Sofer On Site

Torah Facts

And now you shall write this song...

The Torah is G-d's gift to the Jewish People. The last and final Mitzvah of the Torah is a unique expression of G-d’s Divinity in this world. There is a commandment upon each and every Jew to write this ‘Song’ – the Torah, for themselves. Since the time of it’s giving, a Sofer has completed this sacred task of writing Sifrei Torah for the Jewish nation. A skilled and trained scribe who is a G-d fearing Jew may write a Sefer Torah. Jewish law is very specific about what makes a Torah kosher. In fact, every step in the creation of a new scroll has to be made with one purpose in mind – Leshem Mitzvat Torah and only with these thoughts will the Torah take on its role as a G-dly vehicle for G-d’s wisdom in this world. By writing a new Torah we proclaim the everlasting and eternal connection we share with our creator. Although, we are always very careful about treating a Sefer Torah with respect, over time even the best scrolls can become pasul-unfit for ritual use. A Sofer can carefully examine the scroll to determine the extent of repair needed.

Facts & Insights

Hundreds of laws govern the most minute details of writing a Sefer Torah, from the materials used to the actual writing. It takes an expert scribe anywhere from 8 months to a year to complete a single Torah scroll, depending on many factors.

There are three basic scripts used today:

Beit Yosef – generally used by Ashkenazi Jews

Ari – generally used by Chassidic Jews

Vellish – Sephardi Jews generally use this script

Beit Yosef and Ari scripts are similar, differing only in the form of 5 or 6 letters. Vellish is generally a more rounded hand than Ashkenazi script and can be written more quickly. All three scripts themselves can have some additional variation, such as some Sephardic and Lubavitch Chassidim. Some scribes use a reed pen, others use a feather quill.

After they are written, the sheets of the Torah are sewn together with gut from a kosher animal, but not before they are checked three times for mistakes, and repaired if necessary. With the advent of technology, the computer is now utilized as well. A computer scan of the entire Sefer Torah is accomplished. The computer is better than human checkers at locating mistakes in the consonantal text – missing, garbled, or extra words – but it can’t substitute entirely for expert human checkers, who are able to locate fine breaks and joins between letters and various other problems which a computer can’t catch.

There are 304,805 letters in a Sefer Torah

27,057

7,187

10,623

2,925

17,344

1,802

9,854

1,057

2,109

31,530

4,287

4,694

7,032

8,610

1,833

18,125

28,052

3,330

11,247

15,596

30,513

21,570

3,975

17,949

2,198

14,472

834

304,805

TOTAL

Bereshis (Genesis)

78,064 letters

Shmos (Exodus)

63,529 letters

Vayikra (Leviticus)

44,790 letters

Bamidbar (Numbers)

63,530 letters

Devarim (Deuteronomy)

54,892 letters

Each book is divided into pesukim/sentences:

Bereshis - 1,534

Shmos - 1,209

Vayikra - 858

Bamidbar - 1,288

Devarim - 955

The Torah is divided into 245 columns.

Bereshis - 60

Shmos - 50

Vayikra - 38

Bamidbar - 52

Devarim - 45

The official massoretic text lists 16 large letters in the Torah but there was never full agreement on these as many may have just been the initiative of a single scribe. Many printed texts don't make reference to the full 16 and I have seen seen a number of scrolls with additional letters (particularly kabbalistic ones). Listed here are all the large letters I have come across, together with explanations of why they are to be writ large where one can be found. (Those shown in italics are not generally accepted):


	1. The bet in Bereshit (Gen 1:1) 'in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The very first letter of the Torah is made large and carries 4 taggin as opposed to its normal one. Indeed, it is noted in Masechet Sofrim that originally all the letters of Bereshit were a bit larger not just the bet - as shown in this excerpt from a Moroccan scroll below:


	Kol Hatorah explains that this emphasises that the creation of the Universe is only secondary and instead man's prime concern should be with the first factor - i.e. God, the creator of everything. However a practical reason given by Rabbi Dr Eric Ray is that when the torah was actually 5 separate scrolls the large bet told people this was the start!


	2. The final fey in u'vha'atif (Gen 30:42) 'but when the cattle were feeble he did not put them in’ is large. However this is in dispute. Mikra’ot G’dolot (Pardes 1951) does include this in its list of large letters.


