names of God the mistaken letter may be obliterated from the scroll by scraping the letter off the scroll with a sharp object. If the name of God is written in error, the entire page must be cut from the scroll and a new page added, and the page written anew from the beginning. The new page is sewn into the scroll to maintain continuity of the document. The old page is treated with appropriate respect, and is buried with respect rather than being otherwise destroyed or discarded.
The completion of the Torah scroll is a cause for great celebration, and honoured guests of the individual who commissioned the Torah are invited to a celebration wherein each of the honored guests is given the opportunity to write one of the final letters. It is a great honour to be chosen for this.
Commandment to write a scroll
It is a religious duty or ''
mitzvah
In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...
'' for every Jewish male to either write or have written for him a Torah scroll. Of the 613 commandments, one – the 82nd as enumerated by
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki ( he, רבי שלמה יצחקי; la, Salomon Isaacides; french: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (see below), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a compre ...
, and the final as it occurs in the text the
Book of Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy ( grc, Δευτερονόμιον, Deuteronómion, second law) is the fifth and last book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called (Hebrew: hbo, , Dəḇārīm, hewords Moses.html"_;"title="f_Moses">f_Moseslabel=none)_and_th ...
() – is that every Jewish male should write a Torah scroll in his lifetime. This is law number 613 of 613 in the list of Laws of the Torah as recorded by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin in his book "Biblical Literacy", 1st edition, New York: Morrow 1997, p. 592: "The commandment that each Jew should write a Torah scroll during his lifetime."
It is considered a tremendous merit to write (or commission the writing of) a Torah scroll, and a significant honour to have a Torah scroll written in one's honour or memory.
Professional scribes (''soferim'')
In modern times, it is usual for some scholars to become ''
sofer
A sofer, sopher, sofer SeTaM, or sofer ST"M ( he, סופר סת״ם, "scribe"; plural of is , ; female: ) is a Jewish scribe who can transcribe Sifrei Kodesh (holy scrolls), tefillin (phylacteries), mezuzot (ST"M, , is an abbreviation of thes ...
im'' and to be paid to complete a Torah scroll under contract on behalf of a community or by individuals to mark a special occasion or commemoration. Because of the work involved, these can cost tens of thousands of
United States dollar
The United States dollar ( symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the officia ...
s to produce to ritually proper standards.
''Chumash''
A printed version of the Torah is known colloquially as a
Chumash (plural ''Chumashim''). Although strictly speaking it is known as Chamishah Chumshei Torah (Five "Fifths" of Torah). They are treated as respected texts, but not anywhere near the level of sacredness accorded a Torah scroll, which is often a major possession of a Jewish community. A ''chumash'' contains the Torah and other writings, usually organised for liturgical use, and sometimes accompanied by some of the main classic commentaries.
Torah ark
While not in use a ''Sefer Torah'' is housed in the
Torah ark
A Torah ark (also known as the ''Heikhal'', or the ''Aron Kodesh'') refers to an ornamental chamber in the synagogue that houses the Torah scrolls.
History
The ark, also known as the ''ark of law'', or in Hebrew the ''Aron Kodesh'' or ''aron ha- ...
(''Aron Kodesh'' or ''Hekhal''), which in its turn is usually veiled by an embroidered
parochet
A ''parochet'' (Hebrew: פרוכת; Ashkenazi pronunciation: ''paroches'') meaning "curtain" or "screen",Sonne Isaiah (1962) 'Synagogue' in The Interpreter's dictionary of the Bible vol 4, New York: Abingdon Press pp 476-491 is the curtain that c ...
(curtain), as it should be according to .
External decorations
The gold and silver ornaments belonging to the scroll are collectively known as ''kele kodesh'' (sacred vessels). The scroll itself will often be girded with a strip of silk (see
wimpel
A wimpel ( yi, ווימפל, from German, "cloth," derived from Old German, ''bewimfen,'' meaning "to cover up" or "conceal") is a long, linen sash used as a binding for the Sefer Torah by Jews of Germanic (Yekke) origin. It is made from t ...
) and "robed" with a piece of protective fine fabric, called the "Mantle of the Law". It is decorated with an ornamental
priestly breastplate
The priestly breastplate or breastpiece of judgment ( he, חֹשֶׁן ''ḥōšen'') was a sacred breastplate worn by the High Priest of the Israelites, according to the Book of Exodus. In the biblical account, the breastplate is termed the ''br ...
, scroll-handles (''‘etz ḥayyim''), and the principal ornament—the "Crown of the Law", which is made to fit over the upper ends of the rollers when the scroll is closed. Some scrolls have two crowns, one for each upper end. The metalwork is often made of beaten silver, sometimes gilded. The scroll-handles, breastplate and crown often have little bells attached to them.
The housing has two rollers, each of which has two handles used for scrolling the text, four handles in all. Between the handles and the rollers are round plates or disks which are carved with images of holy places, engraved with dedications to the donor's parents or other loved ones, and decorated with gold or silver.
