Must one purchase tefillin only from an expert scribe (mumcheh)?
Synopsis
The Mechaber rules one should purchase only from an expert who knows the laws of missing and extra letters. The Mishnah Berurah explains that if one purchases from a non-expert, there is concern the buyer will be too lazy to check them. Mezuzah parchments, however, may be purchased from non-experts provided they are checked afterwards.
More in Tefillin Scribe Qualifications and Validity
Who is disqualified from writing tefillin?
5 opinions
Do the same disqualifications that apply to writing tefillin also apply to other aspects of their production (such as forming the housing, stitching, and making the shin)?
4 opinions
Is a convert who reverted to his prior religion under duress (out of fear) valid to write tefillin?
4 opinions
What is done with tefillin written by a heretic (apikoros)?
3 opinions
What is done with tefillin found in the possession of a heretic (apikoros) when the writer is unknown?
2 opinions
What is the status of tefillin found in the possession of a gentile when the writer is unknown?
2 opinions
How much may one pay a gentile for tefillin, mezuzot, or Torah scrolls?
3 opinions
When one purchases tefillin from a non-expert, how does one verify their validity through sampling?
3 opinions
Related from other topics
Must the scribe verbally declare intent (lishmah) before writing tefillin and before writing each Divine Name?
Writing Tefillin
Must a scribe align the beginning words (rashei hashitin) of each line of the tefillin parashiyot to specific prescribed words?
Tefillin Parchment Line Arrangement
Must a scribe write STaM (Sifrei Torah, Tefillin, Mezuzot) in 'ketivah tamah' (the traditional calligraphic script style)?
Laws of Mezuzah
Is there an obligation to buy one's own tefillin, and what care must be taken in their purchase?
Tefillin Obligation and Observance
Are scribes writing tefillin and mezuzot, and those involved in sacred work, exempt from wearing tefillin all day?
Conduct in a Synagogue
Discussion
Discussion coming soon.
The Daily Law
One question. Every opinion. Every morning.
A new halakhic question and the full spectrum of rabbinic thought, delivered daily.