	3. The zayin* in hak'zona (Gen 34:31) 'and they said, should we deal with our sister as a 'harlot' In dispute, but again listed in Mikra’ot G’dolot.*


	4. The chet in chachlili (Gen 49:12) ‘his (Judah’s) eyes will be red with wine and his teeth white with milk’ may be large. Seen in a kabbalistic scroll in sefardi form with two taggin and right in an Hungarian scroll decorated very oddly indeed.


	5. The final mem* in sh'leshim (Gen:50:23) referring to Joseph living to see Ephraim’s children to the third generation. In dispute.*


	6. The enlarged tet in tov (Ex. 2:2) refers to the infant Moses 'When she (Yochaved) saw that he was a goodly child...' leading commentators to remark that Moses was even then perceived as special with a more than natural 'goodness' and Rabbi Meir said that Tov was Moses' real hebrew name. In dispute.


	7. The tsadi* in tseh (Ex 11:8) from Pharoah’s exclamation ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you’ is large according to some sources.*


	8: A possible large tsadi sofit in tsits Ex. 28:36. And you shall make a plate of pure gold, and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, "Holiness to the Lord" - seen in a kabbalistic torah.


	9. Part of the 13 attributes of God the larger nun in notser (Ex. 34:7) keeping mercy for thousands’.


	10. A possible enlarged shin* in shamor (Ex 34:11) ‘Observe what I command you this day’.*


	11. The enlarged resh in acher (Ex:34:14 'for you will worship no other god' is the exact counterpart to the large dalet in the Shema (see below) to ensure that it is read as acher and not


	accidentally as echad which would, heaven forbid, give the meaning to the sentence of 'and you will not worship the one God'


	12. Masechet Sofrim notes that the whole word vayishchat* should be writ large, because it is half the verses of the Torah. However it is unclear whether this*


	refers to Lev 8:15 ‘and he (Moses) slew it (the bull)’ or Lev 8:23 ‘and he (Moses) slew it (the ram)’ for both verses begin with the same word. Others say that only the chet is enlarged, the initial letter of chetsi meaning half, but nowadays nothing is enlarged perhaps because of the confusion.


	13. Vehaleta'ah (Lev. 11:30) 'and the ferret and the chameleon and the lizard* and the snail and the mole' has a large lamed though this is in dispute.*


	14. The simple explanation given to the large vav in gachon (Lev 11:42) 'whatsoever goes upon its belly' is that it is the exact centre of the Sefer Torah in letters, and thus is in the belly


	of the Torah. However this is difficult to calculate as the exact number of letters in a Torah has changed over time and even the Talmud reports dicrepancies between the Temple Sifrey Torah which had to be reconciled by agreement. Kashrut is discussed in this section - i.e. matters which concern our bellies!


	15. The middle word of the Torah is said to bev'hitgaleach (Lev 13:33) 'and he will be shaven' and thus the gimel is enlarged.


		16. Num 3:16 may have a large peh* in piy. And Moses counted them according to the word of the Lord, as he was commanded. Again seen in a kabbalistic torah.*

	17. The samech in vayahas (Num 13:32) 'and Caleb stilled* the people' is in dispute, but shown in Mikra’ot G’dolot.*


	18. The yud in yigdal (Num 14:17) ‘let the power of my Lord be great’ is the largest yud in scripture.



	19. Definately at the top of a column as the mem in B'yah Sh'mo (see diary 8) there is also debate as to whether the mem in mah (Num 24:5) (How goodly are your tents O Jacob' should be large.

		20. Also in dispute is whether the final nun of mishpatan (Num 27:5) 'and Moses brought their cause before the Lord' is large (or perhaps just written longer - the notation is nun aroch (long nun)). The cause in question is that of the daughters of Zelofchad and this may be emphasising the Torah bestowing rights to women in equal measure.





		21. Another enlarged letter may be the final chaf* of vanach (Deut 2:33) ‘and we struck him (i.e. Sichon)’.*


	22. The sin* in eres (Deut 3:11) ‘his (King Og’s) bed was a bed of iron’ may be enlarged.*


	23. and 24. Definitely large are the ayin and dalet of shema and echad respectively in Deut 6:4 ‘Hear O Israel the Lord is our God, the Lord is one’.


