## Menachot Daf 30a

###### Menachot 30a:1
[Menachot 30a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:1)

אֲבָל יְתֵרוֹת לֵית לַן בַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**But** if there are **extraneous** letters, **we have no** problem **with it,** and one may erase them. This is the first *halakha* that Rav stated, which is refuted in a *baraita*.


###### Menachot 30a:2
[Menachot 30a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:2)

אִידַּךְ, דְּאָמַר רַב: הַכּוֹתֵב סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה וּבָא לִגְמוֹר – גּוֹמֵר, וַאֲפִילּוּ בְּאֶמְצַע הַדַּף. מֵיתִיבִי: הַכּוֹתֵב סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה, בָּא לוֹ לִגְמוֹר – לֹא יִגְמוֹר בָּאֶמְצַע הַדַּף כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁגּוֹמֵר בַּחוּמָּשִׁין, אֶלָּא מְקַצֵּר וְהוֹלֵךְ עַד סוֹף הַדַּף! כִּי קָא אָמַר רַב – בְּחוּמָּשִׁין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The other** is that **which Rav says: One who writes a Torah scroll and comes to finish** writing it **may finish** writing it anywhere in the column, **and** this is the *halakha* **even** with regard to finishing it **in the middle of the column.** The Gemara **raises an objection** from a *baraita*: **One who writes a Torah scroll** and **comes to finish** writing it **may not finish** writing it **in the middle of the column in the manner that one finishes** writing one of the **five** books of the Torah written as an independent scroll. **Rather,** he should **progressively shorten** the width of the lines **until** he finishes the scroll at the **end of the column.** The Gemara answers: **When Rav says** that one may finish writing even in the middle of a column, he was referring **to** one of the **five** books of the Torah.


###### Menachot 30a:3
[Menachot 30a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:3)

וְהָא סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה קָאָמַר? בְּחוּמָּשִׁין שֶׁל סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה. אִינִי? וְהָאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַב גִּידֵּל אָמַר רַב: ״לְעֵינֵי כׇּל יִשְׂרָאֵל״ בְּאֶמְצַע הַדַּף? הָהִיא בְּאֶמְצַע שִׁיטָה אִיתְּמַר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But doesn’t** Rav **say** his statement with regard to **a Torah scroll?** The Gemara answers: He was referring **to** one of the **five** books **that** constitute **a Torah scroll.** Rav meant that when writing a Torah scroll, one may finish writing any of the first four books in the middle of a column. The Gemara asks: **Is that so? But doesn’t Rabbi Yehoshua bar Abba say** that **Rav Giddel says** that **Rav says:** The words: **“In the sight of all Israel”** (Deuteronomy 34:12), which conclude the Torah, may be written even **in the middle of the column?** The Gemara answers: **That** ruling that **was stated** is **with regard to** finishing the Torah scroll **in the middle of** the **line,** i.e., in the middle of the width of the column.


###### Menachot 30a:4
[Menachot 30a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:4)

רַבָּנַן אָמְרִי: אַף בְּאֶמְצַע שִׁיטָה, רַב אָשֵׁי אָמַר: בְּאֶמְצַע שִׁיטָה דַּוְוקָא, וְהִלְכְתָא: בְּאֶמְצַע שִׁיטָה דַּוְוקָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara cites another opinion: **The Rabbis say** that one may finish writing a Torah scroll **even in the middle of** the **line,** but one may finish writing it at the end of the line as well. **Rav Ashi says** that one must finish writing the Torah scroll **specifically in the middle of** the **line. And the *halakha*** is that it must be ended **specifically in the middle of** the **line.**


###### Menachot 30a:5
[Menachot 30a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:5)

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר אַבָּא, אָמַר רַב גִּידֵּל, אָמַר רַב: שְׁמֹנָה פְּסוּקִים שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, יָחִיד קוֹרֵא אוֹתָן בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת. כְּמַאן? דְּלָא כְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rabbi Yehoshua bar Abba says** that **Rav Giddel says** that **Rav says:** With regard to the last **eight verses of the Torah** (Deuteronomy 32:5–12), a single **individual reads them in the synagogue,** as that section may not be divided between two readers. The Gemara asks: **In accordance with whose** opinion is this said? It is **not in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi Shimon.**


###### Menachot 30a:6
[Menachot 30a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:6)

דְּתַנְיָא: ״וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳״, אֶפְשָׁר מֹשֶׁה חַי וְכָתַב ״וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה״? אֶלָּא עַד כָּאן כָּתַב מֹשֶׁה, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ כָּתַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**As it is taught** in a *baraita*: The verse states: **“And Moses the servant of the Lord died there”** (Deuteronomy 34:5). **Is it possible** that after **Moses died, he** himself **wrote: “And Moses died there”? Rather, Moses wrote** the entire Torah **until this** point, and **Joshua bin Nun wrote from this** point **forward;** this is **the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. And some say** that **Rabbi Neḥemya** stated this opinion.


