If [a scribe] wrote a sacred name twice,¹ he retains the first and erases the latter.² R. Judah says: If the latter occurred at the end of a column, he erases the first and retains the latter.³

footnotes: ¹ lit. ‘he who writes two sacred names’. ² The first is retained because it was properly written; the second is erased because it was written in error. ³ [In Sof. V, 1, the reading is: ‘R. Judah says: If the first occurs at the end of a column’. Here H reads: ‘If the latter occurs at the beginning of a column’. Either of these must be substituted for V because the idea is that] it spoils the appearance to leave a blank space at the beginning of the top line of a column.

If [the scribe wrote] a secular noun twice,⁴ he retains the first and wipes away the latter.⁵ R. Judah says: If the latter was at the top of a column,⁶ he wipes away the first and retains the latter.

footnotes: ⁴ lit. ‘two secular names’. ⁵ While the ink is still wet. ⁶ [Cf. Sof. V, 2, n. 6.]

If a scribe writes Yehudah and omits the daleth he inserts it above the line. If he intended to write the Tetragrammaton⁷. Lit. ‘the name, he wrote the name’, apparently a misprint. and wrote Yehudah⁸. instead, he alters the daleth to he⁹. and wipes away the final letter he.

footnotes: ⁷ The four-lettered name Yod-he-waw-he ⁸ Yod-he-waw-daleth-he ⁹ This is done by adding a short vertical line to the daleth

If it was required to write Yehudah but [the scribe] intended to write the Tetragrammaton, although he [inadvertently] inserted the daleth,¹⁰ he erases it and writes another Yehudah.¹¹

footnotes: ¹⁰ Thus writing the noun correctly but without intention. ¹¹ Because the writing must be both intentional and correct.

If it was required to write the Tetragrammaton but [the scribe] intended to write Yehudah, although he inserted the daleth¹² was not only intended but also written correctly, in the wrong place. [Cf. the variant reading in Sof. V, 3.] he wipes away the final he and alters [the preceding] daleth into he.¹³ R. Judah says: He should [also] go over the entire name with the reed-pen and so sanctify it. The Sages said to him: This is not the best procedure.

footnotes: ¹² So that Yehudah ¹³ The letters being almost the same and the alteration so slight, the Tetragrammaton is deemed to have been written intentionally and correctly.

If in writing the Tetragrammaton he made an error [by omitting] one letter he should suspend it above [the line]. If one erred [by omitting] all the name¹⁴ he should suspend it between the lines. So R. Judah; R. Jose says: [The scribe] wipes away the letters preceding it, writes the Tetragrammaton [in their place] and suspends [above the line] the part which he had wiped away. R. Ḥananiah b. ‘Aḳashia says: All the sheet must be stored away.

footnotes: ¹⁴ The Tetragrammaton.

If one wrote Alef-lamed by mistake three¹⁵ times in the clause God delivereth me to the ungodly,¹⁶ one retains¹⁷ the first and erases¹⁸ the latter.¹⁹ which, having been intended in error to stand for the divine name, is treated in accordance with Rule 1 above. By quoting an illustration from Job, the inference to be drawn is that the regulation with respect to a Torah scroll holds good also of the Prophets and the Hagiographa.

footnotes: ¹⁵ So GRA in Sof. V, 5. V reads ‘twice’. ¹⁶ Job 16, 11. The Biblical text has the word twice, the first being the name of God and the second the preposition, and inadvertently one wrote it three times, intending the first two to stand for ‘God’ (so sanctifying both) and the third for the preposition. ¹⁷ This is the reading in Sof. V, 5. V has ‘wipes away’. ¹⁸ So GRA in Sof. V, 5. V has ‘retains’. ¹⁹ The second ’el

When one is writing the Tetragrammaton, one may not respond even if the king greets him;²⁰ but if one was about to write two or three divine names successively²¹ (Ex. 34, 6) or Deut. 6, 4. one may pause between them and respond.

footnotes: ²⁰ All one’s attention must be concentrated on the writing of the divine name. ²¹ e.g. The Lord, the Lord, God

After dipping²² the reed-pen [in ink], one may not start with a letter²³, lit. ‘from it’. A better reading, omitting the last waw would be me’oth, ‘from a letter of’. of the divine name²⁴ but with a letter of²⁵. the preceding word.

footnotes: ²² lit. ‘he who dips’. ²³ The text has me’otho ²⁴ Because a pen full of ink may cause a blot. ²⁵ Reading again me’oth

One who wipes away²⁶ a single letter of a divine name transgresses a negative commandment. R. Ishmael²⁷ says: On account of this it is stated, *Ye shall destroy their name out of that place;*²⁸ and it is also stated, Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God.²⁹ 4; i.e. the name of God must never be erased. It is permissible, however, to wipe away ink that dropped on the writing,³⁰ since one’s intention is only to rectify it.

footnotes: ²⁶ In Sof. V, 6, ‘erases’. ²⁷ ‘R. Simeon’ in Sof. loc. cit. ²⁸ Deut. 12, 3. ²⁹ ibid. ³⁰ Even of a divine name.

