Hot answers tagged sefer-torah
11
The following information is recorded on the Mechon Mamre website:
בתנ"כים שלנו יש גם סימני הפרשייות {פ} {ס} {ר} {ש} שהם מסמנים פרשה פתוחה, פרשה סתומה, סוף שורה בשירות מסויימות, ושורה ריקה (או שורות ריקות בסוף ספר).
My translation:
In our Tanakhs there are also [the following] disjunctive symbols: פ,
ס, ר, ש, which stand for ...
9
R. J.D. Bleich covered this topic in a recent Survey of Recent Halakhic Periodical Literature [paywall]. In the article he discusses a number of possible issues that have been raised with Silk-screen Sifrei Torah, but says that most of them are not so strong. He says there is one serious objection where the burden of proof falls on the innovators to show ...
9
Not only are these letters kosher, but they are part of the ancient way of writing the text. Maimonides (Sefer Torah 7:8) urges the scribes to ensure to be careful in preserving the irregular aspects of the text, among which he lists:
אותייות הגדולות, ובאותייות הקטנות, ובאותייות הנקודות, ובאותייות שצורתן משונות כגון הפיין הלפופות, והאותייות העקומות כמו ...
7
Sefer Hachiunuch doesn't list the reading/learning as its own commandment. Instead, part of his definition of the commandment for the king to write a Torah scroll, Commandment #494, includes "so that it will always be with him, and he'll read from it." He does not, however, specify how frequently or extensively the king is to read from it.
He further ...
7
Rav Belsky, on page 9 of Shulchan Halevi (English version), explains that while theoretically silk-screening could be kosher for writing Stam, there are some issues which can come up. He mentions that forgeries would increase, and there there could be a problem of kesidran ("written in order," which Teffilin and Mezuzah require).
Then he brings an issue ...
6
There are two special layouts for songs - half-brick over brick, and half-brick over half-brick. The half-brick over brick is triumphant and good. The half-brick over half-brick is bad - bury the sons of Haman or the sins of the Jews.
Megillah 16b that you reference says:
אמר רבי חנינא בר פפא דרש ר' שילא איש כפר תמרתא כל השירות כולן נכתבות אריח ...
5
The Rama (OC 143:2) writes:
בחומשים שלנו, אפילו כל ה' ספרים ביחד אין לברך עליהם, ובמקום שיש ס"ת ואין ש"ץ הבקי בנגינה בעל פה, ראיתי נוהגים שהש"ץ קורא מן החומש בנקוד והעולה קורא אחריו מן הס"ת הכשר.
In our Chumashim [which are printed] even if all 5 Books [of the Torah] are included, one cannot recite a blessing over [reading from] them. In a place ...
5
(Note that not every m'gila has a pole at one end. Some do, though, as you note. See Mishna B'rura 691:16.)
Aruch Hashulchan (Orach Chayim 691:7) explains:
A sefer Tora (Torah scroll) requires two poles because we read from it constantly; for n'viim and k'suvim one pole suffices.
I suspect the intent is that a sefer Tora needs the greater stability ...
5
Just to throw in a few more modern sources: Har Tzevi OC 1:32, Minchat Yitzchak 4:47 and Mishneh Halachot 7:8 all explicitly rule that Vellish is kosher. Tzitz Eliezer 14:3:4 permits post facto even Sta"m that was written with a mix of Vellish and Ashkenazi. Igrot Moshe OC 5:2 also permits other forms of writing but he is quick to point out that it is better ...
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The Tur Yoreh Deah 274 says in the name of the Rosh that there is no issue with the different lettering. The Meiri Shabbos 104a also indicates that there is no issue. The Noda B'Yehuda Yora Deah 171 also indicates that it is fine.
5
Your second answer seems to be closest... As far as we can tell, scrolls in the ancient world were kept wrapped in cloth and stored in wooden cases or boxes. The Gemara attests both to mitpahot [cloth wrappers] (Megillah 26a) and a tik [wooden case] (Megillah 26b) used to store sifrei Torah.
Bracha Yaniv's article on Torah scroll accessories in the Balkans ...