	25. Deut 18:13 may have a large tav in tamim 'you shall be perfect with the Lord your God'




	26. The kuf in kan* (Deut 22:6) ‘if a bird’s nest chances to be before you’ could be enlarged.*


		PICTURE TO COME

	27. The kaf* in v’hitmacartem (Deut 28:68) ‘ and there [Egypt] you will be sold to your enemies for bondmen and no man shall buy you.*


	28. The enlarged lamed in vayashlichem Deut 29:27 ‘and he cast them into another land’. By this the rabbis in Masechet Sofrim argue that this should be read as lachem (to you) implying that God will be a God to you even after casting you out. Rabbi Ray


	explains that lamed in Egyptian hieroglyphics is the symbol for an ox-goad. Thus this is a very relevant image when God is driving Israel out and perhaps the form reverts to its original usage in ancient Egyptian.


	29. The tsadi in hatsur (Deut 32:4) ‘he (God) is the rock‘ may be large.


	30. The heh of haladonai is enlarged as it is almost to be treated as a separate word and not just the prefix of the definite article and should also be spaced (Yerushalmi Megillah 1)


	31. Also seen in the last amud of a number of kabbalistic scrolls is the letter aleph* of ashrecha (Deut 34:29) ‘Happy are you, O Israel’ enlarged.*


	32. The last word in the Torah is yisrael and must be spaced to end in the centre of the column. Now not a large letter the final lamed was written so in antiquity but is nowadays made higher than any other lamed written in the Torah.


	PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION more pictures to come

There is considerably more agreement about the small letters in the Torah than the large ones, with only one in dispute and rest universally accepted. The masorah refers to these letters as z'i'ra.

Most commentator do not comment on these letters, the exception being the Baal Haturim.

1. The first occurs in Gen 2:4 as the heh of b'hibar'am (when they [the heavens and the earth] were created). The explanation for this is that God created the world with the use of the letter heh and that we should read it as b'heh bar'am (with a [letter] heh he created them) As to why it is small, the Rabbis add that it is diminished as God took the letter from here to give to Abram to make his name change to Abraham (ref) as according to the Baal Haturim the world was created for Abraham’s merit and b'hibar'am is an anagram of Abraham.

2. There is a small chaf in Gen 23:2 in the word v'livchota (and to weep for her [i.e. Sarah]) Baal Haturim explains that he (Abraham) cried only a little because she was old (and thus it was the way of the world).

3 and 4. There are two small kufs. One is accepted the other is in dispute. The first is katsti (I [Rebecca] am weary) in Gen: 27:46 but the second is in b'kameyhem (among their enemies) in Ex:32:25 , however other sources claim that this is not small rather it is odd in that the leg of the kuf is joined to the roof of the letter. Baal Haturim explains katsti as having a small kuf because Rivka foresaw that in the future the temple would be destroyed, the temple being kuf (100) cubits high, hence her assertion that she was weary in her life from the sadness of this vision. The Baal Haturim doesn't comment on the other small kuf so we can assume did not accept it.

5. The most famous small letter is the aleph of vayikra (Lev 1:1) The explanation given, again by the Baal Haturim is that Moses was a very humble man and to he wrote vayaker without the aleph which has the sense of a chance meeting but God insisted that this was deliberate - vayikra (and he called) to Moses. The compromise is the little aleph. However since the nest word el begins with an aleph and in ancient times there were no gaps between words the most likely explanation is that the early scribes did not duplicate the aleph and when the words were split they were unsure of whether to include the second aleph or not.

6. The mem in mokdah (burning) in Lev.6:2 is small.

7. The yud in pinchas (Num 25:11) is also small, however yud being the smallest letter anyway this one can be difficult to detect.

8. Deut 9:24 sees a small mem at the start of mamrim (rebellious) however this is also in dispute. This isn't shown as a small letter in most books but the Baal Haturim explains that this pasuk begins with a mem and ends with a mem to emphise that the whole mem fourty years they were in the desert the Israelites were rebellious.

9. and finally teshi (unmindful) in Deut 32:18 provides another smaller than usual letter yud.


In the meantime click to the right to see a possible explanation for why so many letters other than those in the formal masorah are considered.

There is considerably more agreement about the small letters in the Torah than the large ones, with only one in dispute and rest universally accepted. The masorah refers to these letters as z'i'ra.

