichem, the left kotz extends down almost to the length of the right regel. Such a tzurah is oft mentioned as being problematic. However in this case there are two saving graces, 1) the kotz and regel are both very short so it's not really a small ches and 2) the left kotz is indeed a fraction shorter than the right regel. Am I correct to assume its OK to fix in Mezuzah and not a shinuy tzurah? You can click to view it bigger. I wanted to keep the angle of the scan in proportion which is why I did not crop.

Hi, has anyone ever used something called "Goop", a kind of gluey substance some sofrim put on the bottom of the tefillin shel rosh which stops moisture enetering the bayis and warping it? If yes, does anyone know why this is not a chatzitzah, also, what is it made of and where can one buy it?

since my Yalkut Stam is out of print for a while- I put up a PDF version on my website www.soferstam.org for anyone to download all or parts for free. Also there-many halachic audio and video shiurim, and some material of interest for sofrim.

In our quest to be Tzaddikim we forgot about being a Mentch. 2000 years ago, we caused, with our own actions, the destruction of Beit HaMikdash. For the next 2000 years we cried, we fasted, we wore black hats and jackets, we learned many pages of Gmara by heart, and we prayed for the reconstruction of Beit HaMikdash - to no avail. Beit HaMikdash is not yet rebuilt and we seem to get deeper and deeper into the hole. We made an experiment, a 2000-years long experiment, and we failed. God could not care less what color hat we wear. God could not care less if we wear a shirt, a jacket, or a kappotta. God could not care less how many pages of Gmara we know by heart or how many days in a year we fast. There is only one thing that God cares about – what we do for each other. The time we spend helping someone in need, is infinitely more important than the time we spend with our noses pointed to the books we learn. Yes, we do have to learn Torah. It is very important to learn Torah. But, w...

Someone asked me to check 4 mezuzos he bought from a very special sofer in Israel. Here's what they looked like....

HaRav Michael Tzadok Elkohen and i visited with R' Friedlander shlit"a at the beis hora'ah in jerusalem today. armed with a bottle of mei klaf, a can of spray klaf, a mezuzah psulah that had been treated with spray klaf and a copy of the ishur for spray klaf from HaRav Yaakov Meir Shtern shlit"a (thank you, R' Alberto). 1. the bottle of spray klaf was presented along with the ishur. it was pointed out by Rav Friedlander first and foremost that the ishur listed on the can of spray klaf (by Rav MOSHE Shtern) is from two different rabbanim (printed ishur provided by R' Alberto in a previous post was given by Rav YAAKOV MEIR Shtern). 2. the mezuzah that had been treated with spray klaf was shown to R' Friedlander along with with a hands-on demonstration of how easily the otiyot were smudged from a simple negiya with a finger (the original tish-tush of otiyot happened simply from rolling the mezuzah). Rav Friedlander and those present were visibly dismayed...

I stumbled across a sofer here in Eretz Yisroel, who claims to be checking his mezuzos 2 and 3 times by himself, but doesnt not do a computer check, or check by someone else. Should he be bought from? Is this ok lechatchila?

Here is the endorsement and approbation for the use of Spray Klaf by Rabbi Shtern.

(I asked Eli first before posting this who gave the okay.) For parnassah I work part time by a Software development company here in Israel. Most notably we created the PowerSefer ( www.powersefer.com ) app for smartphones, tablets, PC and Mac. We have worked on many other apps for the Torah/Frum world as well as for the secular world. The preference is always to find ways to make apps and software for frum people but it's a business so we must be willing to branch out. An idea came to mind recently that I would like to get some feedback on from those that work in STaM to see if it would be of any use. As it is now I know the software used to check STaM via a computer is quite expensive. I'm sure not every person who works in STaM (b'frat in Chutz L'Aretz) or would be checking STaM on a regular basis (perhaps a shliach or a rov in a remote area of the world) would have access to this software. My idea is to create an App for smartphones and tablets that could check...

It happened to me again last Friday. I found a missing word in someone's tefillin. The owner of the tefillin is about 55, he bought the tefillin about twenty years ago and had them checked only once since then. The first question I always get asked in these situations is "Was I yotzei mitzvas tefillin for the past 20 years or not?" When it's a psul like a small negiya, there is yesh lismoch. Likewise with nifsakim, spacing and other potential errors, you can find what to rely on for the past. But it's hard to sugar coat a spelling mistake. There is one teshuvah from the Har Tzvi that's seems to imply you are yotzei if your intent was there, even if the tefillin were possul. Is this a limmud zchus or actually the halacha? I never got it clear. I like to make people feel better, but I need to base it on something legit. If anyone has teshuvos or mekoros or advice on this inyan I'd like to please know about it.

What is the significance of having the pitum on klaf?

    What should I do about the langeh chuf of E'lokecha? My question really has two parts, would there be an issue of chok tochos? And if there is chok tochos here that means that it lost its tzura so then would I be allowed to erase it since it is l'tzorech tikkun?    

I had a question about small fibres on the klaf that are between the Klaf and the ink can one just write over them?( p.s. about mei klaf I mentioned it to rabbi zurkin and he mentioned that there is a answer by rabbi Moshe finestein that if it is an ingredient or for the beauty of the klaf then there is no problem (I didn't have a chance to look it up) lechaora meir klaf would be ok just like safrus chalk I am not paskaning I just though it would be interesting to mention)

Some pictures someone sent me, is there any svorah that the first doorway would need a mezuzah? (its missing the right doorpost... but is kind of close... and has no lintel but it the ceiling goes down which kind of give the impression that it does..) The second picture seem to me to be straight out potur, but a general Shaloh, can a doorway to a room with no lintel but has a lower ceiling be in any way considered as a lintel? (think about walking down the stairs the ceiling is lower) Thanks