How to Design a Torah Scroll
In its narrowest sense, the Torah contains the five books of Moses, which in English are called Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In its broader sense, it includes all of the Jewish Scriptures, including the Torah (the Law), the Nevi'im (the Prophets) and the Kethuvim (the Writings). The Torah is treated with great honor by the Jews, who will not even touch its sacred parchment. Even today, most Orthodox Jewish synagogues have a handwritten scroll made of animal parchment and written with a special calligraphy called STA"M.
Things You'll Need
- Dowel rod
- 4 wooden finials
- Wood glue
- Parchment paper
- Calligraphy pen
- Scissors
- Velvet ribbon
- Velvet
- Fabric glue
- Gold or silver trim with fringe
- Gold or silver fabric
- Needle
- Thread
Instructions
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1
Glue decorative finials to the ends of two dowel rods and let them dry.
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2
Select a piece of cream or tan parchment paper to simulate the animal parchment used to create the Torah. Legal-sized paper works best, as it makes a fatter scroll.
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3
Copy a passage from the Torah using STA"M. Jewish scribes write STA"M using only consonants, so ignore any vowel points, or nikkud, in the Hebrew text you are copying.
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4
Draw a thin line of glue on the right and left edges of the parchment paper and glue the paper to the dowel rods. Let it dry thoroughly.
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5
Roll both dowel rods toward the center of the scroll. Tie it together with a piece of velvet ribbon to simulate the belt, or gartel, that holds the Torah together.
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6
Cut a piece of velvet long enough to wrap around the scroll and wide enough to cover the parchment, but not the handles. This will become the mantle that the Torah is stored in when not in use.
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7
Glue gold or silver trim edged with fringe to the top and bottom of the velvet.
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8
Cut designs, such as the Ten Commandments, crowns or a phrase from the Torah, out of gold or silver fabric and glue them onto the velvet mantle. Let it dry thoroughly.
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9
Sew the edges of the mantle together so that you have a cylindrical sheath to slip over the scroll.
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10
Store the scroll inside of the mantle.
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Tips & Warnings
Many Torahs also have a silver breastplate and a pointer, called a yad, that hang across the mantle. A silver crown sometimes sits over the top two handles as decoration when the scroll is not in use.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
