Creation of the Torah Scroll
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A Torah scroll is a handwritten copy of the Torah, which also referred to as the five books of Moses. These Torah is the first five first books of the Hebrew Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
This article will describe the scared process of the creation of the Torah Scroll.
The Torah Scroll is an intricate sacred virtuoso that blends parchment, ink, quill, calligraphy and wooden rollers with the scribe’s unique talent and is housed in the Torah Ark.
Parchment
The parchment is made from the skin of a kosher animal. The hide will be soaked in a treated water designed to loosen the hair which is then scraped off. Next, the skin is stretched and dried. While drying, the surface is scraped to give the parchment its uniform thickness.
Ink
The ink itself is permanent black. It is made be made from the acid gall nuts, the tree resin gum Arabic and water. The ink may contain soot, logwood, copper or iron sulfate. In this way, the ink’s quality is maintained to the extent that a Torah Scroll can exist for over 2,000 years. Recall, the oldest known copy of the Torah Scroll are the Dead Sea scrolls, which date back to the third century BCE.
Quill
The quill is the instrument used to write the text on the Torah Scroll; it is a feathered pen taken from a kosher animal. The quill itself is usually a goose feather or a turkey feather. No iron or steel instruments may be used because these metals are used to create instruments of war. Besides, metal pens could easily puncture the parchment.
Calligraphy
The calligraphy is always written in Assyrian script, which is the calligraphic form of the Hebrew alphabet. The lines must be perfectly straight and even. The form of each letter must be precise; if even one letter is cracked, smudged or missing, the entire Torah scroll is not kosher. The space between the columns must be the width of two fingers. There are no illustrations in the Torah Scroll, it is entirely pure text.
Wooden Rollers
The wooden rollers hold the Torah Scroll; the ends of the scroll are attached to these wooden rollers, known as Atzei Hayim or Tree of Life. The wooden rollers be plain or highly decorated with silver ornaments and crowns. These wooden rollers are used to roll it open and closed to the correct reading, and in this way, the reader can avoid touching the parchment directly. The reader will hold a pointer, called a yad, to help others follow the words as he reads.
Scribe
The Scribe or Sofer will copy the Torah from a flawless master copy called a Tikkun. The text of a Torah Scroll cannot be written from memory. The Torah has exactly 304,805 letters in 79,976 words, 5,844 verses and 245 columns. This means before writing, the scribe will lightly mark lines into the parchment to guide the text to ensure there are no errors, that every letter is perfect, every line is fully justified. The scribe, who has gone through rigorous training, will recite a blessing at the when he starts his writing and before each time he writes the Name of G‑d.
Torah Ark
The Torah Ark in the synagogue houses the Torah Scroll. It is an ornamental chamber. The ark is covered with an ornate curtain called a parochet that resembles the same cloth that was once on the golden Ark. Jewish law states the ark is the second holiest part of a synagogue after the Torah scrolls themselves.
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