Writing a Sefer Torah: Difference between revisions
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There is a positive mitzvah to write a Sefer Torah | There is a positive mitzvah to write a Sefer Torah<ref>Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot Asin #18), Sefer HaChinuch (n. 613)</ref> learned from the pasuk "ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת".<ref>Devarim 31:19</ref> Some explain that the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah is supposed to facilitate learning Torah.<ref>Rosh (Hilchot Sefer Torah n. 1)</ref> | ||
==Who is obligated to write a Sefer Torah?== | ==Who is obligated to write a Sefer Torah?== | ||
# Writing or fixing just one letter in a sefer torah is a fulfillment of this mitzvah.<ref> Rambam (Sefer Torah 7:1)</ref> | |||
# Buying an already written sefer torah according to some opinions is a fulfillment of writing a sefer torah, while according to others it isn't a fulfillment of the mitzvah.<ref>Rashi Menachot 30a s.v. Kechotef and Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot Asin n. 18) imply that one does fulfill the mitzvah when one buys a sefer torah. However, the Rama YD 270:1 writes that one does not fulfill the mitzvah.</ref> | |||
# Some say that buying Sefarim is a fulfillment of this mitzvah. Additionally, one shouldn't sell a sefer except in order to learn torah or to get married.<ref>Rosh (Hilchot Sefer Torah n. 1) writes that nowadays that the sefer torah is left in shul for public torah reading, there is a mitzvah for every Jew to write a chumash, mishna, gemara, and commentaries in order to be able to learn Torah. This codified in S"A YD 270:2.</ref> | |||
# Men are obligated to write a sefer torah.<Ref>Rambam (Sefer Torah 7:1), S"A YD 270:1</ref> | |||
# Women aren’t obligated to write a sefer torah.<Ref>The Rambam writes that the mitzvah of writing a sefer torah does not apply to women. The Shagat Aryeh (Siman 35) questions this. He explains that the understanding behind the mitzvah of writing a sefer torah is that a person should prepare a sefer torah for himself so that he’s able to learn from it. If so, since women need to learn the laws that are relevant to them, they should be obligated to write a sefer torah. The Bet HaLevi 1:6 answers that fundamentally women aren’t obligated to learn torah. While it is true that they are obligated to learn about the mitzvot that they are obligated in, that’s only as a prepartion of fulfilling the mitzvah, but not as a part of the mitzvah of learning torah in general. The obligation of men to learn torah is all encompassing; they are obligated to learn all of torah, even about the mitzvot that aren’t relevant to him.</ref> | # Women aren’t obligated to write a sefer torah.<Ref>The Rambam writes that the mitzvah of writing a sefer torah does not apply to women. The Shagat Aryeh (Siman 35) questions this. He explains that the understanding behind the mitzvah of writing a sefer torah is that a person should prepare a sefer torah for himself so that he’s able to learn from it. If so, since women need to learn the laws that are relevant to them, they should be obligated to write a sefer torah. The Bet HaLevi 1:6 answers that fundamentally women aren’t obligated to learn torah. While it is true that they are obligated to learn about the mitzvot that they are obligated in, that’s only as a prepartion of fulfilling the mitzvah, but not as a part of the mitzvah of learning torah in general. The obligation of men to learn torah is all encompassing; they are obligated to learn all of torah, even about the mitzvot that aren’t relevant to him.</ref> | ||
==Materials== | ==Materials== | ||
Revision as of 14:48, 20 July 2014
There is a positive mitzvah to write a Sefer Torah[1] learned from the pasuk "ועתה כתבו לכם את השירה הזאת".[2] Some explain that the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah is supposed to facilitate learning Torah.[3]
Who is obligated to write a Sefer Torah?
- Writing or fixing just one letter in a sefer torah is a fulfillment of this mitzvah.[4]
- Buying an already written sefer torah according to some opinions is a fulfillment of writing a sefer torah, while according to others it isn't a fulfillment of the mitzvah.[5]
- Some say that buying Sefarim is a fulfillment of this mitzvah. Additionally, one shouldn't sell a sefer except in order to learn torah or to get married.[6]
- Men are obligated to write a sefer torah.[7]
- Women aren’t obligated to write a sefer torah.[8]
Materials
- A sefer torah may only be written on the hide of a kosher animal or bird. It may not be written on the hide of a non-kosher animal, bird, or the skin of any fish.[9]
- A sefer torah may be written on the hide of animals that are from kosher species even if that animal itself is a Terefah or Nevelah. [10]
Sources
- ↑ Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot Asin #18), Sefer HaChinuch (n. 613)
- ↑ Devarim 31:19
- ↑ Rosh (Hilchot Sefer Torah n. 1)
- ↑ Rambam (Sefer Torah 7:1)
- ↑ Rashi Menachot 30a s.v. Kechotef and Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot Asin n. 18) imply that one does fulfill the mitzvah when one buys a sefer torah. However, the Rama YD 270:1 writes that one does not fulfill the mitzvah.
- ↑ Rosh (Hilchot Sefer Torah n. 1) writes that nowadays that the sefer torah is left in shul for public torah reading, there is a mitzvah for every Jew to write a chumash, mishna, gemara, and commentaries in order to be able to learn Torah. This codified in S"A YD 270:2.
- ↑ Rambam (Sefer Torah 7:1), S"A YD 270:1
- ↑ The Rambam writes that the mitzvah of writing a sefer torah does not apply to women. The Shagat Aryeh (Siman 35) questions this. He explains that the understanding behind the mitzvah of writing a sefer torah is that a person should prepare a sefer torah for himself so that he’s able to learn from it. If so, since women need to learn the laws that are relevant to them, they should be obligated to write a sefer torah. The Bet HaLevi 1:6 answers that fundamentally women aren’t obligated to learn torah. While it is true that they are obligated to learn about the mitzvot that they are obligated in, that’s only as a prepartion of fulfilling the mitzvah, but not as a part of the mitzvah of learning torah in general. The obligation of men to learn torah is all encompassing; they are obligated to learn all of torah, even about the mitzvot that aren’t relevant to him.
- ↑ S"A YD 271:1. Gemara Shabbat 108a has an unresolved question as to whether one may use the skin of kosher fish for the writing of a sefer torah. The Shulchan Aruch YD 271:1 rules that one may not use fish skins even of kosher fish.
- ↑ Briatta quoted on Gemara Shabbat 108a, S"A YD 271:1
