Friday, December 9, 2011

My Progress #8: 3rd Mezuza - Big Size

I'm moving soon to a new house and I will need quite a few Mezuzot, so wrote a third Mezuza. This time, I used a big size klaf, with lines as big as a Sefer Torah. And unlike the previous two Mezuzot, I used a plastic kulmus to write as it saves me a lot of time.
I did not check if it's Kosher yet so feel free to check and find mistakes, although I hope it is Kosher.
I will send it to be checked soon and I will post the comments of the Magia here.

A few hints: in the beggining of the second line the words Hashem and Elokecha are written a bit too close. In my opinion is perfectly Kosher because there's a space of a small Yud in between. Additionally, in two instances there a very close call for a Negia but with the naked eye I don't see a Negia.


6 comments:

stam.scribe said...

You have a very nice, even ksav.

It's hard to tell from the image (too dark and lo-res), but some of your tagin look like they're touching at the bottom ("ע" in על האדמה).

2 nitpicks:
- The base of the "ל" should be half the width of the ראש (sometimes it extends much further).
- The base of the "ע" has too sharp an angle (maybe an אות שבור?) — it should be a more gentle curve.

1 tip: extend the "ד" and "ר" in בדרך (first word, fourth line from the bottom) much further to the left to make room for the tagin on the next *2* lines — you have the room, and it will avoid having to squeeze the tagin on the "ש" of נשבע under the "ך" of ובשעריך.

-= 8 =-

YK said...

StamScribe

Thanks for your input.
My Lamed is indeed long at the bottom but I do that consciously because that's how the Lameds were written until very recently, and I've never seen short-bottom Lameds in older Sifrei Torah. I also find it much nicer. According to my teacher, it's no problem in condition that is not as Long as a Chaf.
My Ain is indeed sharp but that's how I was taught by my teacher,so I'm afraid to change. I never taught about the Ot Shavur problem, but I doubt this would fall in this category. Remember that the old Peh more sharp than this and it's still not considered a broken letter!
Btw, nice website of yours.
YK

stam.scribe said...

I agree that the ל looks nicer with a longer bottom. The current trend of making it half the width is indeed a modern invention, but it has a basis in the sources. There is a way to write it so that it has a steeper curve on the right, so it ends up being "half" while still extending further to the left.

Glad you like the website.

Yitzchak said...

According my teacher (I'm a beginner so I can only quote), Ot shavur was an issue first promulgated by the mishna berurah and his teacher taught him to write פ in the fashion the M"B does not like. When he taught me, he showed me both forms.

YK said...

Yitzhak
I wrote a post about the Peh shavur sometime ago, where I discuss the rise and demise of it.
Virtually all scribes today dont use the peh shavur, except for Chabad. Are you Chabad?

stam.scribe said...

@ Yitzchak:

The concept of "os shavur" is applicable to almost any letter and is mentioned by the Rishonim (they refer to it as "os chatza'is"). What is (or is not) and os shavur may be subject to debate — as in the case of a "פ" — but the issue is real and it can potentially invalidate a letter.

-= 8 =-