###### Menachot 30a:7
[Menachot 30a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:7)

אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: אֶפְשָׁר סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה חָסֵר אוֹת אַחַת? וּכְתִיב ״לָקֹחַ אֵת סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֹתוֹ וְגוֹ׳״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Shimon said to him: Is it possible** that the **Torah scroll** was **missing a single letter? But it is written** that God instructed Moses: **“Take this Torah scroll and put it** by the side of the Ark of the Covenant” (Deuteronomy 31:26), indicating that the Torah was complete as is and that nothing further would be added to it.


###### Menachot 30a:8
[Menachot 30a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:8)

אֶלָּא, עַד כָּאן – הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר וּמֹשֶׁה כּוֹתֵב וְאוֹמֵר, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ – הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר וּמֹשֶׁה כּוֹתֵב בְּדֶמַע, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְהַלָּן: ״וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם בָּרוּךְ מִפִּיו יִקְרָא אֵלַי אֵת כׇּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַאֲנִי כֹּתֵב עַל הַסֵּפֶר בַּדְּיוֹ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Rabbi Shimon explains: **Rather, until this** point, i.e., the verse describing the death of Moses, **the Holy One, Blessed be He, dictated and Moses wrote** the text **and repeated** after Him. **From this** point **forward,** with regard to Moses’ death, **the Holy One, Blessed be He, dictated and Moses wrote with tears** without repeating the words, due to his great sorrow. **As it is stated there** with regard to Jeremiah’s dictation of the prophecy of the destruction of the Temple to Baruch ben Neriah: **“And Baruch said to them: He dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink in the scroll”** (Jeremiah 36:18), but he did not repeat the words after Jeremiah.


###### Menachot 30a:9
[Menachot 30a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:9)

לֵימָא דְּלָא כְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן? אֲפִילּוּ תֵּימָא רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הוֹאִיל וְאִישְׁתַּנִּי – אִישְׁתַּנִּי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara now states its inference: **Shall we say that** the ruling of Rav that the last verses of the Torah are read by only one reader is **not in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi Shimon,** since according to Rabbi Shimon these verses are similar to all other verses of the Torah, as they were all written by Moses? The Gemara answers: **You** may **even say** that Rav’s ruling was stated in accordance with the opinion of **Rabbi Shimon; since they differ** from the rest of the Torah in one way, as Moses wrote them without repeating the words, **they differ** from the rest of the Torah in this way as well, and they may not be divided between two readers.


###### Menachot 30a:10
[Menachot 30a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:10)

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר אַבָּא, אָמַר רַב גִּידֵּל, אָמַר רַב: הַלּוֹקֵחַ סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה מִן הַשּׁוּק – כְּחוֹטֵף מִצְוָה מִן הַשּׁוּק, כְּתָבוֹ – מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ קִיבְּלוֹ מֵהַר סִינַי. אָמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: אִם הִגִּיהַּ אֲפִילּוּ אוֹת אַחַת – מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו כְּאִילּוּ כְּתָבוֹ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And Rabbi Yehoshua bar Abba says** that **Rav Giddel says** that **Rav says: One who purchases a Torah scroll in the marketplace is akin to one who snatches a mitzva in the marketplace,** as the proper manner in which to perform the mitzva of writing a Torah scroll is to write one for himself. And if he himself **writes** a Torah scroll, **the verse ascribes him** credit **as though he received it at Mount Sinai. Rav Sheshet says: If he emended even a single letter** of the Torah scroll, thereby completing it, the verse **ascribes him** credit **as though he had written it** in its entirety.


###### Menachot 30a:11
[Menachot 30a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:11)

(סִימָן סגל״ם) תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: עוֹשֶׂה אָדָם יְרִיעָה מִבַּת שָׁלֹשׁ דַּפִּין וְעַד בַּת שְׁמֹנָה דַּפִּין, פָּחוֹת מִיכֵּן וְיָתֵר עַל כֵּן לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ Before continuing its discussion of the *halakhot* of writing a Torah scroll, the Gemara presents **a mnemonic** for the upcoming *halakhot*: ***Samekh*, *gimmel*, *lamed*, *mem*. The Sages taught: A person may prepare** for a Torah scroll **a sheet** of parchment of any size **from three columns and until eight columns,** but **one may not prepare** a sheet of parchment that has **less than** three **or more than** eight columns.


###### Menachot 30a:12
[Menachot 30a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:12)

וְלֹא יַרְבֶּה בְּדַפִּין, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנִּרְאֶה אִגֶּרֶת, וְלֹא יְמַעֵט בְּדַפִּין, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעֵינָיו מְשׁוֹטְטוֹת, אֶלָּא כְּגוֹן ״לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיכֶם לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיכֶם לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵיכֶם״ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And he may not increase** the number **of columns,** e.g., by writing eight columns on a narrow sheet of parchment, **since** then each column **has the appearance of a missive** due to its narrow lines. **And he may not decrease** the number **of columns,** e.g., by writing three columns on a wide sheet of parchment, **since** then the lines will be so wide that the reader’s **eyes** will **wander,** as it will be difficult to find the beginning of a line. **Rather,** the ideal width of a line is, **for example,** where one can write **“*lemishpeḥoteikhem*,” “*lemishpeḥoteikhem*,” “*lemishpeḥoteikhem*,”** for a total of **three times.**


###### Menachot 30a:13
[Menachot 30a:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:13)

נִזְדַּמְּנָה לוֹ יְרִיעָה בַּת תֵּשַׁע דַּפִּים, לֹא יַחְלוֹק שָׁלֹשׁ לְכָאן וְשֵׁשׁ לְכָאן, אֶלָּא אַרְבַּע לְכָאן וְחָמֵשׁ לְכָאן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
If one **happened** to acquire **a sheet** of parchment that **has** space for **nine columns,** exceeding the eight-column limit, **he should not divide** it into two sheets of parchment with **three** columns **here and six** columns **there; rather,** he should divide it into two sheets of parchment with **four** columns **here and five** columns **there,** so that the two sheets will be similar in width.