Most commentator do not comment on these letters, the exception being the Baal Haturim.

6. The mem in mokdah (burning) in Lev.6:2 is small.

7. The yud in pinchas (Num 25:11) is also small, however yud being the smallest letter anyway this one can be difficult to detect.

9. and finally teshi (unmindful) in Deut 32:18 provides another smaller than usual letter yud.

There are some 15 words in the Tanach which are nakud (dotted). The most probable explanation is that they were inserted to call attention to some important homiletical teaching in connection with the words, but possibly they indicate that the words or letters were doubtful and are to be deleted, presumably when Elijah comes and resolves the various scribal disagreements that have sprung up. Ezra is hedging his bets saying that if Elijah says ‘why have you written these words’ he will reply ‘I have placed dots over them’ and if he says ‘you have written them correctly’ then he will remove the dots! (Avot d’Rabbi Natan 30b).

10 of these appear in the Torah mostly in Genesis or Numbers, though the last being in Deuteronomy being the most extravagant with no less than 11 dots over three consecutive words.

1. Gen. 16:5 - u’veynecha (let God judge between me [Sarah] and between you [Abraham]) has one dot above the yud. teaching that this issue was restricted to Sarah reproaching Abraham only on the matter of Hagar and not others. Alternatively Sarah does intend her words against any who stir up strife between her and her husband as words between them should be of no concern to others. (ARN 30b)

2. Gen. 18:9 - eylav (and they said to him, where is Sarah your wife) has three dots over the aleph, yud and vav. This is because these heavenly creatures actually knew very well where she was they asked a rhetorical question specifically to him (i.e. Abraham) out of courtesy. (ARN 30b)

3. Gen. 19:33 - uv’kumah (and he [Lot] was not aware of her lying down and of her gettingup) has one dot over the second vav. The Ba’al Haturim says this is to teach us that Lot’s daughter lay with her father before vav i.e. six hours of the night had passed and thus he was sleeping soundly when she got up. And he was not aware of when his youngest daughter arose but he was when his eldest did. (ARN 34:4), but the Talmud (Nazir 23a) and Bereshit Rabbah 51:8 say that the dotted vav indicates that he was unaware of her lying down but was aware in reality of her getting up, but acted as if he did not. With this in mind he should have not have let his daughters ply him with drink a second night, but he did.

4. Gen. 33:4 - vayishakehu (Esau ran towards him [Jacob], embaced him, fell upon his neck, and kissed him and they wept) has six dots, one over each letter. This is perhaps the most famous of the dotted letters as it is explained by the Rabbis that it intimates that Esau did not kiss his brother Jacob, rather he bit or at least intended to (Ba’al Haturim) bite him the same Hebrew word but a completely different meaning showing that Esau remained insincere in his reconciliation with Jacob and the dots indicate in some sense that the word is not fully there, as Esau’s intention contradicted his action. Alternatively he did not kiss him with sincerity (ARN 30b) or according to R. Simeon b. Eleazar this was the only time it was sincere and all other times it was insincere.

5. Gen 37:12 - et (Now his [Joseph’s] brothers went to pasture their father’s flock in Shechem) has two dots, one over each letter, teaching that they did not go to feed the flocks but to eat drink and indulge in pleasures, the et suggesting more on the list of actions. (ARN 30b)

6. Num. 3:39 - v’aharon (All that were numbered of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron numbered) has five dots, one over each letter, teaching that Aaron was not included in that census even though he was a Levite.

7. Num. 9:10 - r’chokah (or be in a journey far off) has one dot over the heh. The explanation to this is given by R. Jose in Pesachim 9:2 that far off doesn’t actually mean far away, but only [as far off as] beyond the threshold of the temple court.

8. Num. 21:30 - asher (and we have laid waste even to Nophah, which reaches to Medeba) has one dot over the resh. This teaches that they destroyed the only the people [who were idolators] and not the lands. Others say they destroyed the lands and not the people.

9. Num. 29:15 - v’isaron (and a separate tenth part) has one dot over the second vav, teaching that there was only to be one tenth-measure, even on occasions when three tenths had to be used.

10. Deut. 29:28 - lanu u’l’vaneynu ad (unto us and unto our children until) has eleven dots one over each letter of the three words except the last letter dalet. This teaches that God did not punish them for any sin until they had crossed the Jordan.

