Good Shabbos!

Its been a long week full of great safrus problems and solutions! Its time for a restful Shabbos. See you all on Motzei Shabbos!

WHY IS EVERYBODY SCREAMING AT YANKY? BECAUSE HE JUST FIXED THE SHUL'S SEFER TORAH WITH A BIC PEN!

You’re in shul on motzei shabbos and they take out the sefer torah to fix a crack that was noticed on shabbos. When they open up the bottle of dio (sofer’s ink (which you can order from me if you need any)) low and behold it is all dried out.  ”What now”, asks Shmerel to Berel. Berel can’t come up with anything because he’s preoccupied with thoughts of a nice shtick kishka that he’s planing to stake a claim to for melave malka (the traditional seudah (meal) that we partake of on motzei shabbos in order to accompany the departing shabbos queeen). Suddenly one of those guys who always has an answer to everything pipes up, “Why don’t we just use a regular black pen?! The Rambam holds that any ink which is black is dio”.

What is the halachah in this case?

Are there other factors to take into consideration (hint: can these guys posel the sefer torah by accident?

To be continued…

The Essence of Tefillin

Reb Yonason Eivshitez refers to tefillin as חותמא דמלקא קדישה, the ‘seal of the the holy king’. When you are getting ready to own a new set of tefillin, keep this description in mind. Tell me, who wouldn’t want to wear the seal of the holy king? Who wouldn’t feel a sense of majesty when when adorning himself with such an object?

Come Visit My Fully Stocked Office

I keep a full selection of mezuza cases, tefillin boxes, battim, mezuzos, and megillos on hand at all times. I also have ketores, new and used sefrei torah, and embroidered tefillin bags.

Why Shouldn’t Tefillin be an “Add to Cart” Item?

I can’t think of any purchase more personal than the purchase of tefillin. Don’t you want to know who wrote them, and that he is the kind of person you can relate to. For example, if you are a Belzer Chasid wouldn’t you like to know that he can relate to Belzer Chasidus? Don’t you want the sofer to talk to you and your son, explaining to them how the tefillin are made, and how much kidushah (holiness) they have? You will want me to teach you how to put them on and care for them, won’t you? Don’t you want to know that I know the sofer who wrote them, and that I trust him like a brother?

Give me a call. Let’s talk about your upcoming tefillin ownership.

845-290-2546

Should Tefillin Cost More than a New Suit?

I was learning a piece from Reb Yonason Eibshitz this morning that confirmed a thought that I had about the price of tefillin. He writes about how much money people would spend for a hat (even back then), how the hat had to be perfect, exactly what was in style, not even a drop too tall, short, etc. Shoes, he notes, are something that people will pay twice what they are worth even though they only last a few years. But when it comes to tefillin, those same people want to save money at the expense of doing the mitzvah in the best way possible.  Back then a good set of tefillin lasted 10 or 15 years, whereas nowadays the kind of tefillin that I enjoy selling will last a lifetime–guaranteed. If you spent even $1,000 or $15,000 on tefillin and divide that price by the number of years a lifetime set will last, you will see that expensive sets of tefillin are quite cost effective. If a person spends $1,000.00 on tefillin and uses them for fifty years that comes to only $20.00 per year!

Rabbi Michaels Working in his Monsey, NY Office

Here’s the nerve center of my operation. This is where it all happens: Tefillin checking, mezuza checking, putting new eitzai chaim on sefrei torah, fixing, repairing, selling, teaching… It’s a cool place. Stop by and check it out. 4 Darby Rd. Monsey, NY 10952 (try to call before you come 845-290-2546).