## Menachot Daf 32a

###### Menachot 32a:1
[Menachot 32a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:1)

וְעוֹשֶׂה רֶיוַח מִלְּמַעְלָה וְרֶיוַח מִלְּמַטָּה, וְעוֹשֶׂה פָּרָשִׁיּוֹתֶיהָ פְּתוּחוֹת. אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ: רַבִּי, מָה טַעַם? אָמַר לִי: הוֹאִיל וְאֵין סְמוּכוֹת מִן הַתּוֹרָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And he would make a space above and a space below** the text **and would prepare the passages of** the *mezuza* in the **open** manner, i.e., he would begin the second passage on the line following the end of the first passage. **I said to him: My teacher,** for **what reason** do you prepare the passages in the open manner, when in a Torah scroll those same passages are written in the closed manner? **He said to me: Since** the passages **are not adjacent** to one another **in the Torah,** as the first passage is Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and the second is Deuteronomy 11:13–21, I prepare them as open passages.


###### Menachot 32a:2
[Menachot 32a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:2)

וְאָמַר רַב חֲנַנְאֵל, אָמַר רַב: הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר, מַאי לָאו אַפְּתוּחוֹת?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara continues: **And Rav Ḥananel says** that **Rav says:** The ***halakha*** is **in accordance with** the opinion of **Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar. What, is it not** correct that Rav stated this **with regard to** Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar’s opinion that one prepares the passages in the **open** manner? This would present a difficulty to the opinion of Rav Huna, Rav’s student, who wrote them in the closed manner.


###### Menachot 32a:3
[Menachot 32a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:3)

לָא, אַרֶיוַח. וְכַמָּה רֶיוַח? אָמַר רַב מְנַשְּׁיָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ אָמַר רַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר יַעֲקֹב: כִּמְלֵא אַטְבָּא דְּסִיפְרֵי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara answers: **No;** he meant that the *halakha* is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar **with regard to** the **space** that one must leave above and below the text. The Gemara asks: **And how much space** must one leave? **Rav Menashya bar Ya’akov says, and some say** it is **Rav Shmuel bar Ya’akov** who **says:** The space **of a full scribe’s clip [*atba*],** with which the sheets of parchment are held.


###### Menachot 32a:4
[Menachot 32a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:4)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי לְרַב יוֹסֵף: וְאַתְּ לָא תִּסְבְּרָא דְּכִי אָמַר רַב אַרֶיוַח, וְהָא רַב אִית לֵיהּ מִנְהֲגָא, וְהָאִידָּנָא נְהוּג עָלְמָא בִּסְתוּמוֹת!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye said to Rav Yosef: And you, do you not hold that when Rav said** that the *halakha* is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar he was referring **to** the **space,** not the manner of writing the passages? **But Rav is of** the opinion that an established **custom** must be observed, **and nowadays the general custom** is to write the passages of the *mezuza* **in** the **closed** manner.


###### Menachot 32a:5
[Menachot 32a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:5)

דְּאָמַר רַבָּה, אָמַר רַב כָּהֲנָא, אָמַר רַב: אִם יָבֹא אֵלִיָּהוּ וְיֹאמַר חוֹלְצִין בְּמִנְעָל – שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ, אֵין חוֹלְצִין בְּסַנְדָּל – אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ, שֶׁכְּבָר נָהֲגוּ הָעָם בְּסַנְדָּל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara provides the source that according to Rav one must observe established customs. *Ḥalitza* is the ritual that frees the widow of a childless man from the obligation to enter into levirate marriage with her late husband’s brother. This ceremony involves the widow removing her brother-in-law’s sandal from his foot. Rabba spoke of the importance of observing customs in that context, **as Rabba says** that **Rav Kahana says** that **Rav says: If Elijah comes and says** that **one performs *ḥalitza* with a shoe,** the Sages **listen to him.** But if he says that **one may not perform *ḥalitza* with a sandal, they do not listen to him, as the people are already accustomed** to performing *ḥalitza* **with a sandal.**


###### Menachot 32a:6
[Menachot 32a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:6)

וְרַב יוֹסֵף אָמַר רַב כָּהֲנָא, אָמַר רַב: אִם יָבֹא אֵלִיָּהוּ וְיֹאמַר אֵין חוֹלְצִין בְּמִנְעָל – שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ, אֵין חוֹלְצִין בְּסַנְדָּל – אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ, שֶׁכְּבָר נָהֲגוּ הָעָם בְּסַנְדָּל.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara presents another version of Rav’s statement: **And Rav Yosef says** that **Rav Kahana says** that **Rav says: If Elijah comes and says** that **one may not perform *ḥalitza* with a shoe,** the Sages **listen to him;** if he says that **one may not perform *ḥalitza* with a sandal, they do not listen to him, as the people are already accustomed** to performing *ḥalitza* **with a sandal.**


###### Menachot 32a:7
[Menachot 32a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:7)

וְאָמְרִינַן: מַאי בֵּינַיְיהוּ? מִנְעָל לְכַתְּחִילָּה אִיכָּא בֵּינַיְיהוּ, אֶלָּא לָאו שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ אַרֶיוַח? שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Abaye continues: **And we say,** when discussing these versions of his statement: **What** is the difference **between** these two versions of his statement? The **difference is** whether one may use **a shoe *ab initio*.** In any case, according to both statements Rav maintains that a custom must be observed, and the custom in this case is to write the passages in a closed manner. **Rather,** must one **not conclude from it** that when Rav says that the *halakha* is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar he was speaking **of** the **space,** not the manner of preparing the passages? The Gemara affirms: **Conclude from it** that this is correct.


