dear rabbi,
Over purim, while at my rabbi’s house – he kept talking about ‘kiflayim min haksav’ (i’m pretty sure that’s what he called it – and i don’t think it was because of the wine!)that it is a real problem in megillos and that r’ elyashiv was very machmir with this and people don’t even realize.
Can you explain this concept to me? I’m more than a bit lost!
thank you
Answer:
The idea of “kiflayim min haketav” is mentioned by the Mishnah Berurah (691:17) in relation to the amount of space that has to be left blank between the sons of Haman in the Megillah.
I don’t know why you rabbi was so busy with this idea.
The actual halachic ruling is a little difficult, because the Shulchan Aruch mentions that the sons of Haman must be written as a shirah, and for writing a shirah the halachah is that one must leave the space of a parashah setumah, which is nine letters (see Beis Yosef, Yoreh De’ah 275, based on Rivash 286).
Best wishes.
to the rabbi:
See this excellent article on topic – gives a great hesber of the issue:
http://ohr.edu/this_week/insights_into_halacha/5375.
however, I respectfully do not understand your answer. once the Mishan Berura ruled that way, why are you so convinced that that is not the halacha? If the gedolim held that it is a sheilah and needed to be answered up for, then i do not understand why you feel there is no sheilah. I have also heard that R’ Elyashiv was very makpid that the megillah he heard from meet this requirement!
I am not “so convinced,” and only noted that the ruling appears to be “a little difficult.” Thanks for the link.
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