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 mi…
Why would in Tefillin be different then in a Sefer Torah?
ReplyDeleteSince וחרה אף together with other spellings in a Sefer Torah is discussed in multiple ספרים, like:
ReplyDeleteמשנת אברהם סימן לד, יד-טו
מאיר עיני סופרים סימן יד, ה
גידולי בקדש כלל יז, פרשת עקב
Thank you very much! Could be there is a difference between Sefer Torah & Tefillin, but at least I now see something mentioned to that effect... Similarly - in a Mezuzah, the last 2 word "Al Ha'aretz" should be written seperately on the last line, but I don't think in Parshas Eikev in the Sofer Torah, there is a Kepeida over there as well...
ReplyDeleteDoes any known posek say to be makpid by tefillin too? How does the oilam pasken by tefillin halacha lemayse? Would one mention to a customer? Is it cause to change parshiyos?
ReplyDeleteI see that the Mishnas Avraham is against making a big deal out of this, even by Sefer Torah, and is against erasing & fixing such a case, which he holds is hardly an issue worth mentioning. Interesting to see his Lashon inside... Thanks again Rabbi Levin for the Mareh Makom. It is in Mishnas Avraham Siman 34, Seif 14.
DeleteIf there is a difference between Sefer Torah & Tefillin, see שו״ת ספר שביתת יום טוב חלק יורה דעה, סימן ט-י
DeleteThank you very much!!! He indeed ends by saying that although the Tefillin is undoubtedly Kosher when the words are divided in 2 lines, but there is a Hiddur to keep them on one line if possible. All Sofrim I spoke to could not recall ever hearing of this issue!...
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