Today is Rosh HaShanah, which literally translates into “Head TheYear” or “head of the year.” It marks the Jewish New Year and the period where Jews finish the Torah, or the Five Books of Moses and begin the Good Book all over again, reading a little bit each week until the cycle is complete once again. This is an old post I wrote about the Torah, which I’m republishing here again today. May it be a sweet New Year…
1. The word Torah means teaching or instruction in Hebrew. The Torah itself is a scrolled parchment that contains the following 5 books from the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
2. Jews read the Torah from beginning to end each year, one section every week, and then start afresh after the Jewish New Year.
3. It takes a scribe about a year to pen the 304,805 letters found in each and every Torah, the exact same way it’s been written since the time of Moses.
4. There are over 4,000 laws that dictate the writing. Even the slightest slip of the pen, the smallest mistake, can be reason to burn the scroll and start over, especially if a mistake is found in the word God. Indeed, God’s name is so holy, a scribe must bathe in a mikvah (ritual pool) before writing the Lord’s four-letter (Hebrew) name.
5. Torahs are made up of between 62 and 84 sheets of parchment produced from the skin of a kosher animal. The pen used to write one is actually a quill from a kosher bird, usually a goose feather, and only special, permanent black ink is acceptable.
6. Using thread made from the leg sinews of a kosher cow, the scribe sews the backs of the parchment together so the stitches aren’t visible from the front. Each end of the scroll is sewn onto the two wooden shafts, called atzei chaim, or “trees of life.”
7. Torahs are quite heavy, weighing around 25 pounds. If you don’t know how to lift one and are given that honor in a synagogue, ask for instruction; dropping a Torah is a serious matter. Tradition holds that every person in the room must fast for 40 days in atonement. And while not eating for 40 days isn’t as bad as wandering the desert for 40 years, certainly it’s no picnic either, unless, of course, you prefer your picnics without food.
Number Two is not accurate. The torah starts again on a holiday called simchas torah, where the last paragraph of Devarim and the first of Bereshit are read together–not on the new year, but about a month after, seperated by Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret.
posted by Sohpia on 5-7-2008 at 7:22 am
Ignorant question from a midwestern agnostic who was raised to play for the Lutherans:
How common are Torahs? i.e. does every synagogue have one? Do many/any families/individuals have them (if such a thing is allowed)?
I’m fascinated by the amount of effort and detail that goes into making them. It would seem that they would be very rare, though I know that’s not always the case.
posted by EV on 5-7-2008 at 8:13 am
Torahs are common in synagogues, but cost quite alot (labor costs, as with all things). It is one of the first things that a synagogue will acquire, even before there is a permanent home. Many synagogues have more than one; after WWII torahs that had been hidden away from synagogues that no longer existed in Europe were sent around the world and now are in synagogues as a reminder that “we will not forget” what happened.
posted by kcz on 5-7-2008 at 8:20 am
Every synagogue needs to have a Torah; most have multiple Torahs, either from donation or inheritance from an earlier synagogue that closed. Some families also have their own Torahs which they have sponsored; often, those Torahs are donated to the family’s synagogue with the caveat that it would be returned to the family on demand or need.
posted by AS on 5-7-2008 at 8:34 am
I was wondering the same thing. Is it the type of thing that you receive as a gift at your bar/bat mitzvah or are they more difficult to acquire? If all Jews must read the Torah all the way through each year, there must be some hardcore scribe sweatshops.
posted by nikki on 5-7-2008 at 8:35 am
@nikki – Nope, you don’t get one @ your bar mitzvah – they cost upwards of $50,000 each, new, and are given to synagogues as major donations. There are many sofrim (scribes) out there writing, especially in Israel. Note that they can also be restored, which makes the cost substantially cheaper – closer to the 10-20k range, depending on the Torah.
posted by Aaron on 5-7-2008 at 8:42 am
Every synagogue/temple has at least one Torah, since it is essential to public worship (see #2, above). In many cases the Torah comes to represent the community to which it belongs, and becomes their most treasured possession. It’s rare for an individual family to have their own Torah scroll, since they are so expensive and time-consuming to make. However, it is traditional to give a Bar/Bat Mitzvah their own bound copy of the Torah, since they are now responsible to live by its commands. This is just a normal book, though it is usually printed right to left since that is the way that Hebrew is read. For an example, go to Amazon and search for “Torah Modern Commentary.”
posted by Jason on 5-7-2008 at 8:52 am
from what i remember every Synagogue has to have one. you can even buy one that is all writen except for the last couple words which you write in and are given credit for writing the whole thing.