Mizrachi and Romaniote traditions
In the
Mizrachi and
Romaniote traditions, the Torah scroll is generally not robed in a mantle, but rather housed in an ornamental wooden case which protects the scroll, called a "tik", plural ''tikim''. On the other hand, most
Sephardic communities — those communities associated with the Spanish diaspora, such as
Moroccan Jews
Moroccan Jews ( ar, اليهود المغاربة, al-Yahūd al-Maghāriba he, יהודים מרוקאים, Yehudim Maroka'im) are Jews who live in or are from Morocco. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community dating to Roman times. Jews b ...
, the
Spanish and Portuguese Jews (with the exception of the Hamburg tradition), and the
Judaeo-Spanish
Judaeo-Spanish or Judeo-Spanish (autonym , Hebrew alphabet, Hebrew script: , Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: ), also known as Ladino, is a Romance languages, Romance language derived from Old Spanish language, Old Spanish. Originally spoken in Spain ...
communities of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
— do not use ''tikim'', but rather ''vestidos'' (mantles).
Inauguration
The installation of a new Torah scroll into a synagogue, or into the sanctuary or study hall (''
beth midrash
A ''beth midrash'' ( he, בית מדרש, or ''beis medrash'', ''beit midrash'', pl. ''batei midrash'' "House of Learning") is a hall dedicated for Torah study, often translated as a "study hall." It is distinct from a synagogue (''beth kness ...
'') of a religious school (''
yeshiva
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...
''), rabbinical college, university campus, nursing home, military base, or other institution, is done in
a ceremony known as ''hachnosas sefer Torah'', or "ushering in a Torah scroll"; this is accompanied by celebratory dancing, singing, and a festive meal.
[
]
Biblical roots
This practice has its source in the escorting of the Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant,; Ge'ez: also known as the Ark of the Testimony or the Ark of God, is an alleged artifact believed to be the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which is described as a wooden chest, covered in pure gold, with an e ...
to Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
, led by King David
David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
. As described in the Books of Samuel
The Book of Samuel (, ''Sefer Shmuel'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the narrative history of Ancient Israel called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshu ...
, this event was marked by dancing and the playing of musical instruments (). Both the priests or '' kohanim'' and David himself "danced before the Ark" or "danced before the Lord".
Handling the scroll
Special prayers are recited when the Torah scroll is removed from the ark and the text is chanted, rather than spoken, in a special melodic manner (see Cantillation and Nigun
A nigun ( he, ניגון meaning "tune" or "melody", plural nigunim) or niggun (plural niggunim) is a form of Jewish religious song or tune sung by groups. It is vocal music, often with repetitive sounds such as "Bim-Bim-Bam", "Lai-Lai-Lai", " ...
). Whenever the scroll is opened to be read it is laid on a piece of cloth called the ''mappah''. When the Torah scroll is carried through the synagogue, the members of the congregation may touch the edge of their prayer shawl (''tallit
A tallit ''talit'' in Modern Hebrew; ''tālēt'' in Sephardic Hebrew and Ladino language, Ladino; ''tallis'' in Ashkenazic Hebrew and Yiddish language, Yiddish. Mishnaic Hebrew, Mish. pl. טליות ''telayot''; Heb. pl. טליתות ''tallitot' ...
'') to the Torah scroll and then kiss the shawl as a sign of respect.
As it is important to guard the sanctity of a Torah, dropping it, or allowing it to fall, is regarded as
a desecration, though the belief that a person who does, or even witnesses it, this must fast for 40 days has little support from the Talmud."What’s the truth about...fasting forty days upon seeing a Torah scroll fall?"
Rabbi Dr AZ Zivotofsky at Jewish Action
''Jewish Action'' is an American Orthodox Jewish magazine published by the Orthodox Union.
The magazine generally presents a Modern Orthodox viewpoint, and covers "topics of interest to an international Orthodox Jewish audience... ncludingartic ...
: Retrieved 24 December 2022
See also
*
Five Megillot (the "Five Scrolls"), parts of the Hebrew Bible traditionally grouped together
*
Hakhel, biblical commandment to assemble for a Torah reading
*
Ktav Ashuri, the Aramaic alphabet adopted by Judaism
*
List of Hebrew Bible manuscripts - list of ancient scrolls and codices
*
Tikkun (book), used to prepare for the reading of Torah scroll in synagogue
*
Torah scroll (Yemenite), the specific Yemenite (as opposed to Ashkenazi or Sephardic) tradition of writing the Torah scroll
*
Universal Torah Registry
The Universal Torah Registry is a project of the JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council) of New York City, originally established in 1982, designed to protect and secure Torah scrolls of Jewish communities, from theft. As these scrolls may be v ...
, an initiative to prevent Torah scroll theft
References
External links
Three complete kosher Torah scrolls for study online (Congregation Beth Emeth of Northern Virginia)Computer-generated Torah scroll for study online with translation, transliteration and chanting (WordORT)Scroll of the Lawarticle from the ''
Jewish Encyclopedia
''The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day'' is an English-language encyclopedia containing over 15,000 articles on th ...
''
Examples of ancient Torah Scrolls≈800-year-old Torah(pictures)
Examples of Torah Covers Torah Mantles
{{Authority control
Hebrew calligraphy
Hebrew Bible words and phrases
Hebrew words and phrases
Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law
Jewish prayer and ritual texts
Jewish ritual objects
Uses of leather in Judaism