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Aug 16, 2011

Interesting Psak: Pitum HaKtores

A fairly common segula for wealth is the reciting of the portion of the Torah describing the pitum ha'ktores. Some people are careful to recite it from parchment, written in the way a Torah would be written. It is considered a segula because the gemara describes how those kohanim who would deal with the ktores became wealthy.

As well, many shuls have the portion of the pitum haktores written on parchment, framed and hanging on a wall.

Someone recently asked Rav Elyashiv if it is ok to write the pitum haktores on parchment.

I don't know what the basis for the question was. Why should it be a problem? Maybe he was concerned about writing just a section out of the Torah and not a full torah. I don't know why that would be a problem, but I cannot think of any other reason this would be a question.

Rav Elyashiv, reportedly, responded that it is ok to write the pitum haktores on parchment, but it must be covered up. If it is left open it is a  bizayon of the Torah.

Upon further question Rav Elyashiv said that the parsha of the pitum haktores can only be hung up in shul if it is covered, and glass is not considered an adequate cover. The gemara considers it a bizayon when kisvei kodesh, holy writings, are left exposed. They should not be immediately visible. Only covering it with a cloth, not glass, is acceptable, and only then can the parsha be placed on the walls of the shul.

1 comment:

  1. What ever happened to 'don't turn the rov into sinners?' How can gedolim casually pasken against common practices again and again? We hear of such a thing practically weekly!

    I suspect that these are NOT psak's for the klal being asked (or it's not being presented to the gadol that way), but rather appear to be being asked for a personal or particular circumstance. They are THEN being published as a psak for klal yisroel by the gadol torah.

    That's about the only way this situation can be considered kav schut.

    ReplyDelete

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