A place for English speaking sofrim (scribes), magihim (examiners), rabbis and vendors of Stam (Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzah scrolls) from around the world to communicate, share ideas, ask questions and offer support and advice.
Great food for thought and a must watch! In accordance with the Kabbalah of the Arizal only the Kotz Elyon of the letter YOD is to be inscribed, and NOT the KOTZ of Rabbenu Tam.
I did confirm with Harav Dvir Zaafrani, a talmid muvhak of Harav Mordechai Eliyahu, that in fact he was makpid that the Yud should not have the lower oketz. He couldn't say that Harav Eliyahu considered a Yud with the lower oketz less mehudar.
This is in contrast to Harav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul, Harav Ovadia and Harav Mazuz who say that the Yud should preferably have the lower oketz. See Yerios Shlomo vol. 3 ohs Yud.
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
We all know that there is no ancient source that requires ink to be מן המותר בפיך . Possibly, as said here before, because in the olden days ink was always מן המותר בפיך and the question was never raised. It was probably self-evident. Nowadays, no decent Rav will approve an ink which is not מן המותר בפיך . Who was the first one to raise this question? Was it raised because of animal ingredients or because of non-kosher wine?
I did confirm with Harav Dvir Zaafrani, a talmid muvhak of Harav Mordechai Eliyahu, that in fact he was makpid that the Yud should not have the lower oketz. He couldn't say that Harav Eliyahu considered a Yud with the lower oketz less mehudar.
ReplyDeleteThis is in contrast to Harav Ben Tzion Abba Shaul, Harav Ovadia and Harav Mazuz who say that the Yud should preferably have the lower oketz. See Yerios Shlomo vol. 3 ohs Yud.