10 Sep THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF STaM: WHEN STaM GOES UNSCRUTINIZED

Elul is a time when
the poskim
r e c o m m e n d
checking tefillin and
מט״א סימן) mezuzot
Although .) תקפא ס״י
there is no obligation to check them
yearly(ס״י לט סימן או״ח (, it is proper to do
so—especially the mezuzot placed outside,
which can be damaged by rain and
. (ערוה״ש יו״ד סימן רצא ס״א)sun
Let’s summarize what a sofer checks in
tefillin, which would mostly also apply to
the examination of mezuzot.
The Batim:
In the external check, the sofer examines
whether the tefillin boxes are a perfect
square. The top part of the bayit must be a
complete square, as well as the bottom part,
called the titura, and the stitching. While
anyone can check for the square shape, a
sofer, who regularly inspects tefillin, has a
more trained eye to spot potential issues. If
anything seems questionable, he will
measure it with a caliper. The square can
become distorted over time due to weather
changes, from humid to cold days, or if a

person sweats or wears the tefillin while
their hair is wet after a bath.
There are other issues that can be detected
once the tefillin boxes are opened, such as
the lines on the top of the rosh not aligning
with the actual separating compartments.
Another issue is the presence of glue used
during the preparation of the batim to make
them appear square, which becomes
undetectable after painting. These issues
render the tefillin invalid for use, making it
extremely important to have them checked
regularly.
The Straps:
The sofer also checks the straps to ensure
they haven’t lost their black color. If there
are white spots, the straps must be repainted
or replaced. He also checks for cracks or
tears in the straps, which some poskim
invalidate, even if they are only slightly torn
בא״ח בעוד יוסף חי וירא אות כג ובמשנ״ב סימן לג)
.(ס״ק כט הכשיר אם יש שיעור ברצועה
It’s also possible that the straps become very
narrow in certain places due to constant
tightening. If they become less than 10-11
mm wide, they should be replaced

immediately. Another common problem is
peeling straps, where a layer of latex is
attached to the outer surface, which makes
them invalid.
The Parshiot:
After the sofer opens the batim, he examines
the parshiot—the parchments. This is a very
meticulous task that requires extensive
knowledge of the laws of safrut and a great
deal of patience. Each letter is carefully
inspected. What is the sofer checking?
Shape:
Halacha outlines the precise shape of each
letter, and the scribe who wrote the parshiot
must follow these laws exactly. Since
writing the parchments is not easy, mistakes
can unfortunately occur and must be
examined for their kashrut status. This issue
is especially relevant with cheaper parshiot,
as the sofer is paid less and must write
quickly to make it worthwhile. If a letter is
not written correctly, the sofer should stop
and decide if it can be corrected. However,
many times, due to the pressure to continue,
the sofer may move on without fixing it.
Once he continues writing, the mistake
becomes unfixable, as it is forbidden to
correct the letters after further writing has
been done.
Due to the pressure of quick writing, many
sofrim don’t even take the time to review
their work for mistakes. These parshiot are
then placed in the batim and sold in Judaica
stores. Years later, when the owner of the
tefillin decides to have them checked, the
sofer often finds numerous mistakes and
issues. This scenario is not uncommon. In
fact, Rav Moshe Feinstein and Chacham
Ovadia both wrote that most STaM sold in
the market is not kosher. A sofer who
regularly inspects tefillin and mezuzot can
attest to how true this is and how flooded the
market is with invalid STaM.
This issue is even worse in America, and
here’s why. Almost all STaM are prepared in
Israel and then sold on the market. When
sellers in Israel find a problem or invalidity
in tefillin or mezuzot, they return it to the
sofer. Now, what is the sofer supposed to
do? Another case is when a sofer notices a
problem after spending hours writing it.
What should he do? He knows that if he
sells them, the customer will eventually
come back angry after having the parshiot
checked and realizing they were sold invalid
items.
Of course, if the sofer is yerei shamayim
(G-d-fearing), he should put the invalid
items in geniza and not sell them. But
unfortunately, some sofrim look for a way to
sell them without the risk of the customer

returning. One solution they’ve discovered
is selling to visitors from the U.S. who come
to Israel to buy holy items from a “holy
sofer” in the Holy Land. Seeing an American
buyer is a golden opportunity since the sofer
knows they likely won’t return to Israel to
confront him if the items are later found
questionable.
Another method is selling these items to
merchants who regularly travel to America
and supply Judaica stores. Many stores
don’t have a certified sofer to check the
STaM before placing them on the shelves.
When these items are found to be invalid
years later by the buyer, it becomes almost
impossible to return them to the original
sofer, as it’s simply not worthwhile or
feasible.
Other issues with the parchments include
letters breaking, which can happen due to
placing them too tightly in the compartments
or because of the way the ink was made.
Another issue with the ink is that it is
sometimes very diluted, causing it to appear
slightly grayish rather than fully black on
the parchment. If the writing is not black, it
. (סימן לב ס״ג)kosher not is
Then there are the common problems of two
letters touching (ס״ד לב סימן (or a hole in the
parchment that existed before the sofer
wrote on it(טז סעיף (. Additionally, there can
be issues with the tagim (crowns) on the
letters, such as many of them being
missing(ס״ד לו סימן (or written but not
properly attached to the letters, leaving
space between the crowns and the
. (משנ״ב ס״ק יג)letters
There are many other potential problems
that can be found in tefillin, beyond the
scope of this article. The key point is that
each person should ensure their tefillin and
mezuzot are free of issues that could
invalidate them. Those with invalid items
are not fulfilling this important mitzvah. In
the case of mezuzot, they miss out on the
Torah’s blessing of long life for themselves
and their children, as well as protection(דברים
כא ,יא (, while for tefillin, they are considered
sinners and may, because of this, lose their
portion in the World to Come(,יז השנה ראש
.(א