Torah Traditions

Protocol and Etiquette for Torah
notes from class 10.21.08 - R. Janet Marder

• A Torah Scroll is written with no metal implements
Derives from Exodus 20 when they were building the altar and should not use any hewn stones – stones formed with metal – as it should not be made with anything that could be equated to instruments of war or violence.

This is also extended to the printing press in the sense that mezuzot and tefillin are not printed with a machine, they are all hand printed.

• The Chumash or the Torah Book should be handled with respect. If it is dropped it should be kissed when picked up. When it is on a shelf or table no other books should be put on top of it. And it should be carried on the right side.

• A Sefer Torah cannot be sold unless it is for a wedding or it is needed to be sold to support a person to study Torah.

• The Right Side – represents the side of strength. The right side is celebrated in Deuteronomy 32 where it explains that Moses came to the mountain from the right and was given the laws from the right. Zohar refers to the right side as the side of power. In the instructions for conversion the Rabbi is to push the person away with the left hand but draw them close with the right.

• The right side of things is recognized in many ways as better than the left.
• "Upon thy right hand did stand the queen" (Ps. xlv. 9).
• The Lulab is held in the right hand and the Etrog in the left.
• Ḥaliẓah is performed with the right hand on the right foot (Yeb. xii. 2),
• In performing the Temple ceremonies the general rule is that "every turn must be made to the right of the way (Yoma 15b).
• Jacob showed the significance of using the right hand in blessing by placing it on the head of Ephraim, whose tribe was thereby destined to become the greater nation, though Manasseh was older in years (Gen. xlviii. 17-19).

Good site that explains more.

(Proverbs 3:16).
One who walks on the right side of Torah
is extended long life in the world that is coming.
There he acquires the splendor of Torah,
for the crown of Torah is in that world.
'With her left hand riches and honor'
in this world.
Even if he hasn't studied Torah for the Name within her
he still obtains in this world riches and honor.

In personal habits as well: You should put your right shoe on first and when washing hands you should pour water on the right hand first.

When going up to the bimah to bless or read Torah you should go up on the right side of the Torah and go by the quickest route. You should linger there and go back away by the longest route to show your hesitance to leave the Torah behind.

•The Covering – the open Torah is covered when not actually reading as a sign of respect. (similar to the covering of a challah on Shabbat) – the covering should be beautiful and reflects the described clothing of the high priest in Torah. Exodus 15 “This is my God and I will glorify him…”

After the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the synagogue and the rabbis replaced the daily Temple sacrifices as the center of spiritual life. The rabbis ruled that Torah study now atoned for Israel’s sins (even though this contradicts the Torah itself! See Leviticus 17:11). It was at this point that the Torah scroll inherited the vestments of the High Priest. The outer covering called the mantle replaced the high priest’s ephod, while the binder replaced the girdle of the ephod. The High Priest’s mitre was replaced by the Torah’s crown. The breastplate of the High Priest became the Torah breastplate. It does not always contain the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, however, it is sometimes decorated with twelve semiprecious stones. Torah breastplates are often adorned with various Jewish symbols and floral motifs such as the Lion of Judah and the Tree of Life.

• Torah Girdle or Gartle or Binder – there is a tradition that a baby’s swaddling clothes (or wimple) is embroidered and used as a Torah Gartle or binder.

The wimple is a folk tradition from Germany dating back to Talmudic times. The cloth upon which an infant was resting during the circumcision was cut into long pieces and resewn to form a Torah binder. The cloth was elaborately decorated to include the baby’s name and date of birth. It was presented to
the synagogue and used to wrap the Torah on the occasion of the baby’s first visit to the synagogue.

• A Torah Myth – A woman having menstrual period cannot touch a Torah. Some believed that this would make the Torah unclean. However it is said in Tractate Brachot that the Torah cannot be made ritually unclean.

• Allyot – Blessing Torah – A non Jew CAN hold the Torah, however it is not appropriate for a non Jew to do the traditional blessing because the words of the blessing contains specific Jewish identifying declaration and thus would not make sense for a non Jew to say. (at Beth Am there is an English blessing that can be said by a non Jew)

When blessing the Torah the appropriate etiquette is to touch the tzitzit to the place where the reading begins, to kiss the tzitzit and then to recite the blessing. When the reading is done again to touch the place where it ends with the tzitzit and kiss and recite the end blessing. It is also appropriate to hold onto wooden spindles to which the Torah is attached, the etzai chaim – tree of life.

• Hakifah – when the Torah is marched around the congregation it is traditional to follow it with your eyes. When it passes close you touch it with tzitzit or a prayerbook and then kiss it.

• Hagbah – when the Torah is lifted and opened so the congregation can see it represents that the words of Torah are for everyone. The congregation sings: "This is the Torah which Moses set before the Children of Israel, according to God's word as given to Moses..." Some people will point their pinkie finger at the Torah during Hagbah.

Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, shlita,gave the following explanation:

The Torah lists the ten generations from Noah until Abraham, including Yoktan, who established the largest number of families. Rashi notes that Yoktan merited establishing so many families due to his great humility as his name indicates (from the root katan-little). Rabbi Scheinberg went on to explain that when pointing at the Torah we take this lesson to heart and we point with our smallest finger - the pinkie - to indicate that we should reach out to try to gain understanding of the Torah with the utmost humility and thus merit to succeed in this aspiration.

A link explains other parts of the Torah service and the order:

• If a Torah is dropped – There are some different opinions but most say that the person who drops the Torah should fast for some period of time. Usually it is 3 days and only during daylight hours so they can eat at night. Some say that everyone present should fast for at least one day. Good article on this topic: http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1333

• When a Torah is no longer able to be used – it is treated with the utmost respect and buried like a person and often next to a great scholar.