Q&A: Writing on Silk
Writing on Silk
Question
Is it permissible to write sacred scroll text when a silk sheet is placed on the parchment with holes shaped like the letters, and the scribe “writes” through them?
Is that considered valid writing?
And if it is not considered writing, would it then be permitted to write that way on the Sabbath?
(My late grandfather told me that the main opposition in his area to machine-made matzot was because the widows and orphans made their living from baking handmade matzot, and once machine-made matzot were introduced, their livelihood was broken—not really because people feared that machine-made matzot were not kosher, or even not of the highest standard. It may be that with sacred scroll writing too, progress is possible, and only employment concerns for the army of scribes are preventing it? And if so, why does the scribes’ interest outweigh the public interest in the eyes of halakhic decisors?)
Answer
In my opinion there is no prohibition here. I’ll tell you a secret I heard from two friends of mine. About thirty years ago they went to one of the leading halakhic decisors with this question, and he answered that there is no prohibition, but he would never permit it publicly. Otherwise any random riffraff would come and write sacred scroll text.
In short, apparently there is no prohibition, but those who prohibit it are not doing so out of concern for the livelihood of “our people,” but because of concerns that can be understood. Though in my opinion, even if there are concerns that can be understood, nobody has the authority to prohibit it.
Is there a reason specifically for silk, or is that just an example?