What makes a Sefer Torah kosher
A kosher Sefer Torah must satisfy hundreds of precise conditions. A single missing or extra letter invalidates the entire scroll.
Primary sources
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 271–284 · Rambam, Hilchot Sefer Torah · Talmud Bavli, Menachot
31 · requirements listed
The scribe and his intent
The sofer must be observant and learned in halakha
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 281:1
The writing must be done lishmah
Gittin 54b · Rambam, Hilchot Sefer Torah 1:1
Spoken declaration before writing Hashem's Name
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 276:6
The materials
The parchment must come from a kosher animal
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 271:1
The parchment must be prepared lishmah
Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Sefer Torah 1:14
Black, permanent ink
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 271:6
Ink formulated for Torah writing
Gittin 19a
The quill must be natural
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 271:8
The letters
Each of the 304,805 letters must be perfect
Menachot 30a
Each letter surrounded by blank parchment (mukaf gevil)
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 274:2
Each letter must follow its halakhic shape
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 274
No letter broken or touching another
Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Sefer Torah 10:1
Crowns (tagin) on the letters שעטנ״ז ג״ץ
Menachot 29b
Letters neither too thick nor too thin
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 274:7
A missing or extra letter invalidates the scroll
Menachot 29a
The writing process
The writing must follow the order of the text
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 274:2
Limited corrections; erasing Hashem's Name is forbidden
Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Sefer Torah 1:15
An error in Hashem's Name requires redoing the passage
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 276:9
Everything handwritten; printing and stamping are forbidden
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 271:8
Layout and structure
Column count fixed by tradition
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 275:2
Columns must begin and end correctly
Rambam, Hilchot Sefer Torah 8:4
Line count per column
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 275:1
Special layout for the shirot
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 275:3
Spacing of the petuchot and setumot parashiyot
Menachot 30a · Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 275
Assembly
Sheets sewn with kosher sinew
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 273:1
The sewing must be done lishmah
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 273:1
Scroll attached to its atzei chayim
Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Sefer Torah 9:9
Checking, use and end of life
The scroll must be checked by a second expert
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 279:1
A single defect renders the whole scroll pasul
Menachot 29a
The scroll must be kept with respect
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 282
A worn scroll must be buried in a genizah
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 282:10
Because one letter invalidates the whole, documenting a scroll is not prudence — it is what allows a community to know that what it reads from is fit.