1הכותב שני שמות של קודש מקיים את הראשון ומחטיב את האחרון רבי יהודה אומר אם היה האחרון בסוף הדף מחטיב ומוחק את הראשון ומקיים את האחרון:
If [a scribe] wrote a sacred name twice,1lit. ‘he who writes two sacred names’. he retains the first and erases the latter.2The first is retained because it was properly written; the second is erased because it was written in error. R. Judah says: If the latter occurred at the end of a column, he erases the first and retains the latter.3[In Sof. V, 1, the reading is: ‘R. Judah says: If the first occurs at the end of a column’. Here H reads: ‘If the latter occurs at the beginning of a column’. Either of these must be substituted for V because the idea is that] it spoils the appearance to leave a blank space at the beginning of the top line of a column.
2שני שמות של חול מקיים את הראשון ומוחק את האחרון רבי יהודה אומר אם היה האחרון בראש הדף מוחק את הראשון ומקיים את האחרון:
If [the scribe wrote] a secular noun twice,4lit. ‘two secular names’. he retains the first and wipes away the latter.5While the ink is still wet. R. Judah says: If the latter was at the top of a column,6[Cf. Sof. V, 2, n. 6.] he wipes away the first and retains the latter.
3הכותב יהודה ולא כתב בו דלית יתלנו מלמעלה את השם כתב השם וכתב את יהודה עושה דלית הא ומוחק את ההא האחרונה (ויתלה את דלית):
If a scribe writes Yehudah and omits the daleth he inserts it above the line. If he intended to write the Tetragrammaton7The four-lettered name Yod-he-waw-he. Lit. ‘the name, he wrote the name’, apparently a misprint. and wrote Yehudah8Yod-he-waw-daleth-he. instead, he alters the daleth to he9This is done by adding a short vertical line to the daleth. and wipes away the final letter he.
4היה צריך לכתוב את יהודה ונתכוין וכתב את השם אע״פ שנתן בו דלית מחטיבו וכותב יהודה אחר:
If it was required to write Yehudah but [the scribe] intended to write the Tetragrammaton, although he [inadvertently] inserted the daleth,10Thus writing the noun correctly but without intention. he erases it and writes another Yehudah.11Because the writing must be both intentional and correct.
5היה צריך לכתוב את השם ונתכוין וכתב יהודה אע״פ שנתן בו דלית מוחק את הא האחרונה ויכתוב דלית הא ר׳ יהודה אומר יחזור עליו הקולמוס ויחדשנו אמרו לו אין זה מן המובחר:
If it was required to write the Tetragrammaton but [the scribe] intended to write Yehudah, although he inserted the daleth12So that Yehudah was not only intended but also written correctly, in the wrong place. [Cf. the variant reading in Sof. V, 3.] he wipes away the final he and alters [the preceding] daleth into he.13The letters being almost the same and the alteration so slight, the Tetragrammaton is deemed to have been written intentionally and correctly. R. Judah says: He should [also] go over the entire name with the reed-pen and so sanctify it. The Sages said to him: This is not the best procedure.
6הכותב את השם וטעה אות אחת יתלנו מלמעלה טעה את השם כולו יתלנו בין השיטין כדברי ר׳ יהודה ר׳ יוסי אומר מוחק מה שלפניו וכותב את השם וחוזר ותולה מה שמוחק ר׳ חנניה בן עקשיא אומר צריך לגנוז את כל היריעה:
If in writing the Tetragrammaton he made an error [by omitting] one letter he should suspend it above [the line]. If one erred [by omitting] all the name14The Tetragrammaton. he should suspend it between the lines. So R. Judah; R. Jose says: [The scribe] wipes away the letters preceding it, writes the Tetragrammaton [in their place] and suspends [above the line] the part which he had wiped away. R. Ḥananiah b. ‘Aḳashia says: All the sheet must be stored away.
7טעה וכתב יסגירני אל אל עויל (איוב ט״ז:י״א) מוחק את הראשון ומקיים את האחרון:
If one wrote Alef-lamed by mistake three15So GRA in Sof. V, 5. V reads ‘twice’. times in the clause God delivereth me to the ungodly,16Job 16, 11. The Biblical text has the word twice, the first being the name of God and the second the preposition, and inadvertently one wrote it three times, intending the first two to stand for ‘God’ (so sanctifying both) and the third for the preposition. one retains17This is the reading in Sof. V, 5. V has ‘wipes away’. the first and erases18So GRA in Sof. V, 5. V has ‘retains’. the latter.19The second ’el which, having been intended in error to stand for the divine name, is treated in accordance with Rule 1 above. By quoting an illustration from Job, the inference to be drawn is that the regulation with respect to a Torah scroll holds good also of the Prophets and the Hagiographa.
8הכותב את השם אפילו המלך שואל בשלומו לא ישיבנו אלא היה כותב שנים שלשה שמות הרי זה מפסיק ביניהם ומשיב:
When one is writing the Tetragrammaton, one may not respond even if the king greets him;20All one’s attention must be concentrated on the writing of the divine name. but if one was about to write two or three divine names successively21e.g. The Lord, the Lord, God (Ex. 34, 6) or Deut. 6, 4. one may pause between them and respond.