It is not permissible to make a scroll [of the Shema‘]³¹ or of the Hallel for children.³² R. Judah permits [the writing of a scroll] from In the beginning³³ to the story of the Flood,³⁴ VI, 8. and from the beginning of Leviticus to *And it came to pass on the eighth day;*³⁵ but [in the case of] all the other books [of Scripture the writing of extracts is] forbidden.³⁶ If, however, one intends to add to them,³⁷ it is permissible [to write extracts from the Scriptures in scrolls].

footnotes: ³¹ So Sof. V, 9; lacking in V here. ³² Extracts from the Scriptures may not be written on scrolls intended for children’s instruction. ³³ Gen. 1, 1. ³⁴ ibid. ³⁵ Lev. 9, 1. ³⁶ Only in the case of the Pentateuch were the two extracts mentioned allowed to be written for the instruction of children. ³⁷ To complete all the book.

The following names are to be divided:³⁸ Beth-’el,³⁹ Beth-’awen,⁴⁰ Be’er-sheba‘,⁴¹ Poṭifera‘,⁴² XXXV, 18. Ẓafenath-pa‘neaḥ,⁴³ XLI, 45. E.V. Poti-phera and Zaphenath-paneah. [and the words] ḥarah ’af,⁴⁴ ḥarah ’appi.⁴⁵ R. Jose says: These must not be divided. All agree that there must be no breaking up of ‘Ammiel,⁴⁶ ‘Amminadab,⁴⁷ 23). Ẓuri’el,⁴⁸ III, 35). Ẓurishaddai.⁴⁹ I, 6).

footnotes: ³⁸ Although each represents one name it is to be written as two words. ³⁹ e.g. Gen. 12, 8. ⁴⁰ Hos. 4, 15; X, 5. ⁴¹ e.g. Gen. 21, 31. ⁴² ibid. ⁴³ ibid. ⁴⁴ lit. ‘the anger was kindled’ (cf. Num. 11, 10). ⁴⁵ lit. ‘My anger was kindled’ (cf. Ex. 22, 23). ⁴⁶ A name meaning ‘God is with me’ (e.g. Num. 13, 12). ⁴⁷ Meaning ‘my kinsman is noble’ (e.g. ibid. ⁴⁸ The name means ‘my rock is God’ (cf. ibid. ⁴⁹ A name meaning ‘my rock is Shaddai’ (e.g. ibid.

If a person writes a divine name on his body, he must neither bathe nor anoint himself.⁵⁰ R. Jose says: This is permitted provided only that he does not rub it off. [If he wrote it] on the horn of a cow or on the legs of a bed,⁵¹ he scrapes it off⁵², ‘he chops it off’ (the horn or the leg) for goreron, ‘he scrapes them off’ and stores it away.⁵³ [If he wrote it] on a stone, he detaches it and stores it away.

footnotes: ⁵⁰ So that the name may not be washed off. ⁵¹ For magical purposes. ⁵² [Perhaps the reading should be godedo ⁵³ Out of respect for the divine name. The text has ‘scrapes them … stores them’.

Should one cut off a strip of a scroll,⁵⁴ it may [be used for ordinary purposes] if it is a new one,⁵⁵ but if it is an old scroll⁵⁶ [the use of the strip] is forbidden. As regards worn-out scrolls, phylacteries and wraps of scrolls, these must be stored away.⁵⁷ They should not be deposited [in an unclean place]⁵⁸ but in a deserted spot where they decay naturally.⁵⁹

footnotes: ⁵⁴ lit. ‘in scrolls’. ⁵⁵ Being new, the scroll had not yet been consecrated. ⁵⁶ Which has been consecrated for holy use. ⁵⁷ Having been once consecrated they may no longer be used for ordinary purposes. ⁵⁸ The words in brackets are added in H. ⁵⁹ lit. ‘of their own accord’.