Hayom Yom 7 Elul - Spelling דכא (Daka) with an Alef

The daily Hayom Yom with Rabbi Yosef Katzman · Aug 24, 2023 · 9m

אַדְמוּ"ר הַזָּקֵן הוֹרָה לִכְתּוֹב פְּצוּעַ דַכָּא בְּאָלֶף לִבְסוֹף וְלֹא בְּהֵא

The Alter Rebbe directed that the word דכא in the phrase פצוע דכא be written with an alef at the end, not with a hei.

בִּפְראַג יֵשׁ סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה שֶׁקַּבָּלָה בְּיָדָם שֶׁהִגִי-הַּ עֶזְרָא הַסּוֹפֵר

In Prague, there is a Torah scroll which according to local tradition was checked by Ezra the Scribe.

אֵין קוֹרִין בּוֹ אֶלָּא בְּשִׂמְחַת תּוֹרָה וְגוֹלְלִין אוֹתוֹ תָּמִיד בְּפָרָשַׁת שְׁמַע

They read from it only on Simchas Torah and always roll it closed at the passage beginning Shema [Yisrael].

כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי…