Shabbos Chart #17

Chart for Shabbos Daf 115b

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A SEFER TORAH AND OTHER SEFARIM

SEFER TORAH OTHER SEFARIM MEGILAS ESTHER
1 MUST BE WRITTEN
IN HEBREW
Rabanan: No
RSB'G :Yes (1)
Rabanan: No
RSB'G :Yes (1) (2)
Yes
2 MUST BE WRITTEN
ON PROPER
PARCHMENT (KLAF
OR DUCHSUSTUS)
Yes (3)

Tosfos:

a: No (4)
b: Yes (5)

Yes
3 MUST BE WRITTEN
WITH PROPER INK
Yes (3)

Tosfos:

a: No (4)
b: Yes (5)

Yes
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FOOTNOTES:

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(1) According to Raban Shimon ben Gamliel (Megilah 9a), a Sefer Torah may be written only in Hebrew or in Yevanis (Greek). Raban Shimon ben Gamliel is the opinion referred to earlier in our Gemara who holds that it is "not permitted to be written" in other languages.

(2) According to RASHI's teachers (115a, DH Te'unin), even Raban Shimon ben Gamliel agrees that the books of Nevi'im are permitted to be written in any language. However, Rashi himself refutes this opinion and maintains that Raban Shimon ben Gamliel prohibits writing Nevi'im, and not only Kesuvim, in any other language.

(3) TOSFOS (DH Megilah) proves from the Gemara earlier (79b and 103b) that a Sefer Torah also requires proper parchment and proper ink.

(4) HA'RAV YOSEF, cited by Tosfos (DH Megilah), explains that in our Sugya, it is other Sefarim (besides Sifrei Torah) that differ from the Megilah with regard to requiring proper parchment and ink.

(5) This is the opinion of the RI cited by Tosfos (ibid.), based on the Gemara in Maseches Megilah (8b). According to the Ri's explanation, when our Gemara says that Sefarim, including Sifrei Torah, do not need proper parchment and proper ink, that is only regarding saving them from a fire (that is, even though they are not written on proper parchment with proper ink, they must still be saved from a fire), because they nevertheless contain the name of Hash-m. The Megilas Esther, on the other hand, does not contain the name of Hash-m at all, and therefore it need not be saved from a fire unless it is written on proper parchment and with proper ink.

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