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If memory serves me correctly, I believe Jonathan Rosenblum cites in his biography of Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky a story where Rav Yaakov complained that someone had placed a sefer on an arm of a bench rather than stand it up on the seat, to avoid the halachic prohibitions of Yoreh Deah 282 of sitting on the same surface as a Torah.

Accordingly, what are the halachically required minimum dimensions of shelves upon which printed Torah sefarim may be placed (i.e. minimum elevation from ground, width and depth)?

Does it matter if the sefarim are standing vs. lying down?

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    Not only is it better, but, your mentioning Rav Ya'akov gives me a possibility of asking his grandson, if he may know anything about it. (I occasionally see Rav Mordechai Kamenetezky.)
    – DanF
    Commented Oct 22, 2018 at 19:56
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    judaism.stackexchange.com/q/92583/9643
    – user9643
    Commented Oct 22, 2018 at 23:52
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    I don't understand how do you link a bench to sit on to a shelf? A shelf is not something to sit on, therefore it's Pashtus that no restrictions apply.
    – Al Berko
    Commented Oct 23, 2018 at 9:26
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    I received from my Rabbi M"R Luria Z"L that the hardcover is a level on its own and not a part of a book, therefore it's permissible to sit on a bench if a Sefer in a hardcover placed on it.
    – Al Berko
    Commented Oct 23, 2018 at 9:28
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    @SAH I think the idea was that the surface it's resting on needs to be a minimum size.
    – Loewian
    Commented Oct 30, 2018 at 3:44

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