posted by k on 5-7-2008 at 9:01 am
Another interesting fact is that the greatest ‘collector’ of torah scrolls was a man named Adolf Hitler. Torah’s from burned and destroyed synagogues were collected and saved, as part of an attempt to build a historical record of how the Nazi’s wiped the Jews off the map. Many modern synagogues now have one of these damaged scrolls in their possession.
posted by Rich on 5-7-2008 at 9:59 am
There is no way I would hold a Torah… As the self-proclaimed clumsiest person on the planet I would somehow manage to drop the thing several times and would have the entire congregation fasting for a year…
posted by GTT on 5-7-2008 at 12:14 pm
This post adds weight to my thesis that religions are silly.
posted by Vorple on 5-7-2008 at 2:42 pm
Vorple – even if you believe that religions are silly, why would come to a board like this to assert that belief? Is it necessary for everyone to agree with you? Do you care if you greatly offend people that have a long standing beliefs and traditions? What exactly is your point? Do you think your POV is unique and you just need to enlighten the rest of us?
Additionally, even if you find it silly, you might find it interesting. I do and I’m not Jewish.
I’m hoping that you are just immature and that you’ll grow up and recognize how “silly” your comment is. This is a defiantely a case where you might abide by the “if you have nothing nice to say” rule of thumb.
posted by karen on 5-7-2008 at 3:46 pm
Hi Karen,
Geez, I don’t like your hope that I’m immature. The post is interesting and I did learn stuff I didn’t know. Didn’t mean to give offense but was making a statement based on my observations. I think it’s silly and tragic that people are spending so much time on making others feel guilty over breaking a rule that seems rather arbitrary. At some point I’ll bet some radical said it was ok to have a metal rail, steps, blue tiles, and faucets in the mikvah. How did that change come about while other rules are maddeningly fixed? Why are people starving themselves over a document that’s self contradictory. The order of the creation in two books of Genesis, for one example. It’s not just self-starvation. People are killing over cartoons and over the right to eat flesh and drink blood. I think there would be close to zero suicide-killers if people didn’t believe silly thoughts born from religions. I like fairy tales, if that makes me immature. But at least I recognize them for what they are.
posted by Vorple on 5-7-2008 at 10:13 pm
Vorple,
Please respect the fact that what you see as “fairy tales” are the foundations on which many people choose to live their lives. Why anyone would choose to mock that – whether they are agnostic, atheist, or have a different set of beliefs – says more about you and less about the point you’re trying to make.
posted by Angel H. on 5-21-2008 at 12:32 pm
IMO Religion is just an escape, an illusion, but I’m not hating on it. What I hate are these fundamentalists (and they exist in every religion, and even atheism).
Books that were written by MEN, should not be taken so seriously as the word of ‘God’. The Bible for instance is packed with weird stuff.
If you actually make an effort and try to investigate the origins of nearly every religion, you’ll notice they were either lying, crazy, or as high as the Mount Sinai.
posted by flossa on 8-18-2008 at 2:39 pm
Vorple – I’m with you on all counts. Too many people die for the unsubstantiated writings of people from the past. For all we know these writings may well be nothing more than entertaining fairy tales that have been perpetuated over time.
posted by Zaphod on 1-20-2010 at 9:37 pm
If a scribe makes a minor mistake in writing a torah, the scroll becomes a profane or “unkosher” torah, and can be put to work in a Hebrew school or other non-liturgical use.
posted by Zach on 9-7-2010 at 6:42 am
If it was not for religious belief, we would all still be living in caves and eating one another.
The are few identities on the planet which are as old as the Jews. The oral traditions and writings of the people preserved and collected the knowledge and observations of the world and passed them on to following generations.
That is why mankind did not have to start over at puberty in every generation. It is also why you are not living in a yurt, burning camel poo for heat.
posted by Eric on 9-7-2010 at 8:15 am
This was fascinating. I did not know most of those things about the Torah. I am a Christian and I like to read about other religions. Learning about other faiths helps me to understand their beliefs and hopefully to understand something about my own as well. Thanks for an enlightening post.
I see pain in the comments that show intolerance. God bless you and I hope you find what you are looking for.
posted by veetie on 9-7-2010 at 9:25 am
L’Shana Tova! Rosh Hashanah begins tomorrow at sundown! Everyone enjoy their apples and honey for a sweet, sweet new year! :)
posted by Meg on 9-7-2010 at 3:42 pm
I would NEVER let Dr Zoidberg hold a torah. He would accidently slice it in half with his claws. If dropping a torah leads to 40 days of fasting, cutting one in half has to be 40 years.
