## Tractate Sefer Torah Chapter 2

###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:1
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:1)

מניחין בין שם לשם כדי שיהיו ניכרים ובאותיות כדי שלא יהיו מעורבין עירב את האותיות או שהפסיק באמצע השם אל יקרא בו:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
Sufficient space must be left between words¹ so that they may be distinguished, and between letters so that they be not mixed. If the letters were mixed up or a break made in the middle of a word, the scroll must not be used for the lection in the statutory services.

footnotes:
¹ lit. ‘between name and name’.


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:2
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:2)

מביאין בין דפין שתי אותיות משם גדול אבל לא משם קטן ואם היה משם קטן בפני עצמו אסור:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
[It is permitted] to insert between columns two letters from a long word, but not from a short one. If, however, [the part of a longer word forms] a short word on its own,² (he will reign) the last two letters can form an independent short word *lak* (to thee). it is forbidden [to insert it between the columns].

footnotes:
² e.g. in a word like yimlok


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:3
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:3)

מניחין תורה ריוח שתי אצבעות ובנביאים ובחומשין ריוח הגודל:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
In a Torah scroll the space of two finger-breadths must be left [between columns], but in scrolls of the Prophets and in those of Pentateuchs³ a space of one thumb-breadth [only].

footnotes:
³ Intended for ordinary reading or study, and not for the public lections.


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:4
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:4)

מניחין (מלמעלן) [מלמטן] בתורה ריוח טפח ומלמעלה שני חלקים בטפח ובנביאים ובחומשין שלש אצבעות מלמטן ושתים מלמעלן כן וכן אם רצה להוסיף מוסיף ובלבד שלא יהיו זה וזה מרובין מן הכתב:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
In the lower margin of a Torah scroll the space of a handbreadth is left, and in the upper margin two-thirds of a handbreadth;⁴ the upper margin must be three finger-breadths wide. but in scrolls of the Prophets and Pentateuchs three finger-breadths in the lower margin and two finger-breadths in the upper. In all these cases⁵ if it is desired to extend [the margins] this may be done, provided they do not exceed [the space of] the written matter.

footnotes:
⁴ lit. ‘two parts of a handbreadth’. This is also the reading of V and M in Sof. II, 4. According to Men. 30a (Sonc. ed., p. 195) and H in Sof. loc. cit.
⁵ lit. ‘here and there’.


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:5
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:5)

מניחין בין ספר לספר בתורה ריוח ארבעה שיטין ובנביא של תרי עשר ג' שיטין מניחין בסוף הספר ובתחלתו כדי להקים ובתורה לא נתנו שיעור אלא עושה עמוד בסוף הספר ואינו צריך לעשות כן אלא בתחילתן:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
Between the books in a Torah scroll a vacant space of four lines must be left, and in a scroll containing the Twelve Prophets three lines.
At the end of a scroll and at its beginning sufficient [parchment] must be left to wind⁶. V reads *lehaḳim* ‘to raise up’. [it round the scroll]. In a Torah scroll no limit has been prescribed, but a roller should be attached at the end of the scroll and there is no need to do this at its beginning.⁷

footnotes:
⁶ Reading with many authorities lehaḳḳif
⁷ This regulation does not agree with Sof. II, 5.


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:6
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:6)

אין פוחתין ביריעה פחות מג׳ דפים ואין מוסיפין על שמונה ובקלפים לא נתנו שיעור אלא מוסיף כל מה שהוא רוצה ובלבד שלא יפחת מג' דפין:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
A sheet of a Torah scroll must contain not less than three columns and not more than eight. In the case of *ḳelaf* parchments no limit was prescribed, [62*b*] and one may add [as many columns] as desired provided only there are not less than three columns [to the sheet].


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:7
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:7)

גמר כל הספר ושייר בו דף אחד עושה אותו יריעה קטנה בפני עצמה ואינו נמנע:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
If one finished [writing nearly] all the book⁸ and one column of text remained, one need not hesitate to make of it a separate small sheet.

footnotes:
⁸ This refers either to one book of the Prophets or to several of them written in one scroll.


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:8
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:8)

יריעה שבלתה לא יטול שנים ויחזיר שנים אלא נוטל ג׳ ומחזיר ג׳ ומה שהוא מחזיר כמדת כתב הראשון:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
If a sheet [of a Torah scroll] is worn out, one may not remove two [columns only] and replace them by two new columns; but three columns should be removed and replaced by three new ones, and the new columns must be written in the same size as the original script.


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:9
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:9)

שיעור הדף כדי שהוא רואהו ובקטן לא יפחות מטפח ר' יוסי בר יהודה אומר לא יפחות מג׳ אצבעות:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
The width of a column [in a Torah scroll] must be such as to be recognizable at one glance,⁹ and in a small scroll not less than a handbreadth. R. Jose b. Judah says: It must not be less than the width of three fingers.

footnotes:
⁹ Accordingly, not more than three Hebrew words, each of ten letters, may be written in a line. If the column is wider, the reader experiences difficulty in passing from line to line.


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:10
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:10)

לא יעשה ארכו יתר על רחבו ולא רחבו יתר על ארכו אבל ממציעו הוא ועושה אותו מן המובחר:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
The height¹⁰ of [a scroll] must not be greater than its circumference,¹¹ nor its circumference greater than its height, but they must be exactly alike,¹² and this is the most correct procedure.

footnotes:
¹⁰ lit. ‘length’.
¹¹ When rolled up, so according to B.B. 14a (Sonc. ed., p. 67); lit. ‘its width’.
¹² lit. ‘takes the middle course’.


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:11
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:11)

לא יעשה גויל וחציו צבאים אע״פ שאינו מן המובחר:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
A Torah scroll may not consist half of *gewil* [and half of *ḳelaf*, but it may consist half of *gewil*]¹³ If ‘although’ is altered to ‘because’, the text will make sense but will be contrary to the Rule in Sof. *loc. cit.* and half [of the *ḳelaf*] of deers, although this is not the best procedure.

footnotes:
¹³ The words of this Rule enclosed within square brackets are added from Sof. II, 10, q.v.


###### Tractate Sefer Torah 2:12
[Tractate Sefer Torah 2:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tractate%20Sefer%20Torah/r/2:12)

אין דובקין בדבק ולא כותבין על גבי מטלית ולא תופרין במקום הכתב אמר רבי שמעון בן אלעזר משום רבי מאיר דובקין בדבק וכותבין על גבי מטלית אבל אין כותבין במקום הכתב וספר שנקרע טולה עליו מטלית מבחוץ:

**The Minor Tractates of the Talmud, trans. A. Cohen, London: Soncino Press, 1965:**
[A tear in a Torah parchment sheet] may not be joined with glue, nor is it permitted to write on a patch, nor may [the sheets] be sewn together on the written side. R. Simeon b. Eleazar said in the name of R. Meir: [A torn sheet] may be joined with glue and it is permitted to write on a patch, but it is forbidden to do the sewing¹⁴ on the written side. If a scroll¹⁵ is torn, a patch may be placed on the outside.

footnotes:
¹⁴ So according to GRA, H and M in Sof. II, 11. V reads here as in Sof. ‘the writing’.
¹⁵ Other than a Torah scroll.