(15) If one who writes a scroll of the Law, phylacteries or a Mezuzah, had not concentrated his mind while writing, and wrote one of the Names of God without express intent, these articles are unfit for use. Accordingly, when one is writing the name of God, even if an Israelite king greets him, he must not return the greeting. If he is writing two or three names of God, he may pause between writing one and writing the others and may respond.

(1) You thus find that there are twenty factors, any one of which disqualifies a scroll of the law. If any of these occurs, the scroll is like one of the books of the Pentateuch out of which children are taught. It does not possess the sanctity of a scroll of the Law, and is not used for reading in public worship. They are as follows:
1) If it was written on the skin of a beast of an unclean species;
2) or on the skin of a beast of a clean species, which had not been tanned;
3) If the skin had been tanned but not for the express purpose of being used as a scroll of the law;
4) If it was written on the wrong side; in the case of parchment of whole hide on the side next to the flesh; in the case of parchment of the outer half of a split hide, on the side adjacent to the hair;
5) If it was written partly on parchment of whole hide and partly on that made of the outer half of split hide;
6) If it was written on the inner half of a split hide;
7) If it was written without the lines having been previously ruled;
8) If it was written with a dark writing fluid that does not make a permanent impression;
9) If it was written in other languages;
10) If it was written by a heretic (Epikouros) or other disqualified persons;
11) If the scribe wrote the names of God without special concentration of mind;
12) If a single letter was omitted;
13) If a single letter was added;
14) If one letter touched another;
15) If a single letter was so marred that it cannot be read at all, or resembles another letter, whether the defect is in the writing, or is due to a perforation, rent or smudge;
16) If the scribe wrote letters so far apart or so closely together that one word looks like two words or two words look like one word;
17) If he altered the form of the sections^*Wrote an “open” section as if it were a “closed” section or vice versa.;
18) If he varied the form of writing the Songs;
19) If he wrote any other portion in the form of a Song;
20) If he did not sew the sheets with sinews of a beast of a clean species.
The other conditions stated are recommended as the best way of performing the duty of writing a scroll. Their non-observance does not render it unfit for use.