Mezuzah & Tefillin Kashrut
How are Mezuzot made?
The Scribe
The Mezuzah scroll is made from handmade parchment from a kosher animal and inscribed in black ink with a special quill pen. It is written by a specially trained, religious devout scribe, known in Hebrew as a sofer. The sofer concentrates intensely and writes with special Hebrew characters in a beautiful calligraphic hand.
The Ink
The main ingredients of the special ink used by the scribe are gall nuts, or the gallic acid derived from these nuts; gum arabic, a resin substance; and copper vitriol, a bluish stone which gives the ink the blackness required. The gall nuts and the resin are cooked in water for about an hour. Then the vitriol is added and the mixture is boiled until half remains.
Further details of this process are, however, a closely guarded secret. Through tradition passed to him by his teachers, and through knowledge gained over years of experience, each scribe has his own formula for making an ink with the desired qualities of clarity, easy flow, intense color and tackless film on drying.
The Pen
The pen used for mezuzahs or tefillin is generally a quill from a kosher bird, a goose or a turkey. The point is carefully cut so that by turning the pen and varying the pressure, the scribe can write thick as well as very thin lines with one stroke.
The Lines
The first step in the actual writing of the mezuzah is the ruling of twenty-two lines with a bone stylus.
The letters of the sacred text will be written suspended from these lines (rather than resting on the lines). The ruling of these lines is not just to guide the scribe’s hand, but an integral part of the scribal laws handed down from the time of Moses.
The Script
In Exodus 6:4 the Torah instructs, "U'ktavtam..." The literal translation is, "And you shall write them [on the doorposts of your house]." The Sages explain that this word can be read as two words: ktav tam — a perfect script. The special script, in which the mezuzah, like the tefillin and Torah scroll, is written, has been very precisely defined by the Sages.
In the Code of Jewish Law, the exact form of each letter, from alef to taf, is clearly described. Each letter must be written perfectly in accordance with these laws, for the slightest flaw can render the whole mezuzah or tefillin not-kosher.
The letters may not touch each other, but should be separated by at least a hairsbreadth of space. The space between two words should be the size of a letter yud. If two words are written so closely together that a child learning to read thinks they are one word, the mezuzah or tefillin is not-kosher. This is also the case if a large space in the middle of a word makes it seem like two words.
In summation: There are many details and precepts in regards to creating and writing a mezuzah, tefillin or Torah scroll. We have only outlined here a few of the precepts, to give a feeling of what kind of handicraft goes into creating these holy objects
A Mezuzah has 713 letters. Every letter has numerous laws pertaining to its form. In order for a Mezuzah to be written in accordance with all of the laws, it must meet thousands of requirements.
If even one of the Mezuzah’s 713 letters is missing, or shaped incorrectly, the Mezuzah is rendered invalid and the commandment is unfulfilled. Even the best scribe is human and subject to error. While some errors can be corrected in accordance with Jewish law, others cannot. Therefore, when a Mezuzah is purchased from a reputable seller, it is inspected by a second scribe before being sold.
What to Look for When Buying a Mezuzah
Choose a source: The first thing to do is locate where you want to purchase your mezuzah. As there are many nuances that are not visible to the untrained eye, as well as some that are impossible to detect, it is imperative to purchase your mezuzah from a trusted, G‑d-fearing source.
Choose a type: There are several traditions regarding how the letters should be formed. It is ideal to use a mezuzah that follows the customs of your community. Larger scrolls are often more expensive but allow for a cleaner, clearer, and more detailed script. It is worth going the extra mile.
Adapted from www.chabad.org
