[Avodah] Modern Day Sifrei Torahs

[Harvey Benton]

BEST
TO OUR KNOWLEDGE:

R. Toby Katz wrote:

As
long as the Sefer Torah you are using is perfect to the best of your knowledge
and to the best of your ability, it is not pasul, you can make a bracha on it,
you can have an aliyah, you can read from the Torah.   

 

HB:
This may be true, but these mitzvas are only being fulfilled bidieved.  At the same time we cannot have both Yemenite
and our ST not to be passul.  Someone
obviously has a mistake (if not both).

 

DECEPTION
& ESSENCE:

RTK: 
No, we are not deceiving anyone. [to what HB wrote regarding saying Zot Hatorah
during Hagbah]

RTK: 
The statement "our Torah is the same as Moshe's" MEANS "the
essence is the same and the wording is as close to identical as human error
will allow over the course of thousands of years."

 

HB:  I was taught that Rambam No. 8 applies
specifically and independently to both TSBP and TSBictav.  To TSBP we say that the principles of the
Torah were given to Moshe Rabeinu (no problem here)  As far as TSBichtav,  people, children, Baalei Teshuvot, etc., are
taught that the Torah is EXACTLY the same, letter for letter,  as what Moshe Rabeinu had. (Aish Hatorah and
Kiruv organizations say it all the time -- 
People do not know, and in many cases do not want to know about possible
discrepancies.)  Is this not Geneivas
Daas?

 

POSSIBLE
SOFER DISCLOSURE & ELIYAHU HANAVI:

RTK: 
It seems to you that there is a halacha -- or should be a halacha -- something
like this:  "A sofer is halachically obligated to state,
when selling a sefer Torah, that slightly different texts exist and that until
Eliyahu Hanavi comes, he cannot be 100% certain that the sefer
Torah he has written is identical to Moshe Rabbeinu's sefer Torah down to
the last kutzo shel yud."    (snip)

….Why
do  you suppose there is no such halacha in the Shulchan Aruch or the
Mishna Berurah?

 

HB:

It
is my understanding that full disclosure on a sale is required in Halacha.
Whether it be a house (leaky pipes) car (faulty transmission) or whatever.  I would think that for sure this would apply
to Dvarim Kedoshim.  

Tefillin
are sold by quality, so are Etrogim, and disclosures are made as to quality,
(etrogim from EY v. Yevanim; Tefillin: daka, klaf, sofer, etc., ARE
disclosed).  

As
for the QUALITY of the MITZVAH being performed, many times we are told as to
what is necessary, what is minhag, what is mehudar, etc. Silver Chanukah
Menoras (recent discussions here); SA on Mehadrin, and Mehadrin min HameHadrin
re lighting the Chanukah Candles etc.

Why
should disclosure re: Selling a Sefer Torah be any Different?

People
have a right to know what they are spending their money on.  And why shouldn’t Soferim have the obligation
to tell them?

 

FALSE
BELIEFS:

RTK:
…To answer that question, you have to consider what alternative, false beliefs
Rambam was trying to counter with his formulation of "Ani ma'amin.

 

HB:
Does the fact that the Rambam and/or the author(s) of Zot Hatorah (Hagbah) may
have phrased their statements to battle anti-Torah beliefs (Karaites, xians,
Wellhausen, etc,) make those statements accurate, applicable and/or necessary
in our days?







  


TORAH
AFTER MOSHIACH:

RTK:
… And all this angst is over a simple misunderstanding!  "Zos haTorah
lo sehei muchlefes" means "Our Torah will never be EXCHANGED for
another one."  The Christian claim of a 'New Testament' is false,
there is not and will not be a 'New Testament' -- nor will Hashem ever exchange
His Chosen People for some other People.

 

HB:
Possibly not true: There is discussion and meforshim that talk about possible
changes (IN ESSENCE) of the Torah after Moshiach comes.  Some say all the mitzvos will be batel, some
say chazer will be allowed to be eaten, some say all the Holiday
will be abolished except for Purim and Yom Kippur, etc.   

(I
Googled Vayikra Rabbah 13:3, the top result lists many references, regarding
Kilayim, Niddah, Levyatan (not-kosher) etc. 
It is a Google Groups discussion list, and one person posted that Yoshka
is the Moshiach, nevertheless the many references listed there may be accurate
(I did not check them out).  http://groups.google.com/group/alt.messianic/browse_thread/thread/656972509f978fba).

 

May
we find out soon and may EYisrael be SAFE !!!!!!

 

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