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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman ל״ה · The number of lines in the parashiot (מנין השיטין)
מנין השיטין בפרשיות התפילין — how many lines (שיטין) the sofer writes in each parasha: seven (שבע שיטין) in the של יד and four (ארבע שיטין) in the של ראש, a custom received from the kabbala of the sofrim; the ראשי שיטין, the limit of כתב מנומר, and the principle שינה לא פסל (b’dieved kosher)
סימן ל״ה · סעיף אחד
מנין השיטין בפרשיות התפילין
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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How many lines (שיטין) does the sofer write in each parasha of the tefilin? This short siman of scribal precision transmits a custom received by kabbala, from sofer to sofer (איש מפי איש): שבע שיטין — seven lines — in each parasha of the של יד, and ארבע שיטין — four lines — in each parasha of the של ראש. There is likewise a kabbala on the ראשי שיטין (the words at the head of the line); but one does not deform the letters (into a כתב מנומר, spotted) in order to fit. And the underlying principle: שינה לא פסל — if one changed the count, the tefilin remain kosher. Vocalized Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the single seif, with a section of practical cases.
Topic: The number of lines in the parashiot of the tefilin — seven lines in the של יד, four in the של ראש, the ראשי שיטין, the כתב מנומר, and the principle שינה לא פסל
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן ל״ה · סעיף אחד
Compiled by: Rav Yossef Haim Samama
DAAT · daattorah.com
The previous simanim taught us how the tefilin are written, made and arranged — the writing and the בתים (siman 32), the order of the parashiot (siman 34). This siman adds a scribal precision received by kabbala: the מנין השיטין, the number of lines to write in each parasha. This is not a law of the letter of the Tora but a מנהג received איש מפי איש — which is why, if one changed, the tefilin are not invalid (שינה לא פסל). We study here the principle and its scope; for the concrete making, that is the sofer’s work, and for any question of conduct one refers to the ruling of the Rav.
📑 Study outline
A. The מנין השיטין — שבע שיטין in the של יד, ארבע שיטין in the של ראש: the custom received from the sofrim (single seif)
B. The ראשי שיטין and the כתב מנומר — the kabbala of the heads of the lines and its limit: not to deform the letters
C. שינה לא פסל — why a different number of lines remains kosher
+ Practical cases and comprehension questions
A. The number of lines — שבע on the arm, ארבע on the head (single seif)
Original text (single seif)
[א] נָהֲגוּ בְּמִנְיַן הַשִּׁיטִין לִכְתֹּב בְּשֶׁל יָד שִׁבְעָה שִׁיטִין בְּכָל פָּרָשָׁה, וּבְשֶׁל רֹאשׁ אַרְבָּעָה שִׁיטִין. וְאִם שִׁנָּה — לֹא פָּסַל.
[1] The custom took hold, as to the number of lines (מנין השיטין), to write in the של יד seven lines in each parasha, and in the של ראש four lines. And if one changed — it did not invalidate (the tefilin remain kosher).
מִנְיַן הַשִּׁיטִין — “the number of lines” — each parasha of the tefilin is written by the sofer on a set number of lines (שיטין). The custom, received by the kabbala of the sofrim (transmitted איש מפי איש, from mouth to mouth), fixes seven lines (שבע שיטין) per parasha in the arm-tefilin (של יד, where the four parashiot are on a single parchment), and four lines (ארבע שיטין) per parasha in the head-tefilin (של ראש, where each parasha has its own compartment).
נָהֲגוּ · מִנְהָג — “the custom took hold” — the Mehaber does not write “the law is” but “נהגו” (the custom took hold). This number of lines is not a requirement of the letter of the Tora, but a custom (מנהג) received from the sofrim, with a foundation in סוד (mystical teaching). Hence the direct consequence: if one changed, it is not פסול.
What this seif says:
- של יד: שבע שיטין — seven lines — in each parasha.
- של ראש: ארבע שיטין — four lines — in each parasha.
- Source: a custom (נהגו) received from the kabbala of the sofrim, איש מפי איש.
- שינה לא פסל: one who changed the count did not invalidate — the tefilin remain kosher.
The seif in one sentence: by received custom (נהגו), one writes שבע שיטין per parasha in the של יד and ארבע שיטין in the של ראש; and since it is a מנהג, one who changed לא פסל.
