What does a sofer (scribe) do when writing a sefer? Do they where gloves? Is it any different today versus how it was done in the time of the gemara?
David Kaufman, Plainview, NY USA
(a) A Sofer must wash his hands before eating Terumah, just like anybody else.
(b) By the way, only a Kosher Sefer is Metamei, not a Sefer in progress or being fixed.
(c) Today we wash our hands even before eating Chulin, so that Kohanim will remember to wash before eating Terumah when the Mikdash is rebuilt and they become Tahor from Tum'as Mes (Chulin 106a).
Best regards,
Mordecai Kornfeld
Kollel Iyun Hadaf