Tefilin and mezuzos (but not Sifrei Torah) have to written “kisidran” (in order). This means that even if the letters appear in the right place, but were written out of sequence, the tefilin or mezuza is pasul. A major implication of this is correcting mistakes – like a missing letter or a letter with a major deficiency in its form. If the Sofer didn’t notice the error right away, any writing after the mistake must be erased before the mistake can be corrected. After the correction has been made, the erased text can then be rewritten in the proper sequence. If one of the Names of G‑d was written after the mistake, the whole mezuza or parsha may not be used because it is forbidden to erase G‑d’s name.
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STAM 101 introduction & index