The International STa"M Forum

For those who rely soley on the computer check for spelling (chaiseros veyesairos) and don't even bother manually checking for spelling mistakes, this video is a must... This is not a case of someone forgetting to note  an error in the report or somehow being negligent.  The computer simply does not list this blatant error in the summary. Scary.

המשרטט השאיר ריוח גדול בין השרטוטים לפני ובשעריך. האם זה פוסל? האם זה נידון כריוח פרשה במקום שאינה צריכה?

I have a tikun for megillat esther of 48 lines per column where the last two columns are narrower then the first 8 columns and I need to convert those two columns to normal width columns. The last column of writing does not need to end at the bottom of the column (and probably shouldn't considering that the letters would have to be radically stretched to keep the columns at 48 lines when widened). Do I just take the average number of letters (or yud spaces) on the normal width columns and estimate where to mark off the end of a line by counting letters and marking off the end of the column after the normal amount of letters on a normal column (adjusting, of course, to make sure that words aren't cut in half)? Meaning, for example, if there were about 30 letters per line on a normal width column, I would count 30 letters on the narrower columns and then adjust by as small a margin a possible to make sure that a word wasn't cut into pieces (and that the parshiyot still work o

Does anyone go to Rav Vozner in Monsey with any regularity? I've emailed the gabai multiple times over the past 3 months and other than one reply some weeks ago that he'd be on top of it, I've not heard back. I have a significant number of general STaM shailahs to clarify the daas of the Shevet Halevi after going through his teshuvos and other mekoros and was hoping to have them answered a few at a time but am not getting anywhere. If you see him with some regularity and are willing to ask and record his answers I'd greatly appreciate it.

 לדעתי הכ"ף הזו פסולה, כי היא כמין וי"ו או רי"ש, ואינה ארוכה כשיעור כ"ף והרי זה דומה למה שפסלו הפוסקים כ"ף שהאריך גגה כשיעור אורך רגלה, שנעשית מין רי"ש ופסולה, ולא מהני מה שיורדת מהשיטה להוכיח שהיא כ"ף ראה גם https://hebrewstam.blogspot.com/2013/05/blog-post.html

I noticed the question was asked previously but not answered: Does anyone know where to find a reed kulmus in Yerushalayim or how to make one?

The psak I received from Rav Gavriel Zinner (Nitei Gavriel) some years back is that filling in the letters is permissable and not an issue of maase uman. He also suggested ensuring the eitz chayim were sewn on before Yom Tov, otherwise it should be done by a goy on chol hamoed and re-sewn by a yid after the Chag.

All you need is hot water and a syringe. Pretty simple solution for a very annoying problem.....

I am looking for Checklist and advice  for a Hachnasas Sefer Torah in a modern orthodox community Here is what I have so far..... Kulmus- best to get one that is long white and fluffy.... Dyo -  Eli Gutnick recommends  using the (kosher) rapidagraph ink which drys quickly  Make sure they are Shomer Shabbos, and vadi are gedolim,  if you can't be sure without embarrassing someone have them all just hold your hand. Zev M   If someone not shomer shabbos wrote you may need to erase and rewrite,,,,, if the sofer wrote with tevila or at least tevilas Ezra and the owner wants this standard maintained then the person filling in/completing an os should do the same. Yerachmiel Askotzky Paper – harieni kosev leshem kedushas seefer torah –  sample below with nikud   Transliterated Ask righty – lefty – advise write accordingly- if mixed (pmg posul to be a sofer) then offer to have him hold your hand. Say  the word being written together Thick plastic to cover the re

Are there poskim that permit shaving off the bottom of a Sefer Torah that is full of rips, in order to make it look nicer? I've seen it done and can't find a Matir.

By Rabbi Zushe Winner for COLlive All Sifrei Torah, Ashkenazi or Sefardi, have the exact same words and letters with the exception of one letter in the Torah in which there is a long standing debate. The spelling of the last letter of the word "dakah" in this week's Torah reading (Devarim 23:2) has two opinions, some spell the word with the letter hei and others spell it with an alef, the latter is also the Chabad custom. In the book "Pathways of the Prophets" (Artscroll, 2013) by Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, he raises questions about the propriety of the custom to spell "dakeh" with an aleph. Under the subtitle "The Chabad Sefer Torah" (p.351), Rabbi Reisman states "The Ashkenazic custom, like that of all non-Taimoni Sefardim is to spell dakah with a hei" and goes on to say that "it is preferable not to use this Sefer Torah". However, it must be noted that in reality this is not a Chabad invention but goes back to the earliest

היו"ד לא חובר לגוף הצד"י [כנראה הסופר שכח לחברו] - נראה לי שאסור לתקנה בתפלין ומזוזה משום כתיבה שלא כסדרן. ואע"פ שאין ליו"ד ירך כלל, מ"מ נראה ברור שיש כאן שתי אותיות יו"ד ונו"ן, אלא שליו"ד חסר רגל, וכל שנראה לעינים על ידי ההפסק שנשתנה לאותיות אחרות, א"א לתקנו. ואין זה דומה למה שנוהגים להקל בצד"י של כתב האר"י, כאשר ליו"ד יש ירך בצד שמאל, אלא שמופסקת מהגוף, דנוהגים להתיר תיקונה ע"י קריאת התינוק, כי על ידי הירך המהופך צורת הצד"י עליה, משא"כ בנידון דידן. ראה גם: https://hebrewstam.blogspot.com/2016/10/blog-post.html http://hebrewstam.blogspot.com/2015/11/blog-post_27.html http://hebrewstam.blogspot.com/2015/07/blog-post_89.html

Is this kosher? There is hekker ribuah underneath but no cut out on the top. (Someone just brought these back from Israel where they purchased this from a "top" sofer as a "top" pair of tefillin". Hmmm) (It is a basic halacha that for the ribuah of the titurah there must be a "cut out" on both sides between the titurah and maabarta that creates the two back corners of the titurah and defines the ribuah of the titurah)

Thoughts on the lamed of למען?

Do not try this yourself! Only a handful of people in the world can do this...it is not for the faint hearted (I was holding my breath watching this). Still beats rewriting the yeriya and well worth the few dollars they charge for this service...

When you enter home this room is on the left side.

I was shown this mezuzah. 3 questions: 1. How short is too short for a reish or daled? Here are 3 examples found: 2. Gimel: I have seen a gimel like this before (see image below), where both regalim seem to come from the gag, where as I understand it, it would be pasul. Here the left regel comes out of the right regel, but very close to the gag where it looks like its coming out the gag. Would this be a sheila l'tinok? 3: Peh pshuta: thoughts? As always I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks, Daron

Found this Alef in Torah reading from yesterday... Not having too much experience, and I had not seen something like this before, I along with another sofer in the minyan  decided its a change in tsurah and we took out another sefer Torah. Is this a change in tsurah? After the service, we looked closer at this Sefer and noted many letters that were pasul and many questionable ones... Here is a snapshot of some of them. Would love to hear your thoughts on the Alef and the others too...