MAGIAH TRAINING COURSE
Live Classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30pm Eastern Time USA.
Start Date: January 20th, 2025
Estimated duration of the course: 9-12 months
Cost: $1000 (can be paid in up to 10 installments)
Become a stamp-certified magiah
Skills and Support: Aside from performing routine checks, this will also include additional skills such as how to fix Sifrei Torah that have sections separated from one another, helping community members determine the proper placement of Mezuzos, adjusting tefillin straps and more.
Certification: Participants who complete the course AND pass the required written, oral and hands-on exam, receive a certificate declaring the he is a STAMP-certified Magiah. Certification must be renewed on an annual basis (feel free to contact us for more details).
Access: Participants can access the shiurim either live via Zoom (Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:30pm Israel time) or via recordings of the live shiurim posted in the “members” area of the STAMP website. With this, you can progress at whatever pace is most comfortable and convenient for you.
In addition, as a STAMP-certified magiah, you are a part of the STAMP family. Our staff and leading Rabbonim will also be made available to you on an ongoing basis to answer any and all questions that crop up during your career as a magiah.
Material to be covered (in order):
משנת סופרים ✓
משנה ברורה סי׳ ל׳׳ב (עד סע׳ ל׳׳ו) וסי׳ ל׳׳ו ✓
קסת הסופר סימנים י׳, י״א, י״ב ✓
מקדש מעט ✓
For the first stage of the course, we recommend that you purchase the sefer “Pe’er Halacha” on hilchos tefillin, by Rav Dovid Hirsch
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a magiah and how is he different from a sofer?
When one trains to become a sofer, he is trained to write STa”M, not to check STa”M (Sifrei Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzos). A magiah, on the other hand, is trained to check and fix any and all issues that may arise while checking STa”M written by any given Sofer. It’s a little bit like the difference between an author and an editor. While their training and skill sets are completely different, they heavily rely on each other’s expertise to produce a complete product. It should be noted that a Sofer may also be a Magiah (and vise versa). But when we need our STa”M checked, we must be certain that we are giving it to a someone who is a certified and properly trained magiah.
Why have I never heard of Magiah training courses before?
When STAMP was founded in 2019, the STa”M industry was facing a severe magiah shortage. It was clear that we would only succeed in our mission to bring greater transparency and reliability to the field if we increase the number of properly trained and certified magihim. We like to call STAMP the first-ever “Quality Control Department” of STa”M. Every individual STa”M item must pass a full inspection process before receiving STAMP-certification. Thus, the cornerstones of our work are our magihim. Aside from ensuring that STAMP’s checking branch is staffed with the world’s top magihim, we also strive to equip communities around the world with their own magiah, a top-rate STa”M expert.
What professional opportunities will being a STAMP-certified magiah afford me?
Being a STAMP-certified magiah means that you have been trained on the highest possible level and are therefore the go-to address for your community’s STa”M needs. This can range from checking Mezuzos, Tefillin and Sifrei Torah (as well as computer check) to fixing a torn Sefer Torah to helping a community member obtain a proper pair of tefillin and much more. Being a magiah is not just a hobby. It can be a full-time profession, depending on how much time one is willing to dedicate to it. Additionally, as a STAMP-certified Magiah, you will be listed on STAMP’s website as a trusted STa”M expert, thereby making your services even more widely accessible to those even outside your specific community.
Is checking STa”M a halachic requirement or just a good idea?
There are two answers to this question: When a STa”M item is first created, it is halachically required to undergo a checking process by certified magihim (as well as a computer check) before being sold.
However, after the item is in use, it depends on the item: Mezuzos must be checked twice every seven years and tefillin should ideally be checked every 10-15 years. Even items such as a Sefer Torah, Megillos and Sifrei Nevi’im that do not require checking every few years, still require fixing/correcting every so often.
