Daf HaYomi B'Halacha Daily Email

Which ingredients may be used for writing tefillin?

Sifrei Torah, tefillin and mezuzos (Sta”m) must be written with black ink. There are different ingredients mentioned in the poskim which can be used in the production of ink. One of the components is a byproduct of wood. This product is the preferred option, since it is acceptable according to all opinions. Other ingredients do not allow the ink to be erased and are subject to a disagreement as to whether they can be used for Sta”m.

[שו"ע לב, ג, משנ"ב ח, וביה"ל ד"ה יכתבם, ד"ה בין שיש, וד"ה בין שלא; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 6]

Can non-kosher wine be added to the ink?

As mentioned, it is preferable to use ingredients for the ink which are wood-based, and which allow the ink to be erased. Nonetheless, the custom is to use ingredients which do not meet these criteria so that the ink will not fade from the parchment. It is proper to thicken the ink by cooking the components together. Non-kosher wine may be added to the ink. The ink does not have to be made with the intention to use it for Sta” m.

[משנ"ב לב, ח, וביה"ל ג, ד"ה בין שיש, וד"ה בין שלא]

Can ink used for pens be used for tefillin?

Only black ink may be used for writing Sta”m. Although blue ink is similar to black, it should not be used. Even if it darkens and looks black on the parchment, it is still invalid. Black ink which is produced for pens should not be used either. Such ink is not the proper shade of black. Furthermore, it fades over time and renders the Sta”m invalid. If the Sta”m was written with the wrong color, going over it in black does not make it acceptable.

[שו"ע לב, ג, משנ"ב ז ו־י, וביה"ל ד"ה יכתבם, וד"ה הרי; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו, 9]

If one mistakenly made one compartment for the shel rosh and separate compartments for the shel yad, the tefillin are invalid. If, however, the parshios for the shel rosh were written on one piece of parchment, or the parshios of the shel yad were written separately, the tefillin are kosher b’dieved.

The parshios must be written in the order in which they appear in the Torah: Kadesh, V’haya Ki Yeviacha, Shema and V’haya Im Shamoa. According to the teachings of Kabbalah, the sofer should write them in one sitting, without interrupting his work by speaking. This effort should be made as long as it does not interfere with the quality of the sofer’s work.

When writing a Sefer Torah, tefillin or mezuzos, the letter daled in the word echad of Shema should be enlarged. According to the teachings of the Arizal, the large daled should be the equivalent of four smaller daleds.

Can two letters be connected to each other?

Which letters must have tagim?

Can Sta”m be written with the left hand?

PLEASE NOTE: The information in this email is for learning purposes only. Please review the Mishna Berura and Biurim U'Musafim before making a halachic decision. Hebrew words are occasionally transliterated to enable a smoother reading of the text. Common Ashkenazi pronunciation is generally used in these cases.