###### Menachot 32a:8
[Menachot 32a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:8)

רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר: מִצְוָה לַעֲשׂוֹתָן סְתוּמוֹת, וְאִי עַבְדִינְהוּ פְּתוּחוֹת – שַׁפִּיר דָּמֵי, וּמַאי פְּתוּחוֹת דְּקָאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר – אַף פְּתוּחוֹת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said:** It is **a mitzva** *ab initio* **to prepare** the passages of a *mezuza* in the **closed** manner, **but if one prepared them** in the **open** manner, it is **permitted** to use the *mezuza*. **And what is Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar saying** when he says that Rabbi Meir would prepare the passages in the **open** manner? He means that one may prepare them **even** in the **open** manner.


###### Menachot 32a:9
[Menachot 32a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:9)

לֵימָא מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ, כַּיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ: סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה שֶׁבָּלָה וּתְפִילִּין שֶׁבָּלוּ – אֵין עוֹשִׂין מֵהֶן מְזוּזָה, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מוֹרִידִין מִקְּדוּשָּׁה חֲמוּרָה לִקְדוּשָּׁה קַלָּה. הָא מוֹרִידִין – עוֹשִׂין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests: **Let us say** that a *baraita* **supports his** opinion: **Similarly,** just as one may not convert phylacteries of the head into phylacteries of the arm, with regard to **a Torah scroll that became worn and** parchment of **phylacteries that became worn, one may not fashion them into a *mezuza*** by excising the relevant passages, despite the fact that the Torah passages of a *mezuza* appear in them. This is prohibited **because one does not reduce** the sanctity of an item **from** a level of **greater sanctity,** that of a Torah scroll or phylacteries, **to** a level of **lesser sanctity,** that of a *mezuza*. The Gemara infers from this *baraita*: If it were permitted to **reduce** the sanctity of an item from a level of greater sanctity to a level of lesser sanctity, one could **fashion** a *mezuza* from a Torah scroll.


###### Menachot 32a:10
[Menachot 32a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:10)

אַמַּאי? הָכָא סְתוּמוֹת וְהָכָא פְּתוּחוֹת! דִּלְמָא לְהַשְׁלִים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara explains the proof: But **why** is that the *halakha*, when **here,** in a Torah scroll, the passages are prepared in the **closed** manner, **but there,** in a *mezuza*, the passages are prepared in the **open** manner? Evidently, it is permitted to write a *mezuza* with the passages prepared in the closed manner. The Gemara refutes this proof: **Perhaps** one should infer from the *baraita* that were it not for the fact that it is prohibited to reduce the sanctity of an item from a level of greater sanctity to a level of lesser sanctity, one would be allowed **to complete** a line or two of a *mezuza* by sewing to it those lines from a Torah scroll or parchment of phylacteries that became worn, but one may not fashion an entire *mezuza* from a sheet of a Torah scroll or parchment of phylacteries, as the passages in a Torah scroll and phylacteries are prepared in the closed manner.


###### Menachot 32a:11
[Menachot 32a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:11)

הָא מוֹרִידִין עוֹשִׂין? וְהָתַנְיָא: הֲלָכָה לְמֹשֶׁה מִסִּינַי – תְּפִילִּין עַל הַקְּלָף, וּמְזוּזָה עַל דּוּכְסוּסְטוֹס; קְלָף בִּמְקוֹם בָּשָׂר, דּוּכְסוּסְטוֹס בִּמְקוֹם שֵׂעָר! לְמִצְוָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks another question: The *baraita* indicates **that** if it were permitted to **reduce** the sanctity of an item from a level of greater sanctity to a level of lesser sanctity, one could **fashion** a *mezuza* from phylacteries. **But isn’t it taught** in a *baraita* that it is **a *halakha*** transmitted **to Moses from Sinai** that the passages of **phylacteries** are written **on parchment,** the outer layer of an animal’s hide, **and** the passages of **a *mezuza*** are written **on *dokhsostos*,** the inner layer, and when writing on **parchment,** one writes **on the side of** the hide that faced the **flesh;** when writing on ***dokhsostos*,** one writes **on the side of** the hide on which there was **hair?** How, then, can one use the other side of the hide for a *mezuza*? The Gemara answers that this requirement of *dokhsostos* for a *mezuza* is stated **as a mitzva,** but it is not indispensable.


###### Menachot 32a:12
[Menachot 32a:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Menachot/r/32a:12)

וְהָתַנְיָא: שִׁינָּה פָּסוּל בִּתְפִילִּין! וְהָתַנְיָא: שִׁינָּה בֵּין בָּזֶה וּבֵין בְּזֶה פָּסוּל! אִידֵּי וְאִידֵּי בִּתְפִילִּין, וְהָא דְּכַתְבִינְהוּ אַקְּלָף בִּמְקוֹם שֵׂעָר, וְהָא

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **But isn’t it taught** in a *baraita* that if one **changed** between parchment and *dokhsostos*, the item is **unfit?** The Gemara responds that this *baraita* is referring **to phylacteries** that one wrote on *dokhsostos* in the manner of a *mezuza*, not to a *mezuza* which one wrote on parchment. The Gemara raises a further difficulty: **But isn’t it taught** in a *baraita* that if one **changed whether in this** manner **or in that** manner, it is **unfit?** The Gemara explains that this *baraita* does not mean that one changed either in the case of phylacteries or a *mezuza*. Rather, both **this** manner **and that** manner are referring **to phylacteries, and this** case is **where one wrote them on parchment** but **on the side of** the hide on which there was **hair,** not on the side that faced the flesh, **and that**