Kaf/Nun
To me the כ of כימי looks like a נ when comparing with size of Kafim and nunim in this mezuza.
Does anyone think a tinok should be asked?
Does anyone think a tinok should be asked?
How about the Bais of Uleovdo?
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Not a "khaf"
This gave me a "Safrut smile"... OK, I realise that this is not Ktav STaM, however it is interesting what happens when graphic/font Hebrew becomes too stylised. Case-in-point, a colleague and I were visiting the mayor's office in the Gaza Belt region of Shaar HaNegev (adjoining Sderot). He is new to reading Hebrew and pronounced the welcome sign as " brooning " or " broobing " (instead of the intended " brookhim ". I replied that he was more correct than the graphic designer, as the letter meant to be a " khaf " was closer to a halakhic "Nun" or "Bet", and had this been Ktav STaM, the letter would likely be considered pasul as a "Khaf".
shin in "Alter Rebbe" script
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
It is very hard to tell from this picture because the mezuzah is curved exactly where the chaf is which may make it look slightly narrower than it is in actuality and with something close like this it could make the whole difference.
ReplyDeleteit is a shaylas tinok.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree - this is a sh'elat tinok. Looks very much like a nun, even though his normal nunim seem to have a very thick base elsewhere, which is a little odd in itself.
ReplyDeleteIf forced to pasken I would say it just makes it as a chaf, however, I wouldn't disagree with those who say to ask a tinok.
ReplyDeleteTinok read Nun.
ReplyDelete