Ktav Stam
Encyclopedia
Ketav Stam is the specific writing with which Sifrei Torah, Tefillin
, Mezzuzot, and the Five Megillot are written. One who writes such articles is called a Sofer Stam. The writing is done by means of a feather, and ink (known as D'yo) onto special parchment called Klaf. There exist two primary traditions in respect to the formation of the letters, Ktav HaAshkenazi and Ktav HaSefardi, however the differences between them are slight.
- goat, cattle, or deer. The hide can consist of:
Only Gevil and Klaf can be used for holy writings. Dukhsustus is not permitted. However, Dukhsustos is used for writing a Mezuza.
.” The feathers need to be obtained from a large bird, today the feathers of turkeys are most often used for this purpose. There is some doubt however, as to whether feathers need be obtained from a Kosher bird species or not.
wrote in the Laws of Tefillin 1:4 that the D'yo is prepared in the following way:
. At many junctures in the process he is obligated to verbalize the fact that he is performing his action Lishma.
is the only permissible Hebrew script, however over the centuries in Exile
some minor variations have developed. The two primary traditions are Ktav HaAshkenazi and Ktav HaSefardi.
Ketav Ashkenazi is split into two categories:
Ktav Sefardi (also known as Vellish) – is the standard utilized by Mizrahim, and Teimanim.
in the Talmud
, not only can one learn something from every letter in the Torah, but one can also learn something from the placement of the Taggin. On the letters ג, ז, ט, נ, ע, צ, ש there are three Taggin, on the letters ב, ד, ה, ח, י, ק there is one Tag, and on the letters א, ו, כ, ל, מ, ס, פ, ר, ת there are none.
with respect rather than otherwise destroyed or discarded. In Teffillin and Mezuzzot all the letters, the words and the Parshiyot are required to be written in the order they appear in the Torah. Within any of the Parshiyot if an error or an invalidated letter is discovered, or a missing letter was discovered after the completion of the writing, the rest of the document must be erased from the end all the way back to the error, to fix it, and write it anew.
Tefillin
Tefillin also called phylacteries are a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. Although "tefillin" is technically the plural form , it is loosely used as a singular as...
, Mezzuzot, and the Five Megillot are written. One who writes such articles is called a Sofer Stam. The writing is done by means of a feather, and ink (known as D'yo) onto special parchment called Klaf. There exist two primary traditions in respect to the formation of the letters, Ktav HaAshkenazi and Ktav HaSefardi, however the differences between them are slight.
Kelaf
Kelaf is the material on which a Sofer writes certain Jewish liturgical and ritual documents, the kosher form of parchment or vellum. The writing material can be made of the specially prepared skin of a kosher animalKosher animals
Kosher animals are those that comply with regulations for Kosher food in Jewish religion. These food regulations form the main aspect of kashrut, and ultimately derive from various passages in the Torah...
- goat, cattle, or deer. The hide can consist of:
- GevilGevilGevil is animal hide that has been prepared as a writing material in Jewish scribal documents, in particular a Sefer Torah .-Definition of gevil:...
(גוויל), the full, un-split hide; - KlafKlafKlaf is the designation given a particular piece of skin. The Talmudic definition includes both the form of the skin and the way its processed in particular that it must be tanned. Since the innovative ruling of Rabbeinu Tam Klaf (or kelaf) is the designation given a particular piece of skin. The...
(קלף), the outer, hairy layer; or - Dukhsustus (דוכסוסטוס)
Only Gevil and Klaf can be used for holy writings. Dukhsustus is not permitted. However, Dukhsustos is used for writing a Mezuza.
Kulmus
The Kulmus (קולמוס) is the feather or reed used for the writing. The original source of the word stems from the Greek “KalamosKalamos
Kalamos is an ancient Greek word meaning reed or reed pen. The basis for this meaning is the story of the Greek mythological figure Kalamos, son of Maiandros .-Greek mythology:...
.” The feathers need to be obtained from a large bird, today the feathers of turkeys are most often used for this purpose. There is some doubt however, as to whether feathers need be obtained from a Kosher bird species or not.
