Letter from the Crown Heights Beis Din:
FREE TRANSLATION
B”H, 4th of Shevat, 5784
Important Announcement to Anash, may they live
To all those for whom the kashrus of their tefillin and mezuzos is dear to their hearts, and who have heard rumors about the conduct of a Sofer STaM (scribe) from Ukraine, rumors that concern the kashrus of the parshiyos, etc.
We express our opinion, after a thorough investigation and inquiry over a long period of time into all the details of the matter, that all those who have purchased STaM (Sifrei Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzos) in recent years, especially those written in the Ksav Hameyuchas, and are concerned it was written by Mr. Yaakov Shlomo Itzkovitz (from the village Zinkov in the Poltava district of Ukraine) – they are to inquire with the merchants from whom they bought (if they trust them) to inform them with certainty that the parshiyos they bought are not from the aforementioned scribe, in order to know whether to replace them with others.
If for some reason they cannot be sure of this, and are concerned as mentioned above, they have the option to submit the parshiyos they purchased for inspection by a G-d-fearing Sofer STaM, who is also an expert in recognizing handwriting, so they can be informed whether there is a resemblance to the writing style of the aforementioned scribe, as exemplified in the attached example.
To the merchants, we emphasize that it is their duty to inform buyers who purchased from the writings of the aforementioned scribe. Likewise, if those involved in the sacred work of checking and correcting come to recognize the writing of this scribe, they are obliged to inform their clients.
Generally, from now on, it is proper that buyers should know in advance, before purchasing STaM, the name of the scribe, so they can ascertain his level of Yiras Shamayim (fear of Heaven) in his place of residence.
May it be His will that in the merit of being meticulous in the kashrus of STaM, we will be worthy to fulfill the promises mentioned in relation to these parshiyos – ‘that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied…’ and ‘all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the L-rd is called upon you, and they shall be afraid of you’, in the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach, immediately and literally now.”
Horav Avrohom Osdoba
Horav Yosef Braun
Is this Sofer working in crown heights?
If he isn’t, who supplies his mezuzahs?
He was working in israel but supplied them here too
to any Sofer and their mezuzahs, Tefillin, etc.
WAY too important to leave to chance !!
If it was a butcher or a restaurant or any food item would we also hesitate to publicize ???
Some of the sofrim in Eastern Europe have very nice handwriting but lack halachic guidance and practical halachic knowledge that is required in this field. These are not things that you can tell in his kesav (writing) but occur “behind the scenes” such as when there is a shaila, they can fix it in a manner which isn’t halachic (lo kesidran, chok tochos) and no one will ever know from the end product. Even if the sofer had yiras shomayim, if he hasnt learned in a proper mainstream environment such as Israel or the US, how can you expect him… Read more »
Whether the sofer is a yarai shamayim does not show up in his ksav, or if he goes to the mikva. you’re right (write?).
But that has nothing to do with geography, in US and Israel it has to be checked and you do have Yirei Shamayim in former USSR.
יאשקא למד בישיבה בכפר חב”ד וגר בקרית מלאכי כרווק הרבה שנים.
הרבה סוחרים העוסקים בסת”ם קנו ממנו מזוזות וגילגלו הלאה.
אם יפרסמו תמונה תושבי נחלת הר חב”ד מייד יזהו במי מדובר
הוא סופר סת”ם כבר מאמצע שנות הנו”ן
י
It’s about plain simple Yoras Shomayim.
Not being Over on Bo’el Aramis
It would be helpful to know what dates/years this sofer was active.
In the hebrew he gave the date תש”נs which is in 1990s so has been around a while.
Further translation:
He learned in kfar chabad and lived in kiryat malachi many yrs. The author said those in nachalot har chabad would recognize his pic.
We are living in a dangerous and destructive golus.
Only the truth will survive
Stay Focus
This is of no help unless you list the places that sold his parshas???????????????
Does anyone know the story behind this?
It’s a strange post to see. But on the other hand the line for the “not good lashon” is very thin..
“Be careful not to learn halacha from someone with a television in their home.” That would render many of the sofer’s in Crown Heights to be invalid considering the rampant “smart” phone/television use in public. Why don’t the Rabbanim address this instead of trying to invalidate Sofer’s from Europe?
Not from europe. many mezuzot from israel may have problems like the mezzuzot from him an a lot of mezuzot come from israel
Source for this?
Provide a source that “the Rebbe said be careful not to learn halacha from someone with a television in their home” – it is FALSE! Do not spread your own words and claim the Rebbe said them!
According to Rebbes guidelines about TV Kal vachomer unfiltered internet