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
I've been looking for years - never successful.
ReplyDeleteIf you find it anywhere please let me know! I'll do the same...
I got my copy via virtualgeula.com, which hunted it down for me. Cost around $100 US, I think.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I want a copy of zichron eliyahu. I found the 2 volume version of תפלה למשה also very good.
ReplyDeleteWhile Tefillah Lemoshe (just one of his works on tefillin) is very detailed and broad, it's not intended as halachah lemaaseh while Zichron Eliyahu is, at least according to Rav Elyashiv (unless stated otherwise).
ReplyDeleteI've heard that they're working on a Zichron Eliyahu 2.0.
ReplyDeleteA few ZE kuntresim were put out - one specifically on Shins and R' Gitman's son put out another one, which I haven't seen.