Rashi Script

(Chart courtesy of rashi900.com)

Dixie Yid and I were recently having a discussion via e-mail in which he told me that he bought the new printing of Toldos Yaakov Yosef with an excellent commentary. I replied that I had bought another printing of this sefer since it was in regular block letters and not in Rashi script. Although I have taught myself Rashi script in the past, without regular practice I found that my attempts to read it were rather onerous, and because of this that I now steered clear of Rashi script seforim all together.

Receiving this response, Dixie Yid replied, "I'm sorry to hear that. So many seforim are published like that. I'm sorry to hear about that ikuv (delay/obstacle)."

These three sentences hit me like a ton of bricks and instantly forced me to recall something the Sudilkover Rebbe told me on the topic of printing seforim without nekudos. He mentioned that at the time when he puts out his new printing of Degel Machaneh Ephraim he plans to do so without nekudos since this was something the Degel discussed in his sefer. The Rebbe also mentioned that he would very much like to print the sefer in Rashi script since the sefer was originally printed in this fashion almost 200 years ago.

The night after my e-mail interchange with Dixie Yid, I went home and opened up the Artscroll Rashi to Parshas Shelach and began comparing the Rashi script with the Rashi written out in in the block letters. I resolved to continue this practice on a regular basis until I can effortlessly read the Rashi script.

I am investing the time now so that when the new printing of Degel Machaneh Ephraim is released the only obstacle that I will encounter is my understanding of the content, and not the elementary skill of how to read the Degel's words.