The Shulchan Aruch · Yoreh De'ah
יורה דעה רע״הYoreh De'ah 275
Siman 275 of 402 in Yoreh De'ah — 6 se'ifim
הלכות ספר תורהA Torah Scroll· siman 275
Se’if 1א׳
פָּרָשָׁה פְּתוּחָה שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ סְתוּמָה, אוֹ סְתוּמָה שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ פְּתוּחָה, יִגָּנֵז. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּמֻתָּר לְתַקְּנוֹ, כְּמוֹ בִּשְׁאָר טָעֻיּוֹת (הָרֹא"שׁ וְהָרַשְׁבָּ"א וריב"ש). וְכֵן נָהֲגוּ הַסּוֹפְרִים לְתַקְּנוֹ, אִם אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לִמְחֹק שֶׁלֹּא יִפְגַּע בַּשֵּׁם, כִּי אֵין לוֹ לַחְתֹּךְ הַשֵּׁם וְלַעֲשׂוֹת נְקָבִים בַּיְּרִיעָה (הָרֹא"שׁ כְּלָל ג').
A parashah petuchah (an open section) that he made setumah (a closed one), or a setumah that he made petuchah, shall be stored away. Hagah [Rema]: And there are those who say that it is permitted to correct it, as with other errors (the Rosh, the Rashba and Rivash). And so the scribes are accustomed to correct it, if it is possible for him to erase without touching the Name; for he may not cut out the Name and make holes in the sheet (the Rosh, klal 3).
Se’if 2ב׳
בְּצוּרַת פְּתוּחָה וְצוּרַת סְתוּמָה יֵשׁ מַחֲלֹקֶת בֵּין הָרַמְבַּ"ם וְהָרֹא"שׁ, וִירֵא שָׁמַיִם יֵצֵא אֶת כֻּלָּם וְיַעֲשֶׂה בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁבְּפָרָשָׁה פְּתוּחָה יְסַיֵּם פָּרָשָׁה שֶׁלְּפָנֶיהָ בְּאֶמְצַע שִׁיטָה, וְיִשְׁתַּיֵּר בְּסוֹפָהּ חָלָק כְּדֵי תֵּשַׁע אוֹתִיּוֹת, וְיַתְחִיל לִכְתֹּב בְּרֹאשׁ שִׁיטָה שֶׁתַּחְתֶּיהָ. וּבְפָרָשָׁה סְתוּמָה, תָּמִיד יְסַיֵּם פָּרָשָׁה שֶׁלְּפָנֶיהָ בִּתְחִלַּת שִׁיטָה וְיַנִּיחַ חָלָק כְּדֵי תֵּשַׁע אוֹתִיּוֹת, וְיַתְחִיל לִכְתֹּב בְּסוֹף אוֹתָהּ שִׁיטָה עַצְמָהּ, וְלֹא יְשַׁנֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹת צוּרָה אַחֶרֶת לֹא לִפְתוּחָה וְלֹא לִסְתוּמָה, וּבְהָכֵי הָוֵי כָּשֵׁר בֵּין לְהָרַמְבַּ"ם בֵּין לְהָרֹא"שׁ. הַגָּה: וְאִם לֹא יוּכַל לְכַוֵּן בְּכָךְ, לֹא יָסוּר מִדִּבְרֵי הָרַמְבַּ"ם בָּזֶה, כִּי עָלָיו סָמְכוּ הָאַחֲרוֹנִים וְכָתְבוּ שֶׁדְּבָרָיו הֵם עִקָּר (מ"כ בְּשֵׁם חָכָם א'). וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אִם נִמְצָא סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ כְּתוּבָה לְפִי דְּבָרָיו, אֵין לְפָסְלָהּ, כִּי יֵשׁ גְּדוֹלִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם סְבָרוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת בָּזֶה (ר"י מִינְץ סִימָן ח').
As to the form of a petuchah and the form of a setumah there is a dispute between the Rambam and the Rosh; and one who fears Heaven will satisfy them all, and do it in such a way that for a parashah petuchah he ends the parashah before it in the middle of a line and leaves blank at its end enough for nine letters, and begins to write at the head of the line beneath it; and for a parashah setumah he always ends the parashah before it at the beginning of a line and leaves blank enough for nine letters, and begins to write at the end of that same line. And he shall not vary to make another form, neither for the petuchah nor for the setumah; and in this way it is fit both according to the Rambam and according to the Rosh. Hagah [Rema]: And if he cannot contrive it so, he shall not turn aside from the words of the Rambam in this, for the later authorities relied on him and wrote that his words are the principal view (Matza Katuv in the name of a certain sage). And in any case, if a Torah scroll is found that is not written according to his words, one should not declare it unfit, for there are great authorities who have other opinions in this (Rabbi Yehudah Mintz, siman 8).
Se’if 3ג׳
כָּתַב הַשִּׁירָה כִּשְׁאָר הַכְּתָב, אוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב שְׁאָר הַכְּתָב כַּשִּׁירָה, פָּסוּל. וְדַוְקָא שֶׁכָּתַב הַשִּׁירָה כִּשְׁאָר הַכְּתָב בְּלֹא פִּזּוּר, אֲבָל אִם שִׁנָּה בְּפִזּוּר מִמַּה שֶּׁנָּהֲגוּ, לֹא פָּסַל, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּהֵא אָרִיחַ עַל גַּבֵּי לְבֵנָה.
If he wrote the Song like the rest of the writing, or wrote the rest of the writing like the Song, it is unfit. And specifically where he wrote the Song like the rest of the writing, without spacing; but if he varied in the spacing from what they are accustomed to, he has not made it unfit, provided that it is a half-brick upon a brick.
Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah — Torat Emet 357 edition, via Sefaria — public domain
English rendered from the Hebrew for this app — The Gematria's own rendering program. A rendering of the words, not a ruling; practical halacha is learned with a rav