3
I wrote two books about this matter. Each of them is dedicated to one of the types you have mentioned. Both of them are in Hebrew. The books are:
מעשה חושב: התיק לספר תורה ותולדותיו, ירושלים - רמת גן תשנ"ח
מעשה רוקם; תשמישי קדושה מטקסטיל בבית הכנסת האשכנזי, הספרדי והאיטלקי, ירושלים, תשס"ט
Prof. Bracha Yaniv
3
don't know how much data mining counts as an independent answer but here is what I have found (the links include the textual citations)
http://www.eretzhemdah.org/qna.asp?pageid=3&lang=en&cat=1&str=bells
If one has bells that chime whenever one opens a door and neglected to remove them before Shabbat, then the custom is to allow one to enter ...
3
As others have mentioned, there are three opinions in the talmud regarding the issue.
To summarize (as brought by DoubleAA):
Rav zutra / R' Yossi - Torah was given ivri and turned to ashuri in the time of Ezra.
Rebbe - given in ashuri, forgotten and used ivri until Ezra fixed it back to ashuri.
R' Elazar Hamodai - Torah was always in ashuri.
Rabbonim ...
2
In my experience having "passuled" more Torahs than I should admit over the last 13 years layning in Shuls in the US and Israel, mistakes are mistakes, whether they are noticed or not.
However, in regards to the simple Halacha, if the mistake does not seriously affect the letter's form, then the Torah is still Kosher, but should be corrected as soon as ...
2
Minchas Chinuch (mitzvah 613) discusses this. He starts by citing the wording of Rambam that the mitzvah is "to write a sefer Torah," which would imply that once that's done then the mitzvah has been fulfilled no matter what happens afterwards (as in zaq's answer). However, he then cites Toras Chaim, who says that no, in that case the person would indeed ...
2
As noted in the linked question, the source of the minhag is from Mishpetei Shemuel 12. He brings a saying of the people (quoted in Shulchan Aruch OC 288:5) that one must fast if he sees a Torah burnt in his sleep. He extends this rule to fasting when a Torah is dropped by his own logic, and then extends it again to tefillin being dropped based on a gemara ...
2
The earliest source is the Shu"t Mishpetei Shmuel 12 quoted by the Magen Avraham 44:5. He bases it on the gemara in Moed Katan 26a that says you need to fast if you see a sefer Torah burnt in your dream. The Igros Mosheh OC 3:3 holds that according to halachah, most authorities hold that only those who drop it need to fast, but there is a minhag for those ...
1
Every king is obligated to write his own Sefer Torah. See Chinuch Mitzvah 503
The obligation only starts once the King becomes King. Any Sefer Torah written prior to that cannot be used to fulfill this Mitzvah.
I'm pretty sure that is what the Mishna is indicating with the word "LeShmo". The Sefer Torah the King writes should be his Sefer Torah, which he ...
1
The only difference that I am aware of that exists between Kehillot is that some have the custom to remove three Sifrei Torah all year round(see Divrei Shalom on the portion Minhagei Beit El, and Siddur Rechovot HaNahar Musaf Shabbat p.5).
Either way whenever more than one Torah is taken out the one that is being read from is opened and the others are ...
1
There is alot on this topic. Some say 10 people should accompany the Torah. Also it is customary to cover it with a tallis. The Torah should not pass by dirty areas. For more of a comprehensive idea see here.
1
If you look at the Halachos of Mezuza:
see Rambam (sefer ahava - Hilchos Tefillin, Mezuza, v'Sefer Torah - Chapter 5:11)
you will find that it is forbidden, when moving out of an apartment, to leave a Mezuza there if a gentile will be moving in. The reason given is that he may come to desecrate it.
Also, see Ramah (Yoreh De'ah 291:2)
Who states that it ...
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The Baal HaTurim is one of the more famous commentators to focus on the unique forms of certain hebrew letters. All the variations have deep mystical meaning to the words with contain them. In addition to the examples above, there are letters that contain extra Tagin like the word L'Totafos in Veyahafta.
First I looked up this passage its from Parshas ...
1
Menachem linked to the Tzitz Eliezer, volume 5, responsum 1. Therein, chapter 5 discusses, among other things, our question. He writes (in my own very loose translation):
As was explained in the previous chapter, there's seemingly no basis for a requirement to fast imposed on those who saw a sefer Tora fall.… Nonetheless, many great pos'kim have ...
1
The March/April 2010 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review had an article By O. Goldwasser on the creation and evolution of the Hebrew alphabet.
He writes that the earliest (around 1600 BCE) aleph-betic writings were found in the Sinai mines alongside Hieroglyphic writings. Evidently it started out as pictographic with the initial sound of the picture ...
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