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 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.