Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

How does one verify if a letter is still written correctly?

If the leg of a vav or zayin was partially erased or severed and it is unclear if it still represents the correct letter or if it looks like a yud, it must be shown to a child to see if he can read it correctly. This child must have the ability to read but should not yet be smart enough to read a letter based on context. If he reads it properly, the letter is still kosher. If he cannot read it properly, the letter is invalid. The same test applies to the following letters: a severed “ende” nun or chof which resembles a vav or reish, a rounded daled which resembles a reish, and a beis with a shortened back end which resembles a chof.

[סעיף טז, ס"ק מה, מז ו־נב; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 79]

How should the letter be shown to a child?

When testing a child, the surrounding words should be covered so that the child will not guess the correct letter based on the surrounding words. If the letter was severed in the middle, the detached lower half should also be covered so that the child does not reach his conclusion with the aid of that piece.

[סעיף טז, וס"ק מח-נא]

Is a severed aleph acceptable?

A letter which was erased or severed to the extent that it no longer resembles its original shape is invalid, even if a child can read it properly. For example, if one of the yud-shaped components of an aleph is severed, the letter no longer resembles an aleph. Even if a child would still read it as an aleph, it is pasul. There is one benefit to having a child read it correctly, though. The halacha is that tefillin and mezuzos must be written in order. Fixing a letter that became pasul is not always sufficient, since consequently the letters will no longer be written in order. If a letter becomes partially erased but a child can still read it, however, the letter is still considered viable and fixing it is not considered a complete rewrite that would disrupt the order.

[סעיף טז, ס"ק נב, וביה"ל ד"ה מיהו]

There is a concept in safrus known as the shiur of an ois ketanah (the amount of space necessary to write the smallest possible letter, which is the letter yud). This concept has various applications. For example, if a hole develops in the right leg of the letter hei, it will still be kosher if the equivalent of an ois ketanah remains.

The length of the legs of the following letters must be at least the equivalent of an ois ketanah: the right legs of a hei and tav, the left leg of a kuf and the legs of a daled, reish, ches, “ende”chof, pei and tzadik.

The Rishonim disagree about whether the minimal size of the left leg of the hei must also be equivalent to an ois ketanah.

Can there be a hole right next to a letter?

Are connected letters kosher?

Can a letter be written at the edge of the parchment?

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.