1623 —גיל לחופה, מכירת ספר תורה, ואיות דכא

B"H, 3 Sivan 5712.

Page 2b: Regarding the age of eighteen for marriage—if this is considered complete, similar to how age five for learning Mikra is explained by the Rambam as being like age six—see Hilchos Talmud Torah by Rabbeinu HaZaken chapter 1, Kuntres Acharon note 1 at its end.

Page 4a: It is permissible to delay marriage; if there is a set time, this is discussed at length in Hilchos Talmud Torah mentioned above at the beginning of chapter 3 in Kuntres Acharon—see there.

Page 7a: If one has children already—regarding selling a Sefer Torah in order to marry off a daughter—the ruling of the tzt"z in his novellae on Yevamos (61b) seems to indicate that one must sell it.

Page 133b: Regarding the law of a woman who had relations with a spirit—the tzt"z in his ruling on Yevamos 59 holds that even if it was intentional she is permitted to her husband in such a case.

Page 104b: Concerning "petzu'a daka" spelled with an aleph—in addition to what is written in Otzar HaPoskim there and in the notes on page 168 end of column b, I am copying below from what was found in the library and manuscripts collection of Mr. Sassoon in London:

a) In the Rashba's Tanach, written by a scribe for his grandson Ishtrok ben Yitzchak ben Rashba—in this manuscript "daka" is written with an aleph.

b) In a Tanach manuscript written by the Rashba's student Rabbi Shem Tov ben Gaon (author of Migdal Oz on Rambam), it was originally written "dakeh" with a hei, but Rabbi Shem Tov himself erased it and corrected it by hand to "daka" with an aleph.

c) In a very ancient Tanach (Chumash Damascus), written over eleven hundred years ago as described in Ohel David pp. 22–23—it says "daka" with an aleph.

d) In a handwritten Chumash from five hundred years ago (numbered 516), see Ohel David p.21—it says "daka" with an aleph.

e) In another Tanach manuscript (numbered 9), also from five hundred years ago—see Ohel David p.15—it says "daka" with an aleph.

f) In a Yemenite Chumash manuscript from five hundred years ago (no.942), see Ohel David p.607—it says "daka" with an aleph.

g) In the Plantin and Bomberg printings from the year 536—"daka" is spelled with an aleph.

Summary

This letter clarifies halachic positions on marriage age and selling sacred items for family needs, while providing detailed evidence about Torah scroll spelling traditions from ancient manuscripts and printings.