The International STa"M Forum

According to the SA Harav (and pashtus from the Shimusha Rabbah himself and also sefer Hatruma, Eshkol, Pri Megadim) the bayis shel yad need not be 2 etzbaos, which according to SA Harav refers to the ketzitzah (hence ketzitza is 4x4). Even according to those that it applies to the yad (See siman 32 Bach, Eliyahu Rabba and Be'er Heitev), this shiur is only lechatchila according to the Shimusha Rabba.On the other hand, according to the SA and Rama the bayis shel yad must fit on the muscle no higher than the 1/2 way point of the humerus bone. Presumably, a "4x4" bayis can't be accommodated within this space for some/many(?) bar mitzvah boys. If so, lechatchila, shouldn't a smaller bayis shel yad be (temporarily) chosen for such situations rather than to place the bayis higher up and rely on the Gra? (See Mishnah Brurah 27/4; Biur Halachah 32/41 “Ain Lo Shiur” in the name of Shulchan Shlomo; Aruch Hashulchan 27/4, who writes that one who has a sore and can'

ה"א הראשונה בשם המסומן אני חושש שזו שינוי צורת אות, בגלל הצטרפות כמה שינויים בצורתה

The hint is in the subject line.

אין לה מושב. (ולענ"ד אי אפשר להכיר האם זה טי"ת או חצי עיי"ן. במלים אחרות: איני יודע אם זה ט' שחסר מושבה, או עיי"ן שחסר מושבה)

I'm seeing more Ashkenazi sofrim who are not doing their own tiyug. While I expect this of sofrim writing low quality mezuzahs as they are knocking them out at the rate of upwards of 200 monthly and don't want to be "slowed down" by tiyug and their tiyug is likely of similar quality to their ksav so a metayeg would potentially do a better job, but even good sofrim are taking the lazy way out even though it's been our mesorah for the sofer to make tiyug, usually b'sha'as kesiva. I just saw an expensive 15cm mezuzah with tiyug that was obviously done by a metayeg. It had a metayeg's typical "signature"  little straight lines without ziyunim whenever in the vicinity of a letter above rather than take a few extra moments to make properly, particularly in a mehudar ksav, (laziness and amaratzus) tagei Yud, which few Ashkenazi sofrim do While he he was fairly successful in putting most of the Bedek Chaya tagin close to the left edge, there we

הממי"ם הללו פסולות כי עיקר גופן עגולה כסמ"ך, ולא מרובע כמ"ם. ולא מועיל העוקץ הקטן שהוסיף לעשותה מרובעת, כנגד ציורה הכללית של האות

http://collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=47795&alias=torah-in-australias-parliament

B"H Two questions for the forum, 1) Is there a minhag to place the Sifrei Torahs inside the Aron Kodesh in between Hakafos by a Hachnasos Sefer Torah? Any information on this would be helpful. 2) Why does the Rambam (Hilchos Tefilin UMezuzos 5:3) tell us which letters of the mezuzah need tagim, which mentions only a fraction of the Shatnez Ga'tz letters? See Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 36:3).

If it is not possible to put up a mezuzah both on outer tefach of the doorpost (green) and under the mashkof (red), which of the two gets preference?

Here's the list provided by the Edah. I've put an asterick next to those that I'm not familiar with. If you're familiar with them please provide information. * אחדתא – ירושלים דוד סטאריק יצור מיוחד – ירושלים * התפילין – קרית ספר * חותם ההידור – ירושלים * נ. ראז – ירושלים סטאריק בתים מאכער יצור מיוחד – ירושלים עטרת תפילין – חיפה שיינפלד בתים – ירושלים דאסקאל תפילין – בני ברק טוטפות – שלמה נפתלי פדר – בני ברק * תפילין כהלכה – ירושלים * משה קרישבסקי – ירושלים * פריזנט – ביתר

Whose do you recommend? What hiddurim are included? Which hechsher?Please include contact info for maker.

I would greatly appreciate a psak lemaase from Rabbi Winer 

does it have a tzura?

Anyone has mare mekomos on the topic of  אם הגיה אפי' אות אחת מעלה עליו כאילו כתבו ?  in regards to if this could appy to the actual sofer and not the Torah owner. Gmar hatima tova

These were found by a friend of mine, they are both evenly off the sirtut the entire Mezuza, the sofer (after yelling that you know nothing!!!!) said that it just happens sometimes! Any limud zechus?

B"H Is there a matte finish Tefillin paint that is ready to go? I use the Tefillin paint (thick) mixed with lacquer thinner, however I am asked often if they have a paint that is able to be used and stored in the Tallis bag.

Hi. This was found in yesterdays Torah reading... aleph and daled... before and after fixing screenshots attached. Would anyone think that there is a chashash in the daled being a shinui tzurah to a tzdi pshuta? Many thanks, Daron

Please check out this link: https://www.kedem-auctions. com/he/node/30900 They are claiming, amongst other things, that: גדולי האדמו"רים הזמינו אצלו תפילין. כאשר ביקר האדמו"ר הריי"צ מליובאוויטש בארץ ישראל (בשנת תרפ"ט) הזמין אצל רבי נחמן פפירנא תפילין מהודרות עבורו ועבור חתניו. חתנו הרבי מליובאוויטש רבי מנחם מנדל שניאורסון היה מקפיד להניח תפילין אלו עד סוף ימיו Pardon my ignorance, but I always thought that  the Rebbe Rayat"z bought the tefillin for his- sons- in law from Reb Zalman Vainshtein  Z"L, the well known Chabad sofer in Warsaw before the war. Can anyone shed light?

Rav Natan Siegel z"l of Efrat, Israel passed away on Shabbat, following a period of illness. Rav Natan was my inspiration for becoming a Sofer STaM, when he ignited the passion for the Holy Hebrew letters one tikkun leil Shavuot 24 years ago. Rav Natan was a master Sofer, teaching many students and advising experienced Sofrim. He wrote tefillin and mezuzot with great care and excellence. For Rav Natan, every Jew was an "Ot" in the Torah - every Jew has his and her critical place, and without whom the Torah could not be complete. Rav Natan loved to sing and dance, and so it was painfully difficult to watch him in his last weeks tied to a respirator, in a coma, and unable to move. Rav Natan Siegel has now danced to infinite heights, and no doubt welcomed in the choir of Angels - where they are certainly singing Zimrot Shabbos... in the niggun of Reb Shlomo Carlebach. May Rav Natan's family be comforted with the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. (attached photo of Rav N