B. The ראשי שיטין and the limit of כתב מנומר
רָאשֵׁי שִׁיטִין — “the heads of the lines” — besides the number of lines, there is a kabbala also on the ראשי שיטין: which words should fall at the head of the line. Today’s sofrim are precise about the number of lines, but are not scrupulous about the heads of the lines, which they let fall as the writing happens. One who wishes to be precise may adjust — on condition that he not lose the beauty of the כתב thereby.
כְּתָב מְנֻמָּר — “a spotted script” — to make a word fall at the head of a line, one would be tempted to lengthen or shorten (להאריך / לקצר) the letters. The Mehaber (and the Rav after him) forbids this when it deforms the writing to the point that it looks מנומר — “spotted,” uneven, some letters visibly larger than their neighbors. One may lengthen a little to align the ends of the lines (סופי שיטין), but not to the point of spoiling the uniformity of the כתב. For the details, the Rav refers to יורה דעה (סימן רע״ג ורע״ה), where the rules for writing a Sefer Tora are treated.
What this section says:
- Kabbala of the ראשי שיטין: there is a tradition about the words at the head of the line — but today’s sofrim are not scrupulous about it.
- Permitted precision: one who wishes to adjust may lengthen the letters a little to align the ends of the lines.
- The limit: not to deform to the point of a כתב מנומר (spotted script, uneven letters).
- Reference: for the fine rules of writing, see יורה דעה (סימן רע״ג ורע״ה).
In one sentence: there is a kabbala on the ראשי שיטין, but one does not deform the letters — into a כתב מנומר — to fulfill it; the beauty and uniformity of the כתב come first.
C. שינה לא פסל — a different number of lines remains kosher
שִׁנָּה לֹא פָּסַל — “one who changed did not invalidate” — since the מנין השיטין is a מנהג (custom) and not a law of the letter of the Tora, writing a different number of lines — six or eight in the של יד, three or five in the של ראש — does not render the tefilin פסול. The received count is a הידור (embellishment of the mitsva) and a סוד; its absence does not touch the essential validity, which depends on the correct writing of the parashiot, not on their layout.
What this section says:
- A מנהג, not a דין: the number of lines is a received custom, not a requirement of the letter of the Tora.
- שינה לא פסל: a different number of lines does not invalidate the tefilin.
- Essential validity rests on the correct writing of the parashiot (letters, כסדרן), not on their layout.
In one sentence: the number of lines is a הידור received by custom; having changed it does not touch the kashrut — שינה לא פסל.
Practical cases
Case 1 — The number of lines, a sign of a true sofer’s work
Situation: one hears that the number of lines of the parashiot is “a sign of kosher tefilin.” In what sense?
Conduct: keeping the מנין השיטין (seven in the של יד, four in the של ראש) attests to a sofer who writes according to the received custom and knows his craft. It is not, strictly, what makes the tefilin kosher — but it is an indication of seriousness and fidelity to the scribal tradition. In practice, one buys one’s tefilin from a recognized sofer מומחה, and one does not judge the kashrut oneself: that is the affair of the sofer and the Rav.
Case 2 — Tefilin with a different number of lines
Situation: one opens (through a sofer) an old pair and finds that the parashiot do not have exactly seven and four lines. Should they be set aside?
Conduct: no — שינה לא פסל: a different number of lines does not invalidate the tefilin, for the מנין השיטין is a מנהג (single seif). The tefilin remain kosher as long as the parashiot are correctly written. One loses the הידור of the received count, but not the validity. For any concrete decision — keep, correct, replace — one shows the pair to a sofer and follows the ruling of the Rav.
Case 3 — Not deforming the letters to align
Situation: a sofer, wishing to make a particular word fall at the head of a line, strongly stretches certain letters. The writing looks uneven. Is this proper?
Conduct: one may lengthen the letters a little to align the ends of the lines (סופי שיטין), but not to the point that the writing looks מנומר — spotted, letters visibly uneven. The beauty and uniformity of the כתב come before the alignment of the ראשי שיטין; this is what the Rav recalls, referring to יורה דעה (סימן רע״ג ורע״ה). For the fine assessment, one relies on the sofer and the Rav.
Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- How many lines (שיטין) does one write per parasha in the של יד and the של ראש (single seif)?
- Why does the Mehaber write “נהגו” rather than “the law is” — and what follows from it?
- What is the kabbala of the ראשי שיטין, and why are today’s sofrim not scrupulous about it?
- What is a כתב מנומר, and where does the Rav refer for the fine rules of writing?
- What does שינה לא פסל mean, and why does a different number of lines remain kosher?
Going further
If you wish to deepen this siman:
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- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and quick memorization
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