The most interesting use of dots, however, is to be found in the Psalms 27:13 where the word luleh (if I had not believed to look upon the goodness of the Lord) has dots both above (three) and below the word (two).

Sources: Avot d’rabi Natan 30b, parallels in Sifre to Numbers 9:10, Midrash Rabbah Numbers 3:13, and Soferim 6.

The Torah - the holiest, most meaningful and divine object known to mankind. It is the soul of the Jewish people. The last commandment perpetuates this holiness by commanding every Jew to write their own Sefer Torah. It is customary for congregations to have a new scroll written and involve the community in this mitzvah by participating in its writing. This is a Torah Project.

It has also become a growing practice to restore and rededicate an existing Sefer Torah back to the congregation. In recent times, we have buried far too many Torahs. Since the Torah is the soul of the Jewish people, it is vital to renew that which our enemies seek to destroy.

A well planned and executed Torah Project benefits from the best of both worlds - spiritual and physical. While performing this final and most sacred commandment, congregants gain knowledge and devotion to their heritage. At the same time, the congregation welcomes generous dedicated donations as well.

Ultimately the more effort and preparation that goes in to the planning of the Project, the more a congregation will reap the rewards of such an endeavor.

Selecting the Torah Script

The first stage in planning a Torah Project is choosing the type of writing and Klaf for the Torah. Writing a Sefer Torah takes the better part of a year’s time to complete; therefore, deciding the dates for your Project will depend primarily on the amount of time it will take to complete the scribing of the Torah. Occasionally congregations will opt to select a Torah that is already in progress, in order to fit into a pre-selected timetable. Following this, a Project can be planned. We are available to guide you through all stages of the writing and concluding of the Torah.

When making a decision regarding commissioning the writing of a new Sefer Torah, there are a few fundamentals to consider:

The script - the clarity and beauty of the script, the formation of the letters and spacing of the word
The Klaf - the quality of the parchment, texture, size and weight
The cost

The recommended Torah scroll commissioned today, is a medium-size, good quality, lightweight scroll in the $35,000 - $40,000 price range. This includes: A-grade parchment, the scroll writing, a computer check of the script (this is a must to insure you are getting an accurate and complete Kosher Sefer Torah), any corrections, all shipping costs from Israel and my inspections and verifications that the scroll is according to the agreed requirements.

The most popular size is a medium Sefer of 17 ½” - 19 ½”, written on A-grade lightweight very fine klaf. When finished it should weigh only about 11 pounds! This size Sefer is usually chosen because it is large enough to read easily yet light enough to lift and maneuver.

We have many scribes of various talents writing Sifrei Torah. Most scrolls today are written in Eretz Yisrael. We provide many script samples so you are able to choose that which appeals to you. These scripts range in clarity, beauty and cost. Once a script is selected, we commit that Sofer for your project and oversee all aspects of the writing until the conclusion.

We can provide you with samples of scripts that are in the lower price range from $25 - 30,000 but they are understandably, not as beautiful and flowing. There are scrolls that are over $45,000 but they are usually priced this way based on the reputation of the Sofer and not only his script.

Please note that the scripts are usually being viewed by other congregations at the same time and are contracted on a first-come first-serve basis.

The other costs to consider other then the price of the Torah, are:

	Atzei Chaim averaging $500 - $1,000, depending on adding decorative silver etc. (the basic ones start at around $250)
	Any other ornaments required by your Congregation
	Our services by way of educational programs and fundraising. See section – Costing of a Torah Project.

Payments for a Sefer Torah are usually divided in to six equal payments. The first amount is for the down payment and the purchasing of the parchment; then, five equal payments are paid after each of the five books are completed, received, and examined to our satisfaction.

Once the Torah selection process has been completed one last decision has to be made - requesting the correct amount of letters (from the scribing Sofer) to be left outlined, so the congregants can participate in filling them in. More than 50 outlined letters will usually incur an extra charge, since it takes the Sofer much longer to write an outlined letter than a regular one. See more information on this concept under the fundraising section.

We are also available to begin the writing and completion for the Siyum. At other times throughout the year, we will visit your congregation, to fill in letters with congregants in different parts of the Sefer Torah and to educate and teach as needed.

Click here to view script samples.