Halachah 1 — Forms of an Open Passage (P’tuchah)
There are two valid forms for writing a passage that must be p’tuchah:
- If the previous passage ends mid‑line and enough space remains for nine letters, the remainder of the line is left blank and the new passage begins at the start of the next line.
- If insufficient space remains, or if the prior passage ends at the line’s end, one leaves one full blank line and begins the p’tuchah passage at the start of the third line.
Halachah 2 — Forms of a Closed Passage (S’tumah)
There are three valid forms for writing a s’tumah, all requiring that it begin in the middle of a line:
- If the previous passage ends mid‑line, one leaves the required space and begins the s’tumah later on that same line.
- If insufficient space remains, the rest of the line is left blank, space is left at the start of the next line, and the passage begins mid‑line.
- If the previous passage ends at the end of a line, space is left at the beginning of the next line and the passage starts mid‑line.
Principle:
- P’tuchah → always begins at the start of a line.
- S’tumah → always begins in the middle of a line.
Halachah 3 — Correctable and Uncorrectable Errors
Errors in malei/chaser spelling may be corrected as previously described.
However, a scroll is permanently invalid if:
- a p’tuchah was written as s’tumah or vice versa,
- an empty space was left where no new passage begins,
- a new passage was continued without any separating space,
- or the form of the songs was altered.
Such errors may never be corrected; the entire column must be removed.
Halachah 4 — Authoritative Tradition for Paragraphs and Songs
Due to widespread confusion among scribes regarding p’tuchot, s’tumot, and song layout, the Rambam records a definitive tradition.
He relied on a famous scroll in Egypt, formerly kept in Jerusalem, corrected and reviewed by Ben Asher, upon which all relied. The Rambam himself used this scroll as his model.
Count of P’tuchot and S’tumot in the Torah
Using that authoritative scroll, the Rambam records:
- Genesis: 43 p’tuchot, 48 s’tumot (91 total)
- Exodus: 69 p’tuchot, 95 s’tumot (164 total)
- Leviticus: 52 p’tuchot, 46 s’tumot (98 total)
- Numbers: 92 p’tuchot, 66 s’tumot (158 total)
- Deuteronomy: 34 p’tuchot, 124 s’tumot (158 total)
Entire Torah:
290 p’tuchot and 379 s’tumot — 669 passages total.
Form of the Song Ha’azinu
Ha’azinu is written in a two‑column format, with:
- each line divided by a central empty space (size of nine letters),
- a total of 70 lines.
The Rambam lists the exact words that begin:
- each line,
- and each middle section.
Form of the Song at the Sea
The Song at the Sea is written in 30 lines:
- The first line is written normally.
- Subsequent lines alternate between:
- one central space,
- two spaces dividing the line into three parts.
This creates alternating patterns of text and space, preserving the traditional song form.
Spacing Between Letters
Throughout the Torah:
- letters must be very close, yet never touching,
- with a hairbreadth space between them.
If letters are spaced so widely that a child cannot recognize them as a single word, the scroll is invalid until corrected.
Summary Principle
The laws of p’tuchah, s’tumah, and song layout are essential to validity, not decorative.
Deviation in these areas renders a Torah scroll permanently invalid, unlike most aesthetic or scribal errors.
