Rabbi imports scribe to protect against world ‘disaster’

Friday, July 19, 2002 | by

ALEXANDRA J. WALL

The good rabbi says: Once a year, you should have your mezuzah checked. But when extra protection is needed, it should be checked even more often.

"The world is trembling," said Rabbi Yosef Langer at his Chinatown office. "Israel and other nations of the world are facing disaster. One needs to have protection as a safeguard for one's existence."

Luckily, the director of Chabad of S.F. is even offering house calls to perform this vital service. For information call (415) 433-4350.

As is dictated in the Shulchan Aruch, the mezuzah scroll should be examined before Rosh Hashanah, during the month of Elul.

But in times of crisis, it's better to check it even more often.

Langer had not yet finished his morning prayers—his tallit was draped around his shoulders and tefillin affixed to his forehead and wrapped around his forearm—when a visitor dropped by to have her mezuzah checked last week.

According to Langer, the Lubavitcher Rebbe launched his first tefillin campaign before the Six-Day War. He did so because "tefillin and mezuzot are known by the sages to have an effect on the general being of the Jew. Every mitzvah has a connection to a different aspect of the body."

Meaning, donning the phylacteries on your forehead as commanded and "inscribing them on the doorposts of your house" can be a protective measure. So Chabad is offering this service for free—up through Rosh Hashanah, with the help of a scribe brought in from Israel. Langer brought him early, because of the current state of affairs in the world.

It took Yeshayahu Zilbershtrom only six months to train to be a sofer, or scribe. The son of a scribe, he learned the skill in Yeshiva.

Lately, in Israel, people have been having their scrolls checked more often, and the father-son team has been busy.

Usually, father checks them and son fixes them, if a fix is in order.

According to Eli Edelkopf, an Israeli-Chabadnik who now lives in San Francisco, much can happen to the scroll to deem it unkosher.

While the delicate piece of parchment is usually enclosed, it can sometimes be exposed to the elements.

"Over the years, the sun can fade the letters," said Edelkopf. "Or the letters will move, or fall off."

"You also have to be sure the ink hasn't fallen off any of the letters," interjected Zilbershtrom, in Hebrew, for Edelkopf to translate.

Did Zilbershtrom become a scribe because of his father? "Partly," he said. The work is not only interesting, but "it's like an art," he said. "It's spiritual and coming from the heart."

The work of a sofer is considered so holy that the scribe must immerse himself in the mikvah (ritual bath) each morning before he begins his work.

Zilbershtrom, a serious young man, has been a scribe for three years. He is 19.

"It's not uncommon in Israel for them to be trained as sofers, mohels (those who perform ritual circumcisions) or shochets (kosher butchers) at such a young age," said Edelkopf. "All those who learn at Kfar Chabad learn to do something to serve the Jewish people and then they go out into the world."

Zilbershtrom examined closely a small scroll brought in by a visitor. He deemed it kosher, but advised her that it wasn't of the best quality. Better get a new one, he told her, though he himself doesn't write so small.

Zilbershtrom and Edelkopf showed off a magillah he was working on, which would be read on Purim.

"If he works every day on that, for a few hours, it will take three weeks to finish," said Edelkopf.

Zilbershtrom can only work about one hour at a time, because he has to keep his head so close to the scroll. If he does this too long, he will get a headache.

"It's very hard work," he said.