Both the Shulchan Aruch Harav and the Mishnah Brurah use similar terminology when describing the importance of the shin being "pointy" on the bottom and all three branches of the letter shin meeting at a point or "chad" at the bottom of the letter. There is a strong foundation in Halacha for this and for the bottom of the shin to be flat like a moshav (base) is considered questionable (Pri Megadim) and definitely not Kosher Lechatchillah. It is worse if the moshav is very wide, but it is still questionable if it is lechatchillah if there is a thick noticeable base rather than a chad. Even for Sephardim, who lechatchillah make an angular base, it is still important that the base is indeed on a (significant) angle. If the base is flat, even if all three branches of the shin come out of the base connected , as in the top picture, it is problematic. It is worse in the bottom picture below where the right head/ branch comes out of the right part of the base and the m
Most kelafim are processed al tnay as you explained.
ReplyDeleteBut you can order klaf "shlo al tnay" that means klaf that was made specificly lshem kedushas one item only.
To add to what R. Moshe said: Some klaf-makers make their klaf "leshem kedushas Sefer Torah" without a tenai and it may be used for tefilin, mezuzos, megilos, or nevi'im; but it can not be used for a davar chol.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the halacha would be with regard to "pitom haketores" or "the menora", but I assume they are considered a davar chol as far as the kedusha of the klaf is concerned.
Would a pitum k'toret be considered entirely a davar chol given it has words of Torah and Hashem's name in? Similarly the menorah words are from Tehillim and a sefer Tehillim has kedushah. Now technically one isn't supposed to write out parts of books/p'sukim etc, but pitum ha'k'toret on k'laf is supported by the rabbonim as a great segulah for parnassah, but what would be the halachic support for them in the first place?
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