Deyo
The special ink prepared for the writing is called D'yo (דיו). MaimonidesMaimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
wrote in the Laws of Tefillin 1:4 that the D'yo is prepared in the following way:
“One collects the vapor of oils, of tar, of wax, or the like, and kneads it together with sap from a tree and a drop of honey. It is moistened extensively, crushed until it is formed into flat cakes, dried, and then stored. When one desires to write with it, one soaks it in gallnut juice or the like and writes with it. Thus, if one attempts to rub it out, he would be able to. This is the ink with which it is most preferable to write scrolls, tefillin, and mezuzot. If however one wrote any of the three with gallnut juice or vitriol, which remains without being rubbed out, it is acceptable.”
Sirtut
Sirtut (שרטוט) are straight lines that the Sofer must, by Torah law, etch into the Klaf. The obligation primarily pertains to Sifrei Torah, Mezuza, and Meggila, however there are those who are similarly accustomed to placing Sirtut on the Arba Parshiyot for Tefillin. This helps the Sofer write in neat straight lines.Ketiva Lishma
Every aspect of the process must be done Lishma (לשמה), which is to say it is done for its own sake with pure motives. The Sofer must also be particularly concentrated upon the writing of any of the Divine NamesNames of God in Judaism
In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
. At many junctures in the process he is obligated to verbalize the fact that he is performing his action Lishma.
Form of the letters
The K'tav AshuriAshuri alphabet
Ashuri alphabet means Assyrian alphabet and also refers to the Assyrian script which is a traditional name for the Hebrew alphabet and a term that was first used in the Mishnah to refer to either the Aramaic alphabet or the formal script used in certain Jewish ceremonial items, including Sefer...
is the only permissible Hebrew script, however over the centuries in Exile
Jewish diaspora
The Jewish diaspora is the English term used to describe the Galut גלות , or 'exile', of the Jews from the region of the Kingdom of Judah and Roman Iudaea and later emigration from wider Eretz Israel....
some minor variations have developed. The two primary traditions are Ktav HaAshkenazi and Ktav HaSefardi.
Ketav Ashkenazi is split into two categories:
- Ketav Bet Yosef – which is the standard Ashkenaz tradition.
- Ketav HaAri – which is the Hassidic tradition.
Ktav Sefardi (also known as Vellish) – is the standard utilized by Mizrahim, and Teimanim.
Taggin
Taggin are the distinct crown like serifs affixed atop the letters. Absent the Taggin the writing is invalidated. According to Rabbi AkivaRabbi Akiva
Akiva ben Joseph simply known as Rabbi Akiva , was a tanna of the latter part of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century . He was a great authority in the matter of Jewish tradition, and one of the most central and essential contributors to the Mishnah and Midrash Halakha...
in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
, not only can one learn something from every letter in the Torah, but one can also learn something from the placement of the Taggin. On the letters ג, ז, ט, נ, ע, צ, ש there are three Taggin, on the letters ב, ד, ה, ח, י, ק there is one Tag, and on the letters א, ו, כ, ל, מ, ס, פ, ר, ת there are none.
Errors
Some errors are inevitable in the course of production. If the error involves a word other than a Divine Name, the mistaken letter may be removed from the scroll by scraping the letter off the scroll with a sharp object. If the Divine Name is written in error, the entire page, if written in a Torah, must be cut from the scroll and a new page added, and the page written anew from the beginning. The new page is sewn into the scroll to maintain continuity of the document. The old page is treated with appropriate respect, and is either buried, or stored awayGenizah
A genizah is the store-room or depository in a Jewish synagogue , usually specifically for worn-out Hebrew-language books and papers on religious topics that were stored there before they could receive a proper cemetery burial, it being forbidden to throw away writings...
with respect rather than otherwise destroyed or discarded. In Teffillin and Mezuzzot all the letters, the words and the Parshiyot are required to be written in the order they appear in the Torah. Within any of the Parshiyot if an error or an invalidated letter is discovered, or a missing letter was discovered after the completion of the writing, the rest of the document must be erased from the end all the way back to the error, to fix it, and write it anew.