Resource: Restoring the Torah
Media Type:
QuickTime Video
Length: 6m 10s
Size: 16.9 MB
This video from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly follows Neal Yerman, a sofer, or scribe, in Cherry Hill, N.J., as he works on a Torah recovered from the Polish town of Ostrof, where 9,000 Jews were killed by Nazis over three days in 1941. The Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, is considered the holiest object in Jewish life.
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Judaism Glossary (PDF Document)
Loading reviews...Teachers' Domain, Restoring the Torah, published July 2, 2009, retrieved on ,
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/awr09.socst.world.glob.torah/
- Background Essay
- Questions for Discussion
- Standards
Print Background EssayThe Torah is the first of three categories of books that make up the Hebrew Bible: Torah (the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings). According to Jewish tradition, the Torah was dictated to Moses by God after the Exodus from Egypt, around 1220 B.C.E. It is Judaism's central document. As the "living word of God," it is the only document that Jewish tradition regards as containing God's words and only God's words.
The Torah scroll is handwritten on specially prepared parchment and rolled up around two thick wooden dowels, which are attached to either end of the scroll. The rolled-up Torah is covered with fabric and often ornamented with silver crowns on the handles and a silver breastplate on the front. It is kept in the synagogue in a cabinet known as an Ark.
Typically, Jews read portions of the Torah during morning services on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays (the Sabbath) and Jewish holidays, completing the reading of the entire Torah over the course of a year. Whenever the Torah is visible, the congregation must stand. It is always carried very carefully; if dropped, the entire congregation must either fast or give tzedakah, or charity. Jews customarily kiss the rolled-up Torah as it is carried past them during the service.
One must be careful not to touch the parchment scroll. Some say this is because the Torah is so holy; others say the oil from fingers can damage the parchment. When Jews read from the Torah they use a pointer called a yad (pronounced "yahd"), which means "hand" in Hebrew. The pointer usually is in the shape of a hand with a finger pointing.
Judaism has 613 commandments, all contained in the words of the Torah. The last commandment states that every Jew must write a Torah scroll during his lifetime. This commandment is not carried out literally; rather, it is observed through an agent, that is, by contributing money to hire a sofer or scribe. Often, congregants hold the end of the quill while the sofer writes, as the woman in the video does.
The work of a sofer is very detail-oriented, requiring a steady hand and a great deal of patience. To become a sofer, a Jewish person must master the art of Hebrew calligraphy, study document restoration and learn the many rules and traditions governing the writing and restoring of a Torah. In addition, a sofer must be an observant Jew.
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Source: Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly: "Feature: Restoring the Torah"
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