DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Halacha is For Refuah Shelemah for
 Meda (Misoodah) Bat Mizlee Lelah

Dedicated By
Isaac Moses

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
      
(File size: 3.35 MB)
How Does One Identify a Properly Written Letter Het?

It is customary to write the letter het of a Sefer Torah, tefillin and mezuzah in the following manner: The sofer writes two letter "zayin"s, which are connected by a hatoteret, a "roof." The roof is similar to a tree, which connects the two zayins. Although some sofrim make a straight line, the custom of most sofrim is to make a line that goes up and down, like the hump of a camel.

It is also- customary that the right side of the hatoteret is thicker than the left side. Also, a "tag" (crown) is drawn on the upper-left side of the letter, since it is customary to draw single tagim on the letters bet, dalet, hey, het, yud, and koof, often known by the acronym "bedek hayah."

It should also be noted that when writing the two zayins, most sofrim round the top part of the right zayin. While some have the custom, when writing tefillin, of constructing a het from a vav and a zayin, this does not appear to be the common custom.

Summary: When looking at a het on the klaf of a Sefer Torah, tefillin or mezuzah, one should note the structure of the het, i.e., that it is made from two zayins, connected by a hatoteret, with a tag on the upper left corner.


 


Recent Daily Halachot...
The Prohibitions of Misleading or Insulting Another Person
Is it Permissible to Study Secular Philosophy?
When is it Appropriate or Inappropriate to Report Bad Tidings?
Is It Permissible To Wear A Wool Tzitzit Under A Linen Shirt or Is It A Violation of Shatnez
Announcing a Fast Day in the Synagogue on the Preceding Shabbat
Barech Alienu for Travelers to and From Israel
Traveling on Ereb Shabbat
Maintaining Peace in One’s Financial Dealings
Birkat Ha'gomel: The Meaning of the Words, and Whether a Child Recites the Beracha
Reciting Tefilat Ha’derech
Hanukah – If One Does Not Have Enough Oil For All the Candles
Hanukah – Lighting a Menorah That Has a “Back”
Is Birkat Ha’gomel Required After Taking a Cruise on the Kinneret?
Synagogue Decorum and The Prohibition Against Speaking During Torah Reading – In the Wake of the Har Nof Tragedy
The Status of Pasteurized Wine
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found