Are We Ignoring the Torah's Final Mitzvah?
2. The language of the Rosh is, It is a mitzvah to transcribe Chumash , etc. . . This seems to denote that the requirement is to actually write. However, we do not see individuals taking pains to physically write (or even publish) holy books to satisfy this requirement. Furthermore, the Rema, in his glosses to the Shulchan Aruch , explicitly writes that the requirement to write a Torah scroll is not satisfied by simply purchasing a scroll. 1. We are not at liberty to add or subtract mitzvahs as we see fit. We could argue that the reason we are no longer particular to write our own Torah scrolls is because we follow the opinion of the Rosh, as understood by the authorities who believe that writing holy books replaces the mitzvah to write a Torah scroll. But that leaves us with two major difficulties:  Maimonides is not alone in codifying this law. The Sefer Hachinuch, the Semag, and the Semak, all count this as a mitzvah, too. It is a positive commandment for each and every Jewish man to write a Torah scroll for himself, as [implied by the commandment ( Deuteronomy 31:19) ]: And now, write down this song for yourselves, i.e., write down the [entire] Torah which contains this song. A Tool For Study  In a talk published in Likutei Sichot, The Lubavitcher Rebbe examines the laws context and background and provides a possible resolution. Upon examining the complete verse Maimonides quotes, And now, write for yourselves this song, and teach it to the Children of Israel. Place it into their mouths, in order that this song will be for Me as a witness for the children of Israel, it becomes clear that the reason for writing this song (a reference to the Torah) is to facilitate teaching. Each individual should have a Torah scroll from which to study. As such, the commandment to write a Torah scroll is in fact a detail of the more general mitzvah to study and know Torah. The verse instructs us to take a particular actionwriting a Torah scrollas part of the process, but writing the scroll is not really the point. The point is to study; writing the scroll is merely a step in that process. Times have changed, and Torah study no longer requires an actual Torah scroll. This transition occurred when the Sages decided to transcribe the Oral Torah. This in itself was controversial, as there was a law prohibiting its transcription. But when the Rabbis saw that the Oral Law was in danger of being forgotten, they invoked the principle, A time to do for the Lrd; they have made void Your Torah, and made an exception. With this change, The Torah scrolls place was no longer in the study hall, but in the synagogue to be read during communal prayer. This change, alluded to by the Rosh himself, is why this mitzvah evolved from writing a Torah scroll to writing Hebrew books. When the law meant that one was required to actually write a scroll, then the scroll needed to be written in a particular way. All the laws relevant to the writing of a kosher scroll were applicableit had to be written, on parchment, with the correct ink, etc.because that was how one fulfilled the obligation to write a scroll from which to study. But now that this mitzvah is fulfilled by writing other holy books, the actual writing is no longer important. There are no specific rules or detailed requirements for writing Hebrew books, like there are when it comes to writing a Torah scroll. So the mitzvah has not changed; it is still an obligation to acquire the tools needed for Torah study, but the specifics of how it must be writtenon parchment, with the correct ink, etcare not applicable because we are no longer talking about an actual Torah scroll. So even though the language used is still to transcribe, the requirement nowadays is to acquire books to study from, which reflects the original intent of the mitzvah.