1-does the prep. need to include salt,barley flour,and gall nut water?
2-if bird skin is used,does it need a lime-water bath?
3-how does one seperate the skin layers?is this seperation needed in order to make kosher klaf?
4-are there any other kosher ink recepies?

(please respond quickly)

1) Gvil has not been used in a long, long time. The process of making gvil has fallen into disuse, while the process for making klaf has greatly improved. Arguably, our klaf is much higher quality and better suited for writing than the recently “resurrected” gvil being made now.

2) At some time Ashkenazim began to put their Torahs onto rollers (the eitzim) and this has become the hard and fast custom. The new gvil is very thick and very heavy. It is so thick and heavy that a Sefer Torah written on it would be impossible to do a hagba with unless we switched back to putting the scroll in a box like the sefardim. This would be an unnecessary hassle. Considering the halacha is that Klaf is acceptable for sifrei torah, it is really is a matter of convenience to use it.

By the way – I got your e-mail regarding megillos- I will call soon about it.

Is the CTC Torah written on klaf, gvil or duchsustos? If not gvil, then why not, given the movement to resurrect its use?

Good Shabbos

I am constantly amazed at the wealth of knowledge you have, and think how fortunate we are for being on the receiving end of your intellectual generosity. With deep appreciation.

Rabbi Yaakov Rich