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There is a standardized format of writing Torah scrolls called Vavei Ha'amudim. The concept is that the majority of columns in the Torah (except for 6 places) should start with the letter vav.

This answer gives a bit more detail on why this format was done as well as its controversy. However, it seems that the concept is to create Sifrei Torah to match Davidovich's Tikkun format.

Considering that the main requirement to conform to the format is that the letter vav appears at the top of the column. Considering that almost every verb usage in the Torah has a vav hahipuch, it's not hard to do this.

Are all Vavei Ha'amudim Sifrei Torah that were created after Davidovich's latest standard identical? If not, how many current Sofrim (approximate percentage is fine) these days are using Davidovich's format as opposed to just creating any other Vavei Ha'amudim standard?

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  • Seemingly a Sofer will just use whatever he prefers or what his client asks him to. There's no halakhic issues at play here whatsoever.
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 12, 2017 at 16:45
  • Here's a Sofer who wrote a Torah not according to the Davidovich layout: lavlor.blogspot.com/2013/08/… So no they are not all identical.
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 12, 2017 at 16:50
  • Using a particular layout is more a matter making it easier for the sofer to make sure that the columns are correct and that a particular column (most probably) does not have an error in it.
    – sabbahillel
    Jul 12, 2017 at 17:12
  • If I may be nitpicky: except for 5 places. One of the six exceptions isn't an exception after all (בי-ה שמו). But I think we can all agree that all (kosher) Sifrei Torah begin their first column the same way.
    – DonielF
    Jul 13, 2017 at 5:46
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    @sci Do those Torahs postdate Davidovich's Tikkun?
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 16, 2017 at 11:27

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In both shuls that I daven in, 1 out of the 5 Sifrei Torah have a Vavei Ha'amudim layout that diverges from the classic Davidovich* setup. (It gets really embarrassing when you rely on the page layout for tricky trop sequences, and then the Sefer has the wrong layout.)

Whether those 2 are identical I cannot say.

* Four weeks ago (23 Sivan 5777) R' Menachem Davidovich of Vavei Ha'amudim - Blue Tikkun fame passed away at age 89. Source

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    Boruch dayan emes
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Jul 13, 2017 at 12:08
  • Do those Torahs postdate Davidovich's Tikkun?
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 13, 2017 at 13:00
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    @DoubleAA - yes, these are all of recent vintage (almost new, as in 5 - 15 years old). In my youth we had "ancient" Sifrei Torah (brought over by immigrants/escapees from Germany) - no 2 Seforim were of the same size (lines/per page) or layout.
    – Danny Schoemann
    Jul 16, 2017 at 11:25

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