Acquiring and Maintaining Stam: Difference between revisions

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Stam (Heb. סת"ם) is a contraction for Sefer Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzah. Generally these are holy works of the written Torah that are handcrafted and handwritten on parchment. There are many practical considerations when acquiring one for a mitzvah that will be disccuseed on this page. Also, upkeeping Stam in a respectful and proper manner befitting their holiness is the topic of this page.
Stam (Heb. סת"ם) is a contraction for Sefer Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzah. Generally these are holy works of the written Torah that are handcrafted and handwritten on parchment. There are many practical considerations when acquiring one for a mitzvah that will be disccuseed on this page. Also, upkeeping Stam in a respectful and proper manner befitting their holiness is the topic of this page.
==Mezuzot==
==Mezuzot==
===Buying Mezuzot===
# A person going to buy mezuzot should be ready to spend money and not look to get the cheapest deal.<Ref>Agur Bohalecha 5:7</ref>
# It is a mitzvah to get more beautiful mezuzot. Some say that it is an obligation to spend up to a third of the minimal amount for a basic kosher mezuzah, while others hold it is a mitzvah but not obligatory. It is proper to be strict if one has the financial means.<ref>Agur Bohalecha 5:25 based on Shulchan Aruch O.C. 656:1 and Mishna Brurah there.</ref>
#Included in the mitzvah to beautify the mitzvah and get a nice mezuzah is to get a mezuzah that is valid according to all the opinions.<Ref>Agur Bohalecha 5:28</ref>
===Selling Mezuzot===
#One may sell a mezuzah in order to use that money to buy tefillin or a Sefer Torah. This concept is known as מעלין בקודש ואין מורידין, a person should always elevate in holiness and not go down.<Ref>Agur Bohalecha 5:43 based on Shulchan Aruch O.C. 143:1</ref> It is a dispute if this applies to personal mezuzot but it is proper to be strict.<Ref>Shulchan Aruch O.C. 153:10 cites two opinions about this matter. Agur Bohalecha 5:56 is strict.</ref>
#If one bought a mezuzah in order to sell it, it is permitted to sell it and use the money for mundane purposes.<Ref>Agur Bohalecha 5:48</ref>
===Unused Mezuzot===
===Unused Mezuzot===
# A kosher mezuzah shouldn't be left unused in one's house. It should be sold, rented, or lent out to be used for a mitzvah.<Ref>Agur Bohalecha 4:33 writes that it is disrespectful to a mezuzah that it should be left unused for a mitzvah.</ref>
# A kosher mezuzah shouldn't be left unused in one's house. It should be sold, rented, or lent out to be used for a mitzvah.<Ref>Agur Bohalecha 4:33 writes that it is disrespectful to a mezuzah that it should be left unused for a mitzvah.</ref>
===Geniza===
===Geniza===
# An unfit mezuzah must be placed in [[geniza]] to be burial with honor.<ref>Agur Bohalecha 4:35</ref>
# An unfit mezuzah must be placed in [[geniza]] to be burial with honor.<ref>Agur Bohalecha 4:35</ref>

Revision as of 19:50, 3 July 2022

Stam (Heb. סת"ם) is a contraction for Sefer Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzah. Generally these are holy works of the written Torah that are handcrafted and handwritten on parchment. There are many practical considerations when acquiring one for a mitzvah that will be disccuseed on this page. Also, upkeeping Stam in a respectful and proper manner befitting their holiness is the topic of this page.

Mezuzot

Buying Mezuzot

  1. A person going to buy mezuzot should be ready to spend money and not look to get the cheapest deal.[1]
  2. It is a mitzvah to get more beautiful mezuzot. Some say that it is an obligation to spend up to a third of the minimal amount for a basic kosher mezuzah, while others hold it is a mitzvah but not obligatory. It is proper to be strict if one has the financial means.[2]
  3. Included in the mitzvah to beautify the mitzvah and get a nice mezuzah is to get a mezuzah that is valid according to all the opinions.[3]

Selling Mezuzot

  1. One may sell a mezuzah in order to use that money to buy tefillin or a Sefer Torah. This concept is known as מעלין בקודש ואין מורידין, a person should always elevate in holiness and not go down.[4] It is a dispute if this applies to personal mezuzot but it is proper to be strict.[5]
  2. If one bought a mezuzah in order to sell it, it is permitted to sell it and use the money for mundane purposes.[6]

Unused Mezuzot

  1. A kosher mezuzah shouldn't be left unused in one's house. It should be sold, rented, or lent out to be used for a mitzvah.[7]

Geniza

  1. An unfit mezuzah must be placed in geniza to be burial with honor.[8]
  2. The plastic saran wrap around the klaf of the mezuzah also needs geniza since it functions a holy article and is considered a tashmishei kedusha.[9]
  3. The mezuzah case that does not touch the actual klaf if it is just a simple case to house the mezuzah after it is finished being used can be discarded respectfully. If it is a nice case made to beautify the mezuzah the case is considered a tashmishei kedusha and needs geniza. Alternatively, if a case touches the klaf itself it is a tashmishei kedusha and needs geniza.[10]

Checking Mezuzot

See the Mezuzah#Having_One.27s_Mezuzot_Checked page.

Tefillin

Sefer Torah

Sources

  1. ↑ Agur Bohalecha 5:7
  2. ↑ Agur Bohalecha 5:25 based on Shulchan Aruch O.C. 656:1 and Mishna Brurah there.
  3. ↑ Agur Bohalecha 5:28
  4. ↑ Agur Bohalecha 5:43 based on Shulchan Aruch O.C. 143:1
  5. ↑ Shulchan Aruch O.C. 153:10 cites two opinions about this matter. Agur Bohalecha 5:56 is strict.
  6. ↑ Agur Bohalecha 5:48
  7. ↑ Agur Bohalecha 4:33 writes that it is disrespectful to a mezuzah that it should be left unused for a mitzvah.
  8. ↑ Agur Bohalecha 4:35
  9. ↑ Shulchan Aruch O.C. 154:3
  10. ↑ Agur Bohalecha 9:26 based on Mishna Brurah 154:14
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