Q. I recently read that During his recent last visit to Washington, DC, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took part in inscribing letters in the historic “Washington Torah ” - a most unusual and outstanding Sefer Torah being written entirely in the nation’s capital. Could such a Sefer Torah really be in any way Kosher as the Chabbad Chassidim claim it is?
A. On question 169 – Filling in Letters in a Sefer Torah. We wrote:
“Q. I recently attended the giving of a Sefer Torah, and was invited to write a letter for a donation. The letters were already outlined in ink, I just filled in the blank inner space, isn’t that letter kosher anyway, if so what is my mitzvah?
A) There are different opinions in the Poiskim as to what exactly is the mitzvah of writing or fixing an already written letter in an almost finished Sefer Torah. There are those who support this “minhag”, claiming it is based on the Talmud (Menochos 30a) “if someone fixes even one single letter, it is tantamount to having written the whole Sefer”.
In Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 270,1) Remah rules that this applies only if one owns the Sefer or paid to have it written on his name. Writing a letter on someone else’s Sefer does not qualify. (Mikdash M’at 270,6 – Mishnas Avrohom 1,25).
However some argue that paying for the letter makes him a partner in the Sefer and he fulfills the mitzvah of K’sivas Sefer Torah, according to the Poiskim that maintain that partnership is acceptable in the fulfillment of this mitzvah (ibid. – Nitey Gavriel, Ksivas Sefer Torah 13,1)
Horav Chaim Kanievsky Shlit”a, when asked this same query responded similarly. Unless he owns part of the Sefer, there is no mitzvah at all. He suggested filling in the letter “yud”, since without the inner ink filling, it could be read as a small “samech”. (Derech Sicho, Shoiftim).
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a opinion is that there is at least a mitzvah in honoring and beautifying the Torah, by filling in the letter, even if it was already outlined and could be kosher as is.
Rabbi a. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a.”
I did inquire to a very knowledgeable and most important Chabad member of our family, and b’n Iy’H, he will send their response as to what they do on such most crucial and important occasions a.s.a.p.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit'a.
Yasher koach kvod haRav for the indispensable service that you provide Klal Yisroel with these shailos and teshuvos! This is an excellent question that applies to many of the Sifrei Torah written among all of Klal Yisroel, as there are commonly relatives or acquaintances who are not yet keeping Torah behiddur, yet they take part in the siyum. As well, there are those who are unfamiliar with the laws of safrus, those whose hands are shaky, etc. etc. The practice that I witnessed at countless siyumim that I've attended is that the sofer is the one writing the 'ois', and the participant holds the wrist of the sofer so that he 'assists' with the writing. This would seemingly address the questioner's concern as well. May we merit to fulfill all that is written in the Holy Torah, from Braishis Boro to Kol Yisroel!
Important Numbers
