json/Halakhah/Acharonim/Keset HaSofer/English/Sefaria Community Translation.json

{
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Keset HaSofer",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org",
    "versionTitle": "Sefaria Community Translation",
    "actualLanguage": "en",
    "languageFamilyName": "english",
    "isBaseText": false,
    "isSource": false,
    "direction": "ltr",
    "heTitle": "קסת הסופר",
    "categories": [
        "Halakhah",
        "Acharonim"
    ],
    "text": [
        [
            "It is taught in a beraita: Rabbi Meir said: When I came to Rabbi Ishmael he said to me: My son, what is your occupation? I said to him: I am a scribe. He said to me: My son, be scrupulous with your work for it is heavenly work. Lest you omit one letter or you add one letter it could come out that you destroyed the entire world. (Eiruvin 13:a) From here one sees how a sofer must be in extreme awe of Hashem. If he makes a blemish or if he doesn’t make a correction properly, he causes his soul to be lost. Since he steals from the masses and causes them to sin leaving them without fulfilling a commandment and making blessings in vain. Concerning him scripture states: One sinner destroys much good. And it also states: Cursed is he who does the work of Hashem with deceit. Therefore he who is fitting and have the power should appoint proper sofrim, men of truth, who hate bribes, Torah scholars, who fear G-d and tremble at His words, in every city and in every town just as shochtim are appointed and examined. All who writes good and valid Sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzot according to all his abilities, his reward is doubled and redoubled and he is saved from the judgement of Gehinnom. (From the Laws of Writing Tefillin by Rabbi Avraham of Sinsheim and from the Levush)",
            "A sefer torah, tefillin or mezuzot written by a heretic are burned. If written by a gentile, an informer (see Choshen HaMishpat Chapter 388) a woman, a deaf-mute, a mentally incompetent person, or a minor they are invalid and they are buried. As it is stated: bind them, and write them. Everyone who is not enjoined to binding (one who is not commanded or one who does not believe in it) is not enjoined to writing. Since this is learned from scripture it is required that he definitely reached majority. That is to say that he produced two hair and is past 13 years. (Magen Avraham, Nodeh BiYehuda Tanina Chapter 1, and Shu”t Keter Kehunah Chapter 1) However if he lacks the two hair he is invalid to write until the majority of his years pass or he produces signs of saris [lack of physical maturity] after the age of 20.",
            "Everyone who is invalid to write them is invalid to do any preparation in their production. (Look ahead Chapter 22 paragraph 2) It is necessary to urge the sofrim and admonish them that no preparation is to be done through a woman or a minor.",
            "There are those who invalidate a Sefer Torah that is written by a mamzer.",
            "A Sefer Torah found in the possession of a heretic and it is not known who wrote it is to be buried. If it is found in the possession of a gentile there are those who rule that it is valid and there are those who rule that it is invalid. However if it is presumed that gentiles rob Jewish books, then it is assumed that it came from the Jews and it is valid. This is the rule in places where gentiles do not know how to write [Hebrew], we say that they were plainly robbed. Tefillin found in the possession of a gentile are valid.",
            "One may not purchase a Sefer Torah, tefillin or mezuzot from a gentile for more that its worth in order that they do not become accustomed to steal and rob. However one is obligated to purchase them for their worth (even in a place where they require to be buried) and if the gentile wants much one is required to engage and discuss with him with pleasant words and perhaps he will leave it with him for its worth. If he stands by his offer, then it remains with him (Taz). One should not offer the gentile for much less than its worth lest he gets angry and throws it away."
        ],
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        [
            "<b>The laws of the writing of a Scroll of Esther and its sewing. And there are ten paragraphs in it.</b> A Megillah must be written with ink on treated parchment (<i>gvil</i>) or plain parchment (<i>klaf</i>); and it must be scored on all of the lines like a Torah scroll. Its leather (from which it is derived) need not, however, be processed with intention. But some say that it does need processing with intention. So one should be stringent (Magen Avraham)."
        ]
    ],
    "sectionNames": [
        "Siman",
        "Seif"
    ]
}