Q. When writing a letter of a Sefer Torah, at the ceremony of an Hachnosas Sefer Torah, besides saying the required statement that one is writing "Leshem Kedushas Sefer Torah," should not one also have to say aloud the letter or the word that he is about to write, as a regular scribe does when he writes a Sefer Torah? Why is it that we never see that done?
A. Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 274: 2) rules that the one writing a Sefer Torah has to read aloud from another Sefer the word before he writes it on the new one. The source is quoted as the Smag deducing from Baba Basra 15a, that when Moshe Rabbenu wrote the first Sefer Torah, he repeated aloud every word that Hashem told him to write, before he wrote it himself.
Poskim disagree if one copying from a kosher Sefer Torah, also has to read the words aloud (Kesses Hassofer 5: 6) quotes the conflicting opinions of the Chassam Soffer and Bach. It may depend if the reason why it is done. Is it for avoiding a mistake or to impart kedusha to the words).
Horav Shlomo Miller's Shlit'a opinion is that in our case, when one is just writing one letter or part of it, and the word is practically complete, one does not need to say aloud the word, before writing a letter.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised By Horav Shlomo Miller and Horav Aharon Miller Shlit'a
Important Numbers
