[This is a big post, so I will split it into two...]

Finally we get to the kulmus, the quill – the real “beating heart” of safrus.

Becoming a sofer has more to do with cutting and maintaining the quill than it does with writing.  Similarly,  becoming a shochet has more to do with the technique of preparing and maintaining one’s blades than it does with the act of shechita.

Mastery of  cutting/maintaining a quill is ultimately what separates the professional scribe from the dilettante.

The sofer’s relationship to the kulmus is complex, to say the least.   If you treat your kulmus well, and pay close attention to what it needs,  then it will reward you.   Treat your kulmus poorly, and it will betray you.  Badly.  Very badly.

Soferim spend so much time caring and maintaining their quills, that the whole subject of kulmus becomes something of a personal one.  I know this sounds terribly romantic, but it is true:  that I am about to describe my cutting technique feels a little like baring my heart, like sharing some deep personal secret (I guess, in a way, that’s the purpose of this whole project…)

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The one overriding halacha of the dyo (sofer’s ink) is that it must be absolutely black, through and through.  No other color can be mixed in, nor can it have any composite colors.  Black – pure and simple.

Although there are several ink recipes batted about amongst the Rishonim and Acharonim, everyone today makes ink from three basic ingredients:

• Kuma = Gum Arabic, acts as a binder to keep the ink attached to the klaf
• Kankantum = Iron Sulfate (although the Mishna Berura 32:8 seems to identify this a copper sulfate; I’ve seen this in other places too)
• Mei Afatzim = Gall Nut Juice

The most curious ingredient of the lot is Gall Nut juice.  “What is a gall nut?” you may ask…

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The Gemora in Megilla 16b learns that it is a halacha le-Moshe mi-sinai that certain types of safrus (holy writing) must be written with shirtut (sometimes pronounced sirtut) -  guidelines scored onto the parchment f0r the lines of text and the upper, lower, left and right margins.

While  all of the Rishonim agree that this law applies to mezuzos, yet not to tefillin, there is a dispute between Rashi and  Rabbeinu Tam (Rashi’s grandson) as to whether or not a Sefer Torah must be written with guidelines.

The Acharonim, however, bring proof from the Talmud Yerushalmi and Maseches Sofrim that the halacha is like Rashi that a Sefer Torah has the same law of a mezuza: it must have guidelines or else it is posul.

Now, I mentioned above that tefillin do not require guidelines.  While this is the fundamental law, the Rama in O.C. 32 tells us that the custom has become to use guidelines for all safrus, including tefillin.

How are these guidelines made?

A long time ago sofrim used an instrument called a sargel to score lines on the klaf.  This was simply a stick with a sharp thorn affixed to it.

A Friend's Sargel

Although modern technology makes scoring much easier,  a few sofrim still use sargelim today.

Nowadays, when a sofer orders klaf it arrives pre-scored by a machine.  The machine scoring is excellent, and guarantees identical lines from page-to-page without fail.   I’m sure it also makes the klaf-makers job a lot easier!

Next in this series: Making ink (messy, messy, messy…)

The first yeria (parchment sheet) of the CTC Sefer Torah is finished!   On average, there are 62 sheets per Sefer Torah, which puts us 1/62, or 1.613% of the way finished.

The Completed First Sheets of the CTC Sefer Torah

My problem child, the third column (mentioned in last night’s post), turned out ok, but still isn’t my best writing.   Most of the problems are things that only another sofer, or perhaps a graphic artist, may be bothered by.

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Not Going Well.

I was hoping to report that I would have  the third amud done tonight, but things haven’t exactly gone well.  While the second amud was a joy to write, the third has been just painful.  I had one kulmus (quill) die on me, another crack, and had to cut a new one.  I also discovered a very tiny tear in the klaf that will have to be repared.  And there is lint sticking to the surface of the klaf (parchment). And this is only the tip of the iceberg!

At some point I will probably write a post regarding the ways in which things can go wrong when writing a sefer torah.    So far , the third amud has been an encyclopedia of everything that could go awry.   To my eye, the third column looks as if it was written by a five-year-old (albeit one who was well trained in safrus).   However, it is still more than salvageable    I have about 4 hours of writing, sanding, and checking needed to finish the third amud and will hopefully post photos tomorrow after I have had a chance to fix it up and re-write some sections.

A gute Vokh!