Sefer Torah should be commissioned only from clean money. Story with the Bal Shem Tov.

The Money to Purchase a Sefer Torah should come from a Clean Source

The money used to commission a sefer torah should not have any doubt of gezel (theft) or come from unscrupulous places.[1]

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[1] Lev Chayim 2:167 ois 44 sif katan 15. There it also cites a story of a community that the sefer torah would always be found to have a mistake in it, even after fixing it a new mistake would later be found again. The matter was told to the Bal Shem Tov and he said that the torah was written with money from an unscrupulous place and therefore it will never be able to be kosher.

When one finds a psul (invalidation) in a sefer torah, is this a bad sign for the community?

Finding an invalidation in a sefer torah is assumed to be a heavenly sign that the community as a whole should do some introspective and improvement. It is told over that in the summer of 5747 (1987)[1] the Rebbe made such a remark at a public farbrengen when an invalidation in the sefer torah was discovered just before the torah was read from.[2]

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[1] Presumably, this took place on Shabbos Parshas Balak. There were some tragedies in the community around that exact time.

[2] See Igros Kodesh Vol. 14 (p. 529) that suggests that a remedy for someone whose mezuzah was invalid is to learn some chapters of Mishnah by heart. At the very least one should learn a chapter of Tanya by heart and should review it or at least think it in one’s mind when one travels.

May one leave up a pasul mezuzah until it gets switched with a kosher one?

According to a view (the Beis Aryeh 289:4) a mezuzah that got damaged while it was up and invalidated, one should keep it up until a new kosher mezuzah is affixed in its place. This is because of the rule of "kavod habrios" (honor to the creatures). That is, since it would be embarrassing to leave the doorway without a mezuzah altogether, therefore, one may keep the invalidated one up until the new one arrives. There is room to back this based on the gemarrah (Sukkah 48b) that states that when the mizbeach was chipped in the corner, the people took salt to fill in the corner so it should appear kosher, (even though that this does not validate the chipped corner of the mizbeach).
 The Mezuzos Melachim (Halacha Lemoshe 200) prefers that one should take down the invalid mezuzah even though it will not be immediately replaced. The reasoning is, this is different from the case of mizbeach since here the concern is the individual can be lax about this and not end up replacing it altogether, this is unlike the case of the mizbeach in the Beis Hamikdash where there were many to remind each other to fix the problem as soon as possible.

Having a letter in the sefer torah adds protection

Is there a concept that having a letter in a communal sefer torah adds general protection?

 The Lubavitcher Rebbe on various public gatherings[1] would quote from the end of the book of Daniel (Chapter 12:1) וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יַעֲמֹד מִיכָאֵל הַשַּׂר הַגָּדוֹל הָעֹמֵד עַל בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְהָיְתָה עֵת צָרָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא נִהְיְתָה מִהְיוֹת גּוֹי עַד הָעֵת הַהִיא וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יִמָּלֵט עַמְּךָ כָּל הַנִּמְצָא כָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר             “At that time, the great prince Michael, who stands over your people, will arise. It will be a time of trouble, the like of which has never been since they became a nation. At that time, your people will be spared – all who are found written in the book”. The Rebbe explained that (without searching through the commentaries) the word בספר “in the book” refers to Hashem’s book, the sefer torah. The verse concludes “At that time, your people will be spared – all who are found written in the book” this refers to the ones that have a letter in the sefer torah. The Rebbe urged that everyone (men, women, children, and even newborns) should purchase their own personal letter in the sefer torah to add in the Jewish peoples overall protection.

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[1] Hisvadiyos 5742 Vol. 2 p. 622 +, ibid p. 665, ibid p. 714, ibid p. 970.

New book release: Mezuzah: Divine Protection and Blessing

With gratitude to Hashem I am happy to inform you of the release of my new book, Mezuzah: Divine Protection and Blessing, on the laws of mezuzah. Several years of work have gone into this project and I am please to share that it is the most thorough book in English of its kind. The book is designed to be user-friendly (with lots of professional pictures) while also providing extensive research and sources. I am grateful to the reputable Torah scholars from around the world who wrote the approbations included and gave a blessing that that it should be received in many homes.

