STA"M Inflation

[yfr bachur]

Not really. How long can you sit hunched over a table writing before everything starts to hurt?

[Dan]

Not really. How long can you sit hunched over a table writing before everything starts to hurt?

Is it different than any other repetitive motion job?
I have no clue what salaries are, I'm just curious when the cost of something goes up so much in a short period of time. I had to replace 2 pasul mezuzos and was surprised at the new cost. Yet another reason I'm happy to have built a home in 2017 and not 2022.

[yfr bachur]

Is it different than any other repetitive motion job?

its more than the repetitive motions, it's also the unnatural posture. It's why many "older" sofrim - like 50 year olds - have major back and hand problems.

A nice Mehudar Mezuzah takes a Sofer approximately 3 and a half to 4 hours to write, and Tefillin can take as long as a week.

At that math, its about 8 a week... minus all the days you can't write halachikly or practically... so about 5 a week is a good safe number

[gozalim]

I've heard it b;amed on sifrei torah.
every funerary ST takes a mezuzah writer off the market for a year

[Dan]

depends on what you call large.

20cm

[JMHO]

At that math, its about 8 a week... minus all the days you can't write halachikly or practicaly...

Who works 30 hours a week of physical/repetitive work and expects to make big bucks?

[Dan]

the unnatural posture..

Are there no neutral position chairs that can alleviate this, that will move with you when writing?

[jj1000]

its more than the repetitive motions, it's also the unnatural posture. It's why many "older" sofrim - like 50 year olds - have major back and hand problems.
At that math, its about 8 a week... minus all the days you can't write halachikly or practicaly...

So, your math just jumped to about $114,400/year or more if they want to work 10 hours a day and sunday and motzei shabbos that number can go to $250,000+

Anyway, point of this thread was never what a sofer's salary should be or not. But by all means start a Jewish salary thread for sofrim, rabanim, rebbes, morahs, mashgichim etc.

[dm123]

There's been a push here in Israel to start a supervisory org to vouch for the acceptability of stam being exported to chul.
The basic idea as i understand it is that sofrim and magiim will register with the org, acceptance conditional on passing knowledge and skill tests or possessing a in date (not expired) ksav kabla (there usually given for three years).
The sofer will give his written material (STAM) to the org, which will pass it through the process of hagah. at the end of which each klaf will have a hologram sticker? attached, including a QR code which can be scanned to see all the relevant info about the item - who wrote it, on which klaf with which ink, who checked it, where there any major shaylos....

If this happens I imagine it would contribute to ST"aM Inflation...

[JMHO]

I'm just curious when the cost of something goes up so much in a short period of time.

Most Mezuzas in America are sold through Soichrim who are business to make money.

I'm sure some things went up, but there have been a few excuses the last couple years... Covid, supply chain, inflation, NIS to USD, so there was opportunity to double the prices.

I assure you that the Sofer in E"Y who is actually writing, is not making another $100 per Mezuza!

[Dan]

Most Mezuzas in America are sold through Soichrim who are business to make money.

As they were in 2017 when I previously bought mehudur A"R 20cm mezuzos.

[jj1000]

I assure you that the Sofer in E"Y who is actually writing, is not making another $100 per Mezuza!

Sounds ripe for someone to open a sofer marketplace with a tiny percentage off the top of the sofer's price. And ship straight from the sofer to consumer.

[Dan]

NIS to USD

September 2017 ILS to USD: $0.29.
September 2022 ILS to USD: $0.30.

[yfr bachur]

Who works 30 hours a week of physical/repetitive skilled work and expects to make big bucks?

FTFY anyway who's making big bucks?
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=100475.msg2277102#msg2277102

Are there no neutral position chairs that can alleviate this, that will move with you when writing?

There are, and sofrim do use them. It's still hours spent unmoving other than moving your hand and your eyes - most people can't manage more than 3-4 hours a day. A very high end sofer i know needs to spend a couple of hours in bed to recover after he writes.

So, your math just jumped to about $114,400/year or more if they want to work 10 hours a day and sunday and motzei shabbos that number can go to $250,000+

It's impossible to write that much a day mehudar. Maybe mivtzoim mezuzas, maybe... not mehudar, not in a million years.

Anyway, point of this thread was never what a sofer's salary should be or not. But by all means start a Jewish salary thread for sofrim, rabanim, rebbes, morahs, mashgichim etc.

price of mezuza ≠ sofers salary ?

If this happens I imagine it would contribute to ST"aM Inflation...

Thats actually not the plan. same price scale. some well-respected people involved in the stam world in EY actually raised the funds to build the org. as far as i can tell its supposed to have no effect on prices at all. (Possibly other than certified products becoming more in demand and non-certified ones losing demand...)

[yfr bachur]

when the sane people in EY get up tomorrow... @rbs-g1.5 @Moshe Green

[jj1000]

price of mezuza ≠ sofers salary ?

Not sure I follow.

Based on what I read in this thread. Mezuzah costs $150 sofer gets $100. Mezuzah costs $275 sofer get $100.

Sure seems there is no relation.

Not to mention at first a sofer can do 5 max per week now they can do 8 per week, that changes the math a ton. Also these guys with back pains, do they work out in general?

And FTR I know many people who sit with just moving there hands and eyes for 14+ hours a day 6 days a week, they are called lawyers.

I guess the posture is different though?

Also I can't believe I got dragged into this about sofrim when all this thread is for, is the price increase and why it happened. I love sofrim and think they should be paid well for a vital service to our community.

[shwarmabob]

Large mezuzos? I would presume those are a little easier than small ones.

But definitely, Mezuzos are probably extremely challenging, and I can imagine why sofrim would rather write Sifrei Torah or Megillos.

Top of the line A"R tefillin are probably around $2,500 per pair (just for the parshios. A friend told me he recently ordered DIRECTLY from one of the most sought after sofrim).

Yikes... How much is a top of the line Arizal tefillin nowadays?

[ExGingi]

Add to the inflation a home visit that discovered additional places requiring a mezuzah (where I never thought one is needed).

[MeirS]

Not sure I follow.

And FTR I know many people who sit with just moving there hands and eyes for 14+ hours a day 6 days a week, they are called lawyers.

I guess the posture is different though?

As your say.

How many hours a day do lawyers spend bent over a table, writing, holding firmly onto their pen for exact precision with their eyes focused on a piece of black and white parchment?

I was told by a Sofer teacher that an average/good Sofer should do around 4 minutes per line so it shouldn't take more than 2 hours to get a Mezuzah out (obviously, add break time if necessary).

[jj1000]

As your say.

How many hours a day do lawyers spend bent over a table, writing, holding firmly onto their pen for exact precision with their eyes focused on a piece of black and white parchment?

I was told by a Sofer teacher that an average/good Sofer should do around 4 minutes per line so it shouldn't take more than 2 hours to get a Mezuzah out (obviously, add break time if necessary).

And now we are down to 2 hours per mezuzah, so @yfr bachur let's up a sofer's salary to $500k+ 🤣