9הטובל את הקולמוס לא יתחיל מאותו השם אבל מתחיל הוא מאותו השם שלפניו:
After dipping22lit. ‘he who dips’. the reed-pen [in ink], one may not start with a letter23The text has me’otho, lit. ‘from it’. A better reading, omitting the last waw would be me’oth, ‘from a letter of’. of the divine name24Because a pen full of ink may cause a blot. but with a letter of25Reading again me’oth. the preceding word.
10המוחק אות אחת מן השם עובר בלא תעשה אמר ר׳ ישמעאל לכך נאמר ואבדתם את שמם מן המקום ההוא ונאמר לא תעשון כן לה׳ אלהיכם (דברים י״ב:ג׳-ד׳) אבל דיו שנטפה על גבי הכתב מותר למחקו שלא היה כונתו אלא לתקן:
One who wipes away26In Sof. V, 6, ‘erases’. a single letter of a divine name transgresses a negative commandment. R. Ishmael27‘R. Simeon’ in Sof. loc. cit. says: On account of this it is stated, Ye shall destroy their name out of that place;28Deut. 12, 3. and it is also stated, Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.29ibid. 4; i.e. the name of God must never be erased. It is permissible, however, to wipe away ink that dropped on the writing,30Even of a divine name. since one’s intention is only to rectify it.
11אין עושין מגילה והלל לתינוקת ר׳ יהודה מתיר מן בראשית עד המבול מן ויקרא עד ויהי ביום השמיני ושאר כל הספרים אסור ואם עתיד להוסיף עליהם מותר:
It is not permissible to make a scroll [of the Shema‘]31So Sof. V, 9; lacking in V here. or of the Hallel for children.32Extracts from the Scriptures may not be written on scrolls intended for children’s instruction. R. Judah permits [the writing of a scroll] from In the beginning33Gen. 1, 1. to the story of the Flood,34ibid. VI, 8. and from the beginning of Leviticus to And it came to pass on the eighth day;35Lev. 9, 1. but [in the case of] all the other books [of Scripture the writing of extracts is] forbidden.36Only in the case of the Pentateuch were the two extracts mentioned allowed to be written for the instruction of children. If, however, one intends to add to them,37To complete all the book. it is permissible [to write extracts from the Scriptures in scrolls].
12אלו שמות הנחלקים בית אל בית און באר שבע פוטיפרע צפנת פענח חרה אף חרה אפי ר׳ יוסי אומר אין נחלקים הכל שוים שאין חולקים עמיאל עמינדב צוריאל צורישדי:
The following names are to be divided:38Although each represents one name it is to be written as two words. Beth-’el,39e.g. Gen. 12, 8. Beth-’awen,40Hos. 4, 15; X, 5. Be’er-sheba‘,41e.g. Gen. 21, 31. Poṭifera‘,42ibid. XXXV, 18. Ẓafenath-pa‘neaḥ,43ibid. XLI, 45. E.V. Poti-phera and Zaphenath-paneah. [and the words] ḥarah ’af,44lit. ‘the anger was kindled’ (cf. Num. 11, 10). ḥarah ’appi.45lit. ‘My anger was kindled’ (cf. Ex. 22, 23). R. Jose says: These must not be divided. All agree that there must be no breaking up of ‘Ammiel,46A name meaning ‘God is with me’ (e.g. Num. 13, 12). ‘Amminadab,47Meaning ‘my kinsman is noble’ (e.g. ibid. 23). Ẓuri’el,48The name means ‘my rock is God’ (cf. ibid. III, 35). Ẓurishaddai.49A name meaning ‘my rock is Shaddai’ (e.g. ibid. I, 6).
13הכותב שם על בשרו לא ירחץ ולא יסוך ר׳ יוסי אומר מותר ובלבד שלא ישפשף על קרן הפרה ועל כרעי המטה גוררן וגונזן על האבן שומטה וגונזה:
If a person writes a divine name on his body, he must neither bathe nor anoint himself.50So that the name may not be washed off. R. Jose says: This is permitted provided only that he does not rub it off. [If he wrote it] on the horn of a cow or on the legs of a bed,51For magical purposes. he scrapes it off52[Perhaps the reading should be godedo, ‘he chops it off’ (the horn or the leg) for goreron, ‘he scrapes them off’ and stores it away.53Out of respect for the divine name. The text has ‘scrapes them … stores them’. [If he wrote it] on a stone, he detaches it and stores it away.
14המחתך בספרים בחדשים מותר בישנים אסור (במקום הספרים) במקק הספרים ובמקק התפילין ובמקק מטפחות מהספרים הרי אלו יגנזו אבל לא יניחם אלא במקום תורפה והם מרקבין מאליהם:
Should one cut off a strip of a scroll,54lit. ‘in scrolls’. it may [be used for ordinary purposes] if it is a new one,55Being new, the scroll had not yet been consecrated. but if it is an old scroll56Which has been consecrated for holy use. [the use of the strip] is forbidden. As regards worn-out scrolls, phylacteries and wraps of scrolls, these must be stored away.57Having been once consecrated they may no longer be used for ordinary purposes. They should not be deposited [in an unclean place]58The words in brackets are added in H. but in a deserted spot where they decay naturally.59lit. ‘of their own accord’.
