Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

What should a sofer say before he begins to write?

Before he begins writing, the sofer must say the following aloud: Ani koseiv l’sheim kedushas tefillin (the intention of my writing should be for the kedusha of tefillin). If he omitted the word kedushas, some say that the writing is still kosher b’dieved. The sofer should also articulate that he is instilling sanctity into the names of Hashem that he is writing (see below). If a different sofer takes over the writing in the middle of the project, he must make these declarations as well. The intentions of the first sofer do not carry over to the second sofer.

[סעיף יט וס"ק צד ו־צו; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 140-139]

How does a sofer instill kedusha when he writes the names of Hashem?

As mentioned, a sofer must sanctify the names of Hashem when he writes. Some say that this is done simply by writing the names lishmah. Others say that he must intend to instill kedusha into the names. Prior to writing each name he should say l’sheim kedushas Hashem. B’dieved, if he articulated the proper intentions at the onset, a thought of kedushas Hashem would be sufficient for writing the names. If he was unsure whether he had the proper intent when he wrote the names but he was careful to articulate the intent of kedusha at the onset, the writing is still acceptable.

סעיף יט, ס"ק צח-צט, וביה"ל ד"ה בתחילת,

Do the tagim of the letters have to be written lishmah?

If even one letter was written without the proper declaration of lishmah, the writing is pasul. Rewriting the letter lishmah will not make the writing kosher, since overwriting has no significance. If a sofer omitted part of a letter, he must reiterate his lishmah intentions when he completes the letter. If he failed to do so, the letter is acceptable b’dieved. The original intent when he began the letter will carry through to its completion. The tagim of each letter must also be written lishmah. If they were not, some poskim say that the letter is still kosher since one can rely on the opinion that letters without tagim are also kosher.

[ס"ק צב, צג ו־צה; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 137 ו־141]

The leg of the letter hei must “hang” – i.e. it must be detached from the roof of the letter. A similar halacha apples to the letter kuf.

The letter aleph is made up of three parts: a yud in its upper right corner, a diagonal line and a yud in the lower left corner. The upper right yud is connected to the middle line with its foot and the lower yud is connected by a crown at its top.

Aside from an aleph, there are various letters which include a yud or at least a partial yud in their formation. They are ayin, pei, “ende” phei, tzadik, “ende” tzadik and shin.

Who is responsible to proofread the parshios?

Can parshios with an extra letter be repaired?

Why should the quill not be dipped into ink immediately before writing Hashem’s name?

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this email is for learning purposes only. Please review the Mishna Berura and Biurim U'Musafim before making a halachic decision. Hebrew words are occasionally transliterated to enable a smoother reading of the text. Common Ashkenazi pronunciation is generally used in these cases.