Kasidran or not kasidran

[rhayat1]

Here's an essay I wrote a while back that exposes the myth of "Kasidran" in writing Sifre Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzoth.  See attached Word document.

[muman613]

May I inquire what qualifies you to make such decisions? Are you a Rabbi or a Scribe? Did you obtain Smicha? You seem to write a lot, making bold pronouncements, and I don't see that you have qualifications to make such decisions.

[muman613]

Regarding the Tefillin the Shulchan Orach says the following :

http://www.torah.org/advanced/shulchan-aruch/classes/orachchayim/chapter3a.html

Part I: Orach Chayim
Chapter 3 - TEFILLIN (PHYLACTERIES)

TEFILLIN are leather boxes, worn on the hand and arm (see Ch.4), that contain four passages from the Torah (25:5;32:1): "Sanctify to me..." (Ex.13:1-10); "When HA-SHEM brings you..." (Ex.13:11-16); "Hear, O Israel..." (Deut.6:4-9); and "If you observe My Commandments..." (Deut.11:13-21). On the importance of wearing TEFILLIN see 37:1 and 38:12.

The passages must be written in order, and it is preferable to write those in the arm phylactery first (32:1). Those in the head phylactery are written on four separate pieces of parchment (see 32:14); those in the arm phylactery, on one piece (32:2,47). The parchment must be made from the skin of a kosher type of animal or bird (32:12). It must be an undamaged piece (32:13) from the outer layer of the skin, and the writing must be on its inner surface; see 32:7. It must be tanned for that purpose, by a Jew; see 32:8-11. It is customary to write each passage in the arm phylactery on seven lines, and in the head phylactery on four (35:1). The lines should be straight, with rulings around the sides of the passages (see 32:6), and there must be spaces between letters, words, lines, and verses, as well as margins around the passages; see 32:28,32. The lines should be even (see 32:33-35); on the indentations at the beginnings and ends of the passages see 32:36.

The passages must be written with intent (32:19), with the right hand (see 32:5), in black ink (see 32:3), and the pen should be tested before writing (32:22). They must be written by a literate, religious adult male Jew (see 32:30;39:1), and only such a person may participate in making TEFILLIN (39:2). (On other classes of persons see 39:3-4; on trustworthiness about TEFILLIN see 39:5-9.) If the writer does not know the passages by heart, he must either copy them from a written text, or write them from dictation which he repeats word by word (32:29,31). They should be checked before writing each Divine Name and after completing each passage; see 32:21,22. The letters should be separated, well-formed, and not too thin (32:4). On the correct shapes of the letters see 32:16; 36:1-3. If a word is not spelled correctly, the passage is invalid (32:20). The letters must be written in order; if a letter was omitted, the passage is invalid and must not be corrected (32:33). On fixing letters that were improperly written or become damaged see 32:15-18,23-27. TEFILLIN that are in regular use do not, strictly speaking, require inspection (39:10).

The passages are inserted into black leather boxes, made from the skin of a kosher type of animal or bird and tanned for that purpose (32:37,40,48), and the same is true for the straps (33:3; see below). The arm phylactery box has one compartment, and the head phylactery box has four small equal compartments; both must be made from one piece of skin (32:38-39). Before insertion into the boxes, the passages are rolled up from their ends and tied with strips of parchment and with bullock's hair (see 32:44); they are then inserted upright into their compartments (see 32:45-47). There are two views about the order of the passages in the head phylactery; see 34:1-4.

The boxes must be square, but need not be cubical; see 32:39,41. The head phylactery box must have grooves marking the compartments (32:40) and must have an embossed letter "shin" on each side (see 32:42-43). The boxes sit on square bases (32:39), with slightly narrower extensions on one side through which straps are passed (32:44,52). They are sewed together with the sinews of a kosher animal, preferably an ox; see 32:49-51. On what to do if the boxes or stitches are damaged see 33:1-2; on using parts of one phylactery for the other one see 42:1-2. The straps must be black on the outside and must not be red on the inside (33:3). The straps, and preferably the boxes, must be blackened by a Jew (33:4). On repairing damaged straps see 33:5. The width of the straps should be at least the length of a barleycorn (27:11). The strap of the head phylactery has a knot in the shape of the letter "dalet", and that of the arm phylactery has a knot in the shape of the letter "yud" (see 32:52); on the locations of the knots see Ch.4.

[muman613]

http://www.stam.net/what_is_stam.aspx

Each of the paragraphs containing the above sentences are handwritten, according to strict halachic codes, by a traditional, G-d fearing scribe using special black ink and quill on specially prepared parchment. Click here for an introduction to some of the halachic codes associated with Torah scrolls, tefillin, mezuzahs and megillahs. Each of the four paragraphs are written twice, once for the arm tefillin and once for the head tefillin. The paragraphs for the arm tefillin are written on one long strip of parchment, in four columns, seven lines per column, in the order they are presented in the Torah. The paragraphs of the head tefillin are written on four separate strips of parchment, four lines per column. The four paragraphs and each letter within must be written in chronological order both in the arm and head tefillin. There are 3188 letters in tefillin and it takes the sofer approximately 10-15 hours to write. The completed parchments are carefully checked by a trained examiner, preferably two, for textual errors and incorrectly formed letters. In addition, it is highly recommended to have all tefillin parchments checked by computer for textual errors. Once verified as kosher the arm parchment is rolled and the head parchments are folded, in a specific manner and inserted in a specific order and position into the batim (leather housing). The batim are then sewn shut with specially prepared gid, sinew string, in a method prescribed by halachah. The tefillin are then fitted, in a specific manner as set out by halachah, with the specially prepared and painted, leather straps, retzuos. This entire process entails the handiwork, expertise and knowledge of a significant number of trained, knowledgeable and G-d fearing craftsman. Due to the fact that this is a holy endeavor it is the custom of most sofrim to immerse in the ritual bath, mikvah, each day before beginning to write in order to spiritually purify themselves. Additionally, the sofer must maintain pure thoughts and concentrate on and enunciate each letter as he writes it.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

I read only the very beginning so far, I don't have time for more.  But right off the bat, I do not agree with your definition of the term asmachta.    In fact, an asmachta is just a method of remez, to link a logical inference to a pasuk in Torah/Tanach for support, but not that the inference was actually derived out as a drasha from the pasuk itself.    So I'm not sure where you got your explanation of asmachta from.   Likewise, it would seem that the simplest explanation of the Shulhan Aruch is that he is making an asmacta for the halacha that is established independent of that particular pasuk.   I may be wrong on this last point, but why would it be assur to create an asmachta (post Talmud)?   It is not an actual drasha.