Mesorat%20hashas for Shabbat 206:17

מי דמי פתוח ועשאו סתום

An objection is raised: <i>U-kethabtam</i>:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VI, 9: E.V.: and thou shalt write them. ');">¹⁵</span> it must be <i>kethibah tammah</i> [perfect writing];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is a play on u-kethabtam by dividing it into two words. ');">¹⁶</span> thus one must not write the <i>alef</i> as an <i>'ayyin</i>, the <i>'ayyin</i> as an<i> alef</i>, the<i> beth</i> as a<i> kaf</i>, or the<i> kaf</i> as a<i> beth</i>, the<i> gimmel</i> as a<i> zadde</i> or the<i> zadde</i> as a<i> gimmel</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The original reads, the gamma, this being the ancient name of the letter. In the translation the modern name is used. ');">¹⁷</span> the<i> daleth</i> as a<i> resh</i> or the<i> resh</i> as a<i> daleth</i>, the <i>heh</i> as a<i> heth</i> or the<i> heth</i> as a<i> heh</i>, the <i>waw</i> as a<i> yod</i> or the<i> yod</i> as a <i>waw</i>, the<i> zayyin</i> as a<i> nun</i> or the<i> nun</i> as a<i> zayyin</i>, the<i> teth</i> as a<i> pe</i> or the<i> pe</i> as a<i> teth</i>, bent letters straight or straight letters bent,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The medial forms of kaf, pe, zadde and nun are bent, thus: [H] the final forms are straight, thus: [H]. ');">¹⁸</span> the<i> mem</i> as a<i> samek</i> or the<i> samek</i> as a<i> mem</i>, closed [letters] open or open letters closed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This refers to the open and closed mem. — Thus this contradicts R. Hisda. ');">¹⁹</span> An open section [<i>parashah</i>] may not be written closed, nor a closed section open.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The parashiot (chapters or sections) are either open or closed, the nature of each parashoh being fixed by tradition. Maimonides and Asheri differ on the definition of 'open' and 'closed', but the present practice is this: Both an open and a closed parashah end in the middle of the line, but in an open one the next parashah commences on the following line, whereas in a closed parashah the next one commences on the same line after a short blank space. V.J.E. art. Scroll of the Law, XI, 192'f. ');">²⁰</span> If one writes it as the 'Song', or if one writes the 'Song' as the general text,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The 'Song refers to the two songs of Moses, Ex. XV, 1-18 and Deut. XXXII, 1-43. The first is written in the form of half bricks set over whole bricks, thus: [see fig. 1]. The second is written in seventy double half-columns, thus: [see fig. 2]. ');">²¹</span> or if one writes it without ink, or if one writes the 'Names'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the mentions' (of the Divine Name). ');">²²</span> in gold, they [the Scrolls thus written] must be 'hidden'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is the technical term to indicate that a Scroll is unfit for public use and must be 'hidden', i.e., buried; v. Meg. 26b. ');">²³</span> — He [R. Hisda] holds with the following Tanna. For it was taught, R. Judah b. Bathyra said: In reference to the second [day] 'We-niskehem [<i>and their drink-offerings</i>]' is stated; in reference to the sixth, 'u-nesakehah [<i>and the drink-offerings thereof</i>]'; in reference to the seventh, 'ke-mishpatam [<i>after the ordinance</i>]':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Num. XXIX, 19, 31, 33. The reference is to the Feast of Tabernacles. ');">²⁴</span> this gives<i> mem</i>, <i>yod, mem</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Taking one letter out of each of these three words. ');">²⁵</span> [i.e.,] <i>mayim</i> [water], whence we have a Biblical intimation of the water libation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which took place on that Feast, v. Ta'an. 2b. For a description of the ceremony v. Suk. 48a and b. The sanctity of this ceremony was disputed by the Sadducees, as stated in the Mishnah a.l.; cf. also Josephus, Ant. XIII, 13, 5 and Halevy, Doroth, 1, 3, 480 seq. This may be the reason why R. Judah b. Bathyra sought a hint for it in the Bible. ');">²⁶</span> Now since if an open letter is written closed, it is valid,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mem of we-niskehem, coming as it does at the end, is closed; but it is taken as the first letter of mayim, i.e., open; hence it follows that if an open letter is written closed the Scroll is fit. ');">²⁷</span> a closed [letter] is the same, [viz.,] if a closed letter is written open, it is fit. But how compare! If an open [letter] is written closed,

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