The International STa"M Forum

Switching gears to the fast approaching Purim, I need help finding a Makor for a new post. Melech in this post claims that the Chacham Tzvi is the source for highlighting the letters of the Shem throughout the Megilla The owner of the megillah pictured here had the sofer put three dots on top of every word that hints at Hashem’s name. The source for this is from the Chacham Tzvi. I will hopefully bring the exact place that this is brought down. I can't find the Makor - does anyone one knows and can you provide a link from Shut Hacham Tzvi which is available in Hebrewbooks. Purim Sameach YK

I admit that I found a Rishon that clearly says - the dyo must be mutar bficha, as all the rabbis mentioned in the blog claimed. The tshuva is from Rabbi Eliezer ben Natan from Lunel [ba'al sefer Hamanhig]. see in source: http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=31524&st=&pgnum=34&hilite= ויראה הטעם מדכ' למען תהי' תורת ה' בפיך צריך שכל עשיית התורה לשם ה׳ בין עשיית העורות בין הכתיבה .. וכתי

I'm sorry to make a new post about this. However if I added this to the comments of the original post (which now as I am writing as 55 comments) I'm afraid people would miss it. As well I'll take the opportunity to mention another point for new members. I'm a Talmid of R' Shammai Gross and have the zechus to m'shamesh him on a daily basis. Today I had asked him very pashut if that which dio should be "min hamuter..." is a din lichatchila, b'dieved, mitzvah min hamuvchar, etc. He responded that it's pashut that it's "m'ikar hadin". I asked what is the makor. To which he responded pashut that just like Klaf has to be, so to with this. Now I know there are those people here that will ask why I didn't push any further, for a better explanation, etc. however it wasn't the right time (for a few reasons) and that he was clear in the psak. He of course mentioned the discussion of using Stam yanem, but for sure has to be from

In a previous post we established that the Megillah as it appeared in the Keter Aram Tzovah had both Parashiot Petuhot and Setumot.  The same is true of the Leningrad Codex.  Here is a facsimile copy of the first two pages of the Megillah as it appears in the original Leningrad Codex.  You may "click" on all the following pictures in order to enlarge. As we all know our current custom is to write the Megillah in its entirety with closed parashot.   When seeing the above, one must ask the question:  How is it that such a change came about?  I have no answers, but have decided to share a bit of my cursory investigation with you. The oldest documented text alluding to the writing of the Megillah with all of the parashot Setumot (as per our custom today) is from Maharam from Rothenburg who lived in the 1200's in Germany.  Here is a printed copy of his halakhot for the Megillah.  Does any one know if there is a manuscript copy of the Maharam's Halakhot or his