Just in time for the New Year, click here to purchase a copy.

Ksiva V’chasima Tova!

Rabbi Dovid Nissan Bressman

Honoring someone else with affixing one's mezuzos

By Rabbi Dovid Nissan Bressman

Is it proper to have an honorable person who is great in Torah and mitzvos affix the mezuzos on a new house or building even though he is not the owner? Would this be against the rule of “Mitzvah bo yoter meshlucho”( i.e., it is better to do the mitzvah by oneself instead of having an agent do it)?

Having a Torah scholar affix the mezuzos is acceptable and is not considered as one lacking in “Mitzvah bo yoter meshlucho”^[1] for this is being done for the honor of the mitzvah by someone who is great in Torah. The Talmd^[2] states: “Honor is [better served] by the eminent rather than the lowly.” In fact the Talmud^[3] quotes that the Reish Geluta asked Rav Nachman to affix mezuzos on his behalf since he wanted to honor a great person in this mitzvah. However, it is proper for the owners to also physically participate in affixing some of the mezuzos themselves.^[4]

One should not delay the affixing of mezuzos after one has moved into one’s home in order to wait for an honorable person to be available to affix them.^[5]

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[1] Daas Kedoshim 289:2 and Ohr Zeruah (128) hold that the rule of “Mitzvah bo yoter meshlucho” only applies to betrothing a woman and Shabbos preparations.

[2] Sotah 13b.

[3] Menachos 33a.

[4] Daas Kedoshim 289:2 as explained by Halichos Olam (Parshah Ki Tavo Shana Sheniah 8:12) in the footnote.

[5] Chovas Hadar, Chapter 9, footnote 3.

Mezuzah that Fell to the Ground

Rabbi Dovid Nissan Bressman

Mezuzah that Fell to the Ground

Concerning a mezuzah scroll that fell to the ground from one’s hand, one authority holds that one does not fast,[1] while another authority does.[2] Other authorities write that it is proper to give tzedaka in place of fasting.[3] If, however, the mezuzah fell to the ground while it was in its case, one need not even be stringent to fast; rather, it is proper to give some tzedaka, the value of a prutah (a very small value).[4]

If a Mezuzah fell from the doorpost to the floor, one should take it as a sign that it should be checked.[5] ‌If a mezuzah falls down on Shabbos, one should pick it up and put it in a safe place[6] until after Shabbos ends. Thereafter, one should immediately reaffix it (and preferably check it first). The mezuzah should not be handled for the remainder of the Shabbos since it is considered muktzah.[7]

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[1] Lev Chayim 131.

[2] Sharei Emes as quoted by the Mezuzos Melachim (Halacha Lemoshe 201).

[3] Maharsham 2:264; Be’er Moshe 3:9.

[4] Seemingly this is no more stringent than the rule of tefillin that fell to the ground while in their protective boxes where one need not fast as rules the Magen Avraham (44:5). The Mishna Berura 40:3 bringing this Magen Avraham later quotes from the Aliah Rabbah that one should however give the value of a ‘prutah’ to tzedaka if tefillin fell while in their case. Therefore it seems that it is proper to also give tzedaka if the mezuzah fell in its case.

[5] Shavet Hakehasi 1:275.

[6] Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 85:5 (in regard to Tefillin) - one should pick it up since it is a desecration for a holy object to be on the floor.

[7] Minchas Shabbos 88:37,38- since the mezuzah fell on Shabbos it is similar to the rule of doors that fell off a house on Shabbos that are considered muktzah (Magen Avraham 308:19; Shulchan Aruch Harav 308:35).

It seems even worse if the entire case fell together with the mezuzah scroll since it is currently not fit for any use (not even to read from while it is closed), therefore it is classified as muktzah since one is not allowed to reaffix it on Shabbos.

Differing opinions:

However, see the Be’er Moshe (8:72) which differs in this matter and holds that a mezuzah is not muktzah even if it fell on Shabbos. See the next footnote.