This week I got a very large shipment of new klaf, parchment.

The quality of the klaf, ultimately, contributes most to the longevity of a Sefer Torah.   For that reason, I am exceptionally finicky when it comes to vetting my parchment.  I first grade the parchment by color as either…

1) White

2) Medium

3) Dark

A perfectly white roll of klaf

The perfect, creamy-white surface of White Klaf

The parchment’s color depends mostly upon the color of the cow from which it came.  White klaf comes from very white cows, Medium from tan or brownish ones, while Dark klaf comes from black or spotted cows.  These colors aren’t related at all to the quality of the parchment…

Exterior of medium colored rolls of Klaf

Surface of medium colored Klaf. The brown line in the middle corresponds to the place of the animal's spine

White klaf is the rarest of the three and almost no Sifrei Torah are written entirely on white klaf.  After all, there are few purely white cows.

I do my best to sort out the colors, trying to arrange them so that the transitions in color are not terribly noticeable as one reads through the scroll.

Dark klaf rolls set out on my writing table

Dark Klaf from the front - you can see what remains of Bessie's dark spots...

Once the colors are sorted out, the next step is to examine all of the sheets for imperfections that could either A) Affect the writing, or B) Affect the longevity of the parchment.

Each sheet is checked front and back, then checked again while back-lit by a fluorescent light, and then lastly while back-lit by an incandescent bulb.  Fluorescent light is closer to the blue end of the spectrum, while incandescent bulbs are toward the red side.   Each type of light reveals different problems in the klaf.

A hole right in the middle of a line renders this sheet unusable

Holes are the first problem.   These must be checked for against back-lighting, preferably sunlight.  The Gemora in Chullin 119b states that “Any hole the ink seals over is not a hole.”  From here our sages learn that it is permissible to write on parchment containing holes  as long as the holes are so small that the ink can cover and seal them.

If holes any larger than this occur in the “writing space” of the klaf, then it is prohibited to write upon that parchment (See Orach Chayyim 32:13).

Another problem are smooth spots.  While the klaf has a natural, slightly rough nap to it,  sometimes there are glassy smooth spots mixed in across the surface.   These can be terrible traps while writing and even throw off the best soferim.

Smooth spot resulting from dried moisture damage

Same spot, this time back-lit - The water damage makes the spot translucent

These spots can only be clearly detected if they are the result of moisture , the arch-enemy of parchment.  These show up brightly when back lit by a fluorescent light.

Smooth spots are also very likely when dealing with heavily striated klaf.  This klaf often comes from the softer parts of the animal’s hide and contains numerous natural imperfections.   I usually try to avoid these sheets.

Heavily striated klaf

Three parallel smooth lines on the surface - a tricky smooth spot that severely downgrades this sheet

Discolored spots are also bad and usually the result of scar tissue or staining during the tanning process.

Stain as a result of tanning

Abnormally dark spot - probably scar tissue. These spots are often exceptionally smooth or can become weak spots over time

Lastly, the klaf must be checked carefully for weak spots or thick, stiff spots.  These areas can often create tears or creases as the scroll is rolled and unrolled.   Creases are problematic because they break letters and “self-posul”  Torah scrolls.   From this shipment of 60 sheets I got a little over 30 that are good, all of mixed coloration.

A natural crease at the edge of a very weak, flimsy section. No good.

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