The last mitzvah of the Torah, the 613th one, is Hashem’s commandment to each and every Jew to write his own complete sefer Torah. We have come to understand from our Sages that, even if a scribe is enlisted to fulfill this mitzvah for a community and each person has even one letter written on his or her behalf, the commandment is fulfilled by all. Each and every individual letter is necessary for the completion of a sefer Torah.
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About the Mitzvah
Regardless of your affiliation we invite you to join us in the writing of our sefer Torah, where we, as a community, can band together to take part in this sacred Jewish tradition. The Torah is our guide to life, extending far beyond the loose translation of “bible.â€Â The first Sefer Torah was dictated by G-d to Moses, who wrote it himself. From this original, divinely revealed Torah, all other identical copies of the Torah followed. The Torah scroll is comprised of the Five Books of Moses, handwritten in a special Hebrew script on a parchment scroll.
The Torah is the essence of Judaism. It is the center of who we are, what we stand for, what is expected of us, and what we must do to lead a complete life as a Jew. Our Torah is a bridge between G-d and man. The Torah contains our history, our beliefs, our traditions, our cultural base, our guide of mitzvoth (deeds) and our future. Complex as life is, our eternal strength and encouragement is found in the Torah.
A trained and skilled scribe who has rigorously studied the detailed laws of creating a Torah scroll writes a proper kosher Torah. Parchment, a quill and ink are the fundamental materials used. The parchment is made of from the hide of a kosher animal, with the specific intent of using it for the mitzvah of writing a Torah. The scribe must etch in guidelines so that every line of text is equally spaced. He uses a feather or reed pen, immersed in a very black, durable but not indelible ink.
The scribe immerses himself in a ritual mikva each morning before he commences his writing. Much concentration is needed to constantly keep in mind that he is writing the Torah scroll for the exclusive sake of its holiness. The focus of the Torah scroll is in the holy words and text, leaving n room for illustrations or decorative adornments. Al this care is necessary for the Torah to be considered “kosher†and qualified for use in our synagogues.
As we study the Torah, we learn that the last mitzvah, the 613th one, Hashem’s commandment to each and every Jew to write his own complete sefer Torah. We have come to understand from our Sages that, even if a scribe is enlisted to fulfill this mitzvah for a community and each person only has one letter written on his or her behalf, the commandment is fulfilled by all. Each and every individual letter is necessary for the completion of a sefer Torah.
For over one year, members of our community and beyond will have the chance to watch the sefer Torah being on this very website. Please consider how you can be a part of this mitzvah.
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