DARN YOU DR ZOIDBERG!!!!
posted by cajun bob on 9-7-2010 at 4:08 pm
Wow! 25 lbs…
I don’t think I ever knew EXACTLY how much a Torah weighed, but this is probably why I wasn’t allowed, at my Bat Mitzvah, to hold/walk around with it. As I was only prob 80 some lbs at the time, it would’ve been quite heavy for me!
posted by Amy on 9-7-2010 at 4:41 pm
Happy New Year, David!
posted by Miss Cellania on 9-29-2011 at 12:35 pm
I wish I got to leave work early, too. :-(
posted by BWNYC on 9-29-2011 at 1:01 pm
Can someone now explain the reason behind that swaying thing that Jewish people (I’ve only seen men do it myself, but I know almost nothing about Judaism) do when they pray? I’ve always been curious about that.
posted by Joe in PA on 9-29-2011 at 2:26 pm
Wow, amazing. I can now see why there isn’t one in every motel room night stand.
posted by Jov on 9-29-2011 at 3:10 pm
Several inaccuracies and omissions in this article.
#1: It should be noted that Jews don’t call it The Old Testament, as that implies a need for, and supremacy of, a New Testament. A better term might be The Hebrew Bible, simply The Bible, or most officially the Tanach, which is an acronym formed by the Hebrew names of its parts: the Torah, Prophets (Neviim), and Writings (Ketuvim). Also it’s worth noting that the “official” books of the Bible, and their order, differ between Jews and various denominations of Christians — that’s only in the latter two sections however.
#2: The actual start of a new cycle is Simchat Torah, not Rosh Hashanah. It’s easy to mix them up as Simchat Torah is only three weeks after Rosh Hashanah, and considered part of the “high holidays” which also include Yom Kippur and Sukkot — they all fall within a few days of one another. This year Simchat Torah falls on the evening of October 19th, while Rosh Hashanah is last night/today (happy New Year!).
#4: Since Torah scrolls are built out of many sheets of parchment, as noted later in the article, if an error is made in God’s name it is sufficient to undo the sinews and begin the current sheet again. Any other error can in fact be scraped off.
Also, it is preferable to bury ritual and holy objects, including Torah pages with errors in God’s name, rather than burn them. All Jewish cemeteries actually have special sections called Genizahs for this very purpose.
#7: Note that while you do have to fast for “40 days”, you do not have to fast for 40 days IN A ROW. Additionally, you don’t have to fast at night, only during daylight hours. Talmudic legal thought is very focused on the wording, rather than the spirit, of the law. It’s one reason why Jews make such good lawyers.
Also, nowadays most people can buy their way out the need to fast with a charitable donation (often to the synagogue, but it could be a donation to any worthy organization or person).
posted by Isaiah on 9-29-2011 at 3:18 pm
Thanks for expanding my knowledge of other religions, David. Hope you have a happy New Year!
Freedom of religion also is freedom from religious persecution. Even if you don’t agree with someone else’s religion, you have no right to criticize them or their beliefs. Criticizing what someone chooses to believe is close-minded. The point of faith is that it can’t be disproven…
posted by Trent on 9-29-2011 at 3:19 pm
@Joe:
What you’ve witnessed is called “Davening.” There are a number of moments in a prayer service where bowing is required, others where it is simply traditional. Other moments call for facing a certain direction, or taking steps forward and back.
On top of this, many traditional Jews sway in a meditative fashion as they pray, as a way of concentrating and blocking out external distractions (this focus is called “kavanah” which also means “intent” — praying without kavanah is simply reading or speaking). This may also be a reference to Psalm 35, which says “All my limbs shall declare, ‘O Lord, who is like You?’”
The reason you’ve only seen men doing it is because in traditional (ie Orthodox and Chasidic) denominations these sections are read individually, at your own — usually speedy — pace. Traditional Jews will pray at set times each day, even if they happen to be alone. And since they view the commandment to pray as only incumbent upon men, you probably haven’t seen, or noticed, traditional women praying in this fashion.
Most liberal (Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist) Jews pray together, in a synagogue, usually once or twice a week rather than daily, although each congregation and person makes their own determination. Men and women both pray, usually without the fast swaying but still with some of the bowing and other physical manifestations. So you wouldn’t notice them unless you stopped by a temple.
Which, almost without exception, you are welcome to do in the spirit of ecumenical brotherhood, as long as you are respectful. Your best bet is a Friday night service — that’s pretty short and usually ends with food.
posted by Isaiah on 9-29-2011 at 3:40 pm
Thanks Isaiah!
posted by Joe in PA on 9-29-2011 at 4:57 pm
Now explain why you think I need to know this.
