SECTION 35 Laws Relating to the Number of Lines [in the Passages of Tefillin]. (1–2)

סימן לה דִּין מִנְיַן הַשִּׁיטִין, וּבוֹ ב סְעִיפִים:

1 The scribes follow a tradition handed down from generation to generation regarding the number of lines [of script in the tefillin]. In the arm-tefillin each passage is written in seven lines,1 and in the head-tefillin each passage is written in four lines. If one deviates from this standard, [the tefillin] are not disqualified. The scribes also have a tradition as to which words begin each line in the arm-tefillin and in the head-tefillin.

Our scribes are punctilious with regard to the numbers of lines, but not with regard to [the words that] begin each of the lines. Instead, these vary according to what eventuates.2 If a scribe desires to be punctilious and position [the words which begin] each line in the [traditional] manner, he may. He should not, however, lengthen or shorten [the width of] the letters in order to determine [the words that will appear] at the beginning of the lines.3

א נָהֲגוּ בְּמִנְיַן הַשִּׁיטִין עַל פִּי הַקַּבָּלָה בְּיַד הַסּוֹפְרִים אִישׁ מִפִּי אִישׁ, לִכְתֹּב בְּשֶׁל יָד שֶׁבַע שִׁיטִין1 בְּכָל פָּרָשָׁה וּפָרָשָׁה, וּבְשֶׁל רֹאשׁ אַרְבָּע שִׁיטִין בְּכָל פָּרָשָׁה וּפָרָשָׁה.א וְאִם שִׁנָּה – לֹא פָּסַל. וְיֵשׁ לָהֶם גַּם כֵּן קַבָּלָה בְּתֵבוֹת רָאשֵׁי שִׁיטִין בְּשֶׁל יָד וּבְשֶׁל רֹאשׁ.

וְהַסּוֹפְרִים שֶׁלָּנוּ מְדַקְדְּקִים בְּמִנְיַן הַשִּׁיטִין, אֲבָל בְּרָאשֵׁי הַשִּׁיטִין אֵינָן נִזְהָרִין,ב וּמְשַׁנִּים כַּאֲשֶׁר יִזְדַּמֵּן לָהֶם.2 וּמִי שֶׁיִּרְצֶה לְדַקְדֵּק בָּהֶם, אִם יוּכַל לְכַוֵּן הַשִּׁיטִין בְּעִנְיָן זֶה – יַעֲשֶׂה, אֲבָל לֹא יַאֲרִיךְ וִיקַצֵּר הָאוֹתִיּוֹת כְּדֵי לְכַוֵּן רָאשֵׁי הַשִּׁיטוֹת:ג,3

Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch (Kehot Publication Society)

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2 A scribe may, however, extend somewhat the letters in the second line in order to justify the ends of the lines. It is forbidden only to extend letters to the point that they look conspicuously larger than the others and the script appears to be irregular,4 as explained in Yoreh Deah, sec. 273[:2] and 275[:3].5

ב אֲבָל יָכוֹל לְהַאֲרִיךְ מְעַט הָאוֹתִיּוֹת בְּשִׁיטָה שְׁנִיָּה כְּדֵי לְכַוֵּן סוֹפֵי הַשִּׁיטוֹת,ד וְלֹא אָסְרוּ אֶלָּא לְהַמְשִׁיכָן כָּל־כָּךְ בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁיְּהֵא נִרְאֶה לָעַיִן שֶׁהֵן גְּדוֹלוֹת מֵחַבְרוֹתֵיהֶם וְנִרְאֶה הַכְּתָב כִּמְנֻמָּר,4 כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר בְּיוֹרֶה דֵּעָה סִימָן רעגה וְערה:ו,5