The Ktav
Czech Torah Project at Beth Emeth Bais
Yehuda
A sefer Torah contains precisely 304, 805
Hebrew letters in a special script (ktav), all following a myriad of
halachic rules where the major halacha are found in the Talmud and the Masechet
Soferim (The Tractate of the Scribes). The letters are in Ktav Ashurit, and we note differences in
calligraphy; for example, the calligraphy differs between Ashkenazi and
Sephardi Torah scrolls. There are also
differences in the writing implements used.
An Ashkenazi scribe (sofer) will use quills whereas a Sephardi sofer
will use reeds.
Tagin—decorative
« crowns » are placed on letters and are composed of strokes resembling the
small letter zayin. These tagin
also have significance in Talmud and Kabbalah and over time, there have been
various studies (limudim) for them.
When we look at the Czech Torah, we
immediately discover some very striking facts.
The ktav is very distinct and, while Ashkenazi in style, there
are Sephardic influences in some of the letters. The tagin really stand out. Rabbi Zacks, our Magiah (proofreader)
who is reviving our Czech Torah, tells us that it is written with a flowery
style Bohemian tagin—extra tagin on top of one another and some below the
letter. These tagin together with
unusual prominence of letters had a special significance. However, the masorah (textual guides)
for these is long gone.
The photographs and the photo stories below
are inspired by the information Rabbi Zacks discusses as he brings our Torah
back to life—from pasul (invalid) to kosher, and by the history of this
Torah which was described in the previous article.
This article is the second in a series of
short photo essays to help our community members see and learn with us. We welcome you in being part of the journey
of the Czech Torah Restoration Project at Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda. Please contact the shul office at 416 633 38
38.
Very unique tagin and
flourishes above and below the letter « nun ».
Notice that the letters « nun, » « shin » and « lamed » are Sephardi in
style. Why do you think there is an influence of two styles? What might that tell you about where this
Torah has been, and about the sofer (scribe) who wrote it?
« the nakedness of adam and eve and the cunning of the
serpent »
The Torah text in the
photograph is Bereishit, 2:25 and 3:1 :
They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed;
Now the serpent was cunning beyond any beast of the field that Hashem G-d had
made. The Hebrew word for naked is ערום . It is also the word for cunning. Notice that the sofer made the letter ayin
for each word more prominent and with distinct tagin and
flourishes. What was his reason? Perhaps this was the message: the nakedness of humanity was the intention
of Hashem, and all we need to do is listen to Hashem. However, humanity is perpetually tempted by
the cunning of others and by the cunning of our own frailty, doubt and yetzer
harah.
The Torah text in this
photograph is superimposed over one of the stained glass panes in the main
sanctuary. The tree image is appropriate
to the text, but superimposing the text on the shul’s window is a way to show
that BEBY is fulfilling the wish of those who safeguarded the scroll during the
Nazi occupation, hoping that someday, it will be brought back to life.
« lech lecha:
unique tagin on lamed »
The Torah script here is
from the opening line of Lech Lecha where Hashem instructs Abraham (then
called, Abram) to leave his land, Haran, and go to Canaan where Hashem promises
to make him « a great nation. » Notice
the very distinct tagin on the two « lamed. » The imagery in this
photograph offers interpretations of the tagin. First, it would not be surprising that the
sofer would decorate the two words, lech lecha with unique tagin
since they are very significant. Indeed,
they have elicited many commentaries.
Rabbi Morrison sums up Rashi’s explanation of the word, lecha,
meaning that Hashem is saying to Abraham that going is for his benefit and his
good.
Second, the very shape of
the tagin might be considered. The
tagin look like manicules—pointing hands that first appeared in medieval
manuscripts to draw attention to something important. And they are pointing toward the left, which,
on the compass rose, is westward. Canaan
was west of Haran where Abraham had been when Hashem instructed him to
leave.
Again, the purpose of superimposing
the text on the shul’s stained glass in the Lerman Chapel is to show that BEBY
is fulfilling the wish of those who safeguarded the Torah and other Jewish
treasures during the Nazi occupation, hoping that someday, it will be brought
back to life. The window is part of the
panes that paint the port of Yaffo overlooking the sea, welcoming
newcomers. But here is an inimitable
point. If the text were actually on the
stained glass window of our chapel, the tagin would be pointing eastward
as one looked at it from the inside.
East is Israel—Hashem’s covenant with Abraham, east is Jerusalem—Hashem’s
holy city, and east in the chapel is the Aron Hakodesh where our Czech Torah
rests as it is coming back to life.
The Torah is open at Breishit—it is open wide and in bright light
from the Ner Tamid and the light in the ceiling, suggesting that right at the
beginning, this Torah is ready to give its love and life and the words of
Hashem. Letters in Torah script appear
to rise from the Torah itself—their transformations and skewed positions
suggest that they are free, unfettered, light and happy. They are colored in reds and yellows, being
bathed in the light of the Ner Tamid.
These letters are tamid—eternal, truthful, constant, and
continuous, because they spell the fundamental statement, « Am Yisrael Chai.
» And that BEBY, in restoring this
Torah, is honoring the memory and the desire of those Jewish Czech curators can
be seen in the words above our Aron Hakodesh where four letters in the flowery
Bohemian script from the Torah are permanently affixed.
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