The International STa"M Forum

Some sofrim just cannot remember in the beginning of the line that there is an end in site (perhaps they act as Beis Hillel ברוך השם יום יום) I marked tavs where the foot of the tav is very very narrow and the look is look of a ches I also marked one tav that although it sticks out however the bottom ends in a point similar to chabad ches. please your remarks separately on ושננתם   and on ולמדתם

Does this entrance require a mezuzah? If so where? This is an entrance into a private courtyard leading into the house. The door posts do not reach all the way up but are about 160cm tall. There are 2 decorative and/or structural pillars connecting the wall and up to the ceiling. There is no definitive lintel, rather just the ceiling extending to above the gate and door posts. This ceiling also only covers the walkway leading up until the gate and does not cover the courtyard. If this entrance requires a mezuzah, how do I measure it? The top third of the wall (excluding the pillar) or top third including the pillar. Many thanks and Chag Sameach.

I was thinking about the Halacha of the head of a lamed entering the airspace of another letter and a question came into my head. I know for a fact that a sofer cannot do that with regard to a Dalet or Resh since that might cause a shinui tzruah change. I also know that lechatchilah the lamed should not enter the airspace of a chet or Hey. Would this halacha include the airspace of a Pey Pashuta or Tzadi Pashuta and other letters? Or is it more of a Bedieved situtation?

A little picture brought from the Sefer "Sefrei Likut STaM"

Does anyone know the story of this "mezuzah"? Pictures if it are circulating,  with people saying it was found on someone's house (even though in the picture it looks like it has never been rolled). Someone else said they saw it for sale in a Judaica shop. Sounds like a practical joke to me,  but there's nothing funny about it.

Does anyone have any experience with Yemenite ktav? If so, what are the differences (if any) to any of the other ktavim?

This shaila only an experienced sofer ca relay too. this mezuza was written by an experienced sofer all the lines started a drop after the right sirtut the sofer was makpid by uvshochbecha and uvkumecha that the beis shall not enter the vav all of a sudden this vov  is out of character ,may I suspect?

Lechatchila the stitches of Tefillin are supposed to be visible which is why the charitzim (if present) are not supposed to be too deep. Yet this does not passel bedieved. Is there any source that says it is worse if the tefiros are completely covered (at least in many spots) by paint? Thanks

I am a Tennant in an apartment in Israel. So far my mezuzos have been the landlord's. I now want to check them and possibly exchange them for the ones I own. I know I can make a tnai if there are none up, but what about this situation where it evolves taking the current ones down. Is it possible to switch to mine, and when I leave, return the landlord's mezuzos to the door posts? 

For years I have been struggling to decide which mezuzos shall be returned to the sofer and which I shall correct. Obviously this should be decided on individual basis. Some sofrim rarely have any problems and I sometimes absorb the cost of a possul mezuza that happened by accident,missing word smudge etc. Some sofrim after receiving returns will be more careful. Others will even scold me for returning a "PSUL SHEMUTAR LESAKEN". I have lately decided to warn the sofrim that shal there be  A careless PSUL SHEMUTAR LESAKEN not only will I return it I will also charge him a fee. I am now charging $4 per mezuza I return. attached are pics of great mezuzos and a careless sofer. your thoughts please.

I am trying to find information about this megila the ksav is outstanding the artwork is better than anything I've ever seen, anybody has any clues as to the sofer or artist? I made a close up of what may be a signature. i

Does anyone have experience printing semichas or kesubas certificates on to klaf? Thanks, Yitzchok

As much as it sounds like a joke, it is a real question. A couple of friends were curious about how many cows are used for one Sefer Torah. So a couple of points here: 1. What is the average size for a Sefer Torah? (I know the layout is either 245 or 248 amudim or 62-63 yeriot) 2. Now, how many yeriot does one get from 1 single cow? 3. Based on number 2 how many cows do we use for a Sefer Torah? Thank you everyone for your help as always!

There were a few end ך's which were questionable (had short גג) I showed a tinok all and he said end ך  for all of them, except for the end of לאבתיך he said, " enda vav.".  Any thoughts?

This was posted in a group. One suggested it was pasul and another that it was kosher. I tend to agree that it's kosher. I sent the image to a colleague, also a talmid of Rav Friedlander (and a moreh horaah in stam) and based on the image he wasn't sure how to pasken.

Has anyone seen retzuot made of two separate bonded layers of leather?  These are not like the lacquered ones which peel like a tape and are passul.  They may not be the best retzuot, but it appears to me that they would be kasher for use.  Your comments please.

I've consulted with a renown rosh kollel Choshen Mishpat and dayan. He said that the fact that a sefer Torah is written by 2 sofrim affects it's value. I have a situation in which a sefer was commissioned from scratch through me to be written by a particular sofer. It's a basic mehudar ksav, retail price is 123000nis. He went ahead and had another sofer write the last 16 yerios. The ksav is halachically similar (basic mehudar) and is somewhat similar looking. I'm leaving out lots of details but the bottom line is that a 2nd sofer finishing the sefer came as a surprise to me and I will be informing the buyer at the same time I suggest a price deduction. On the one hand the buyer may just want to "cut and run" and will accept a fair offer, as the sefer has taken a year longer than intended due to health and personal circumstances out of the sofer's control and if he has to (re)write the last 16 yerios himself we'd be looking at another 4+ months. O

Git Vinter / Zimmer to all, What is your opinion about the Yud in the Shem? Thank you YK

Would the ayin of nishba be a shinui tzurah as it’s not touching the head?