While I don’t profess to know much about business and don’t offer any business advice, I have often written about monkey business of which I have gained a little knowledge and have written about from time to time in the…
Category: Safrus
Bogus Mezuzos, Tefilin and Sifrei Torah Being Sold!
For thousands of years, teffilin, mezuzos and sifrei Torah have been hand written on parchment in the very same manner. Even with the invention of the printing press, Jews continued to write them by hand. That’s because the Torah says “u’ksavstom” which means that they…
The Significance of the Mezuzah
The laws of the Torah are Divine laws, and are beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Any attempt to understand a Mitzvah, or the reasons for a Mitzvah, will fall short of complete comprehension. Indeed there are many laws…
You and Your Mezuzah
A Tale of Ignorance, Neglect and Hope There is possibly no area in Jewish life with as glaring a gap between the ideal and the reality as the area of STaM, (an acronym for Sifrel Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzos). …
What is Mezuzah?
The Bibical source of the mitzvah of mezuzah is found twice in Devarim, Deuteronomy, chapter 6, in the paragraph of Shema Yisroel (4-9) and Chapter 9, in the paragragh of Vehaya Im Shamoa (13-21). The Torah states in both paragraphs:…
Why are Torahs, Tefillin and Mezuzahs Seemingly So Expensive?
Considerable time, expertise, effort, precision and expense are invested in the manufacture, writing, examination and assembly of Torahs, tefillin, mezuzahs and megillahs. The writing of a Torah is a 1 to 1-1/2 year project! That means proving income for, usually,…
3 Main Traditions of Tefillin Scripts
There are 3 main traditions of scripts. Each has a halachic basis. Bais Yosef: This is the script (for Torahs, tefillin, mezuzahs and megillahs, used by those of Ashkenazi decent, who are not Chassidic. The Bais Yosef, authored by Rabbi Yosef Caro, (1488-1575)…
What is Tefillin?
We are commanded in the Torah to bind tefillin on our arm and on our head. The source for the mitzvah is mentioned four times in the Torah: “And it shall be for you a sign on your arm and…
Mezuzah Tips
Note: The word mezuzah always refers to the scroll, and the case or cover is always referred to as such. Every mezuzah should be wrapped in a protective wrapping before it is placed in a case. Wax paper, parchment paper, thin plastic…
Caring for Your Tefillin
To prevent your tefillin from getting lost, mark your name, address, and telephone number on or inside your tefillin bag and on the individual tefillin cases. (Do not put labels over the air vents of the tefillin cases.) Take note…