We are required to write the Torah and other Holy Writings in "dyo" (ink). The ink must be black, the most changeless color, much like G-d and His Torah are changeless. In ancient times, scribes would prepare their own ink out of soot (usually from burnt olive oil), mixed with a tree sap called gum arabic. He would make these into wafers. When he wished to write, he would dissolve the wafer in a gall nut solution. According to all authorities, this ink is preferable, and according to some, only this is valid. Nevertheless, the accepted ruling is that any ink that is black and durable is acceptable. Many Yemenite scribes still make ink similar to this, only using burnt pomegranate peels instead of soot. Since this carbon-based ink would sometimes smudge, and leave an unpleasant gray hue on the parchment, about 400 years ago scribes went over to a copper or iron based ink, which, when mixed with tannic acid, makes a deep black color. Since this ink did not smudge, it became the standard in most places. Many, including yours truly, consider this very unfortunate. Carbon based ink stays black forever. A ferrous sulfate or copper sulfate ink, mixed with tannic acid, begins to break down after a few decades. After about forty years it begins to become brown, then red, then it completely fades and disappears. A Torah Scroll, written 500 years ago in the old ink, will be in much better condition than one written 150 years ago in the "new" ink. What's more, the pH of the ink is acid, the lime used in the parchment is basic. The ink and parchment interact, eventually causing the ink to peel off. There are people pushing for a restoration of the old ink. I hope they will prevail.
Next comes the pen. The Talmud writes "why do we use a reed to write the Torah? To teach is to be bending like the reed, and not rigid like the cedar". Sepharadic and Yemenite scribes usually use a reed to write, most commonly bamboo. In northern Europe, suitable reeds were scarce, and scribes went over to a quill pen. The quill makes much sharper lines. This has influenced the stylistic difference between Ashkenazic and Sepharadic writing. Ashkenazi writing is full of sharp angles. Sepharadic writing is soft and flowing. (As i noted in a previous installment, there are also significant differences in the shapes of the letters, but here I am discussing style rather than substance). That is why it takes much longer to write Ashkenazi than Sepharadi script. A "top of the line" Sepharadic Mezzuzah, for example, will take 50 minutes to write. An equivalent Ashkenazic Mezzuzah will take two and a half hours.The tip of the pen is also cut differently, so as to make the sharp Ashkenazi script even sharper, the Sephardic even more gentle and flowing. According to most authorities, both are equally kosher. Because of the style of writing in Ashkenazi script, the pen wears down faster, and must be recut in the middle of a mezzuzah, while a Sepharadic scribe can write ten mezzuzot before needing to recut his pen. Recutting must be done very carefully, lest the size of the letters be altered.Today, some scribes have gone over to hard plastic pens, that are precut for different sizes of writing, and are very durable.
In my next post, will discuss the various scripts that are used.