###### Menachot 30a:14
[Menachot 30a:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:14)

בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים? בִּתְחִלַּת הַסֵּפֶר, אֲבָל בְּסוֹף הַסֵּפֶר – אֲפִילּוּ פָּסוּק אֶחָד וַאֲפִילּוּ דַּף אֶחָד. פָּסוּק אֶחָד סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ? אֶלָּא אֵימָא: פָּסוּק אֶחָד בְּדַף אֶחָד.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**In what** case **is this statement** that the sheet must contain a minimum of three columns **said?** It is said with regard to sheets **at the beginning** and middle **of the scroll. But at the end of the scroll,** a sheet may consist of **even one verse, and even one column.** The Gemara asks: Can it **enter your mind** to say that a sheet may contain **one verse? Rather, say** that it may consist of even **one verse on one column.**


###### Menachot 30a:15
[Menachot 30a:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:15)

שִׁיעוּר גִּלָּיוֹן מִלְּמַטָּה – טֶפַח, מִלְּמַעְלָה – שָׁלֹשׁ אֶצְבָּעוֹת, וּבֵין דַּף לְדַף – כִּמְלֹא רֶיוַח רוֹחַב שְׁתֵּי אֶצְבָּעוֹת, וּבַחוּמָּשִׁין מִלְּמַטָּה – שָׁלֹשׁ אֶצְבָּעוֹת, מִלְּמַעְלָה – שְׁתֵּי אֶצְבָּעוֹת, וּבֵין דַּף לְדַף – כִּמְלֹא רֶיוַח רוֹחַב גּוּדָל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The measure of** the **margin** of a Torah scroll is as follows: The size of the **lower** margin is **one handbreadth [*tefaḥ*].** There is a requirement for a large margin there, so that a reader not inadvertently rest his arm on the writing. The size of the **upper** margin, which is less susceptible to that occurrence, is **three fingerbreadths [*etzba’ot*], and** the space **between each column** is **equal to the full width of two fingerbreadths. And with regard to** one of **the five** books of the Torah that is written as an independent scroll, the size of the **lower** margin is **three fingerbreadths,** the size of the **upper** margin is **two fingerbreadths, and** the space **between each column** is **equal to the full width of a thumb-breadth [*gudal*].**


###### Menachot 30a:16
[Menachot 30a:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:16)

וּבֵין שִׁיטָה לְשִׁיטָה כִּמְלֹא שִׁיטָה, וּבֵין תֵּיבָה לְתֵיבָה כִּמְלֹא אוֹת קְטַנָּה, וּבֵין אוֹת לְאוֹת כִּמְלֹא חוּט הַשַּׂעֲרָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And** the space **between** one **line** of a Torah scroll **and** the following **line** must be **equal to** the space of **a full line, and** the space **between** one **word and** the following **word** must be **equal to a full small letter, and** as for the space **between** one **letter and** the following **letter,** it is sufficient for it to be **equal to a full hairbreadth.**


###### Menachot 30a:17
[Menachot 30a:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:17)

אַל יְמַעֵט אָדָם אֶת הַכְּתָב, לֹא מִפְּנֵי רֶיוַח שֶׁל מַטָּה, וְלֹא מִפְּנֵי רֶיוַח שֶׁל מַעְלָה, וְלֹא מִפְּנֵי רֶיוַח שֶׁבֵּין שִׁיטָה לְשִׁיטָה, וְלֹא מִפְּנֵי רֶיוַח שֶׁבֵּין פָּרָשָׁה לְפָרָשָׁה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *halakhot* of the margins notwithstanding, **a person may not reduce** the size of **the writing** in a manner that the size of the writing is not consistent, **not in order to** ensure the correct amount of **space for the lower** margin, **nor in order to** ensure the correct amount of **space for the upper** margin, **nor in order to** ensure the correct amount of **space between** one **line and** the following **line, nor in order to** ensure the correct amount of **space between** one **passage and** the following **passage,** as this is not aesthetically pleasing.


###### Menachot 30a:18
[Menachot 30a:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/30a:18)

נִזְדַּמְּנָה לוֹ תֵּיבָה בַּת חָמֵשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת – לֹא יִכְתּוֹב שְׁתַּיִם בְּתוֹךְ הַדַּף וְשָׁלֹשׁ חוּץ לַדַּף,

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
If **one happens upon a word that comprises five letters** and cannot be written in its entirety within the column, **he may not write two** letters **within the column and three outside of the column,** in the margin.