These are things that might be of interest to an observant Jew, but not necessarily to anyone else — unless they are trivia junkies.
posted by Zaphod on 9-29-2011 at 8:32 pm
“Even if you don’t agree with someone else’s religion, you have no right to criticize them or their beliefs.”
When someone fervently believes in a document which contradicts itself, I think that you can quite fairly sigh in dismay at their lack of a talent for logic.
posted by Andy on 9-29-2011 at 8:35 pm
Why is Yahweh’s name considered sacred but not El’s?
posted by Andy on 9-29-2011 at 8:36 pm
@Andy:
I’d wager a fair amount that most Talmud-educated Jews will thoroughly school you in any logic debate you’d care to have with them.
As if to demonstrate this, the question you ask doesn’t even make sense. Jews who consider the four letter name of God sacred also extend the same recognition to God’s (many( other names, including Elohim. You’ll note that they’ll write and say “Elokim” when not praying, for instance, just as they will write “G-d” or say the acronym “Adonai” instead of trying to pronounce Yahweh (the exact pronunciation having been lost with the destruction of the Second Temple).
The reason that there is a special distinction for the four-letter form is that when Moses asks God what he should call Him, God replies with that name, which means “I am / I will be”. So it’s extra special.
posted by Isaiah on 9-29-2011 at 11:42 pm
@Zaphod:
“These are things that might be of interest to an observant Jew, but not necessarily to anyone else — unless they are trivia junkies.”
What else would you expect to find on this site?
But you don’t have to read it if the thought of how one of the world’s major religions deals with its most sacred text is of no personal interest. You’re a grown-up (presumably), you can choose what information you want to take in or not. There is no test, no grade. Nobody is making you read this article, or come back to keep commenting on it.
posted by Isaiah on 9-29-2011 at 11:47 pm
read it
posted by zhengyuanlednet on 9-30-2011 at 3:05 am
Shana Tova ya’ll! Shabat Shalom!
posted by Morgan on 9-30-2011 at 10:24 am
@ Zaphod – first day on the site or what?
I mean, mental-floss magazine used to have a column written by the winningest Jeopardy champion ever? Trivia is pretty much what they do here.
posted by Bert on 9-30-2011 at 11:14 am
@Isaiah – Each of your responses are every bit as informational as the article.
I appreciate the zeal many have where religion is concerned. Each religion has fanatics who distort the ‘true’ meaning of their faith and this is where most troubles begin.
Whether or not one choose to ‘believe’ is irrelevant; everyone should be allowed to believe as they wish without persecution.
posted by robigus on 9-30-2011 at 11:27 am
@Zaphod
> Too many people die for the unsubstantiated writings of people from the past.
More people have died at the hands of the atheists (is communists, Nazis) in the past 120 years than have died by the hands of the religious in the past 4000 years.
posted by Les on 9-30-2011 at 4:02 pm
@Les:
Well, that’s just ridiculous. First of all, I think you’re dramatically under-counting the deaths associated with the Crusades, on both sides, which one could chalk up primarily to the religions involved. Millions also died in part due to the centuries-long, globe-spanning conflicts between Protestantism and Catholicism, and today the Catholic church actively opposes many common-sense measures to curb the spread of AIDS in Africa, including condom education, directly leading to many needless deaths.
Furthermore, while the toll of the Holocaust and the various communist dictatorships is deplorable, the way these regimes have used their “aetheism” has more in common with organized religion than anything even the most strident atheists actually believe when it comes to policy matters. The elevation of Mao, Stalin, and Hitler is textbook quasi-organized-religious brainwashing, a mere substitute Opiate for the Masses, to steal a phrase. Political scientists call such regimes “Political religions” for a reason.
To put it another way, I think you’ll find that fanatics tend to be fanatical and violent and oppressive, whether it is in the name of God or in the name of Dear Leader.
Lastly, and more controversially, I don’t think you can justifiably call Hitler, or the Nazi party in general, atheist. Atheism was associated with communism, which the Nazis sought to stamp out, and Hitler talked a great deal in Mein Kampf of the Aryans being God’s gift to the world. There’s a rather comprehensive introduction to the discussion on the matter here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler%27s_religious_views
posted by Isaiah on 10-1-2011 at 1:08 am
My husband is Jewish by ethnicity, but he was raised Christian. His grandmother fled Europe after WWII and refused to admit she was Jewish to her children. They found out after she died.
And one of my good friends is Jewish, also by ethnicity, but slightly more observant than my husband. She actually goes to Temple and participates in the holidays.
I find it all very interesting!
posted by Heather on 10-1-2011 at 10:21 am