A New Torah

There was a lot of excitement in our shul this week. A new Sefer Torah arrived amid a flurry of anticipation and activity. I have never witnessed the inauguration of a new Torah scroll before and got quite caught up in the joy of it all.

First off a ceremony was held at the Rabbi’s house. Several of the men, including my husband, were asked to ‘finish’ the Torah. The letters had already been written and simply needed coloring in. However, the task was more complex than you might think, as the tool for the job was a feather quill! I was worried my husband, not used to such an old fashioned writing tool, might accidentally splodge some ink on the parchment. I think I would have been far too nervous, had I been given the opportunity to write on the scroll.

There are so many specific regulations that need to be adhered to when writing a Torah; from the level of observance of the ‘sofer’ or writer, to the distance apart of each line, letter and word. The Torah must be perfect to be kosher so, at all stages of its creation, care needs to be taken to ensure that each letter is properly formed and that there are no errors at all.

With much luck and a steady hand, all the men rose the occasion and the final letters were duly ‘colored in’. Following on from the completion of the Torah, it was paraded along the street in a procession, under a chupa (like a wedding canopy) and escorted amongst much excitement and ceremony to the shul. At the shul there were many people waiting to receive it and the evening was rounded off with fireworks and celebratory dancing.

I have been a member of many old synagogues with Torah scrolls dating back many years. How lovely to be present for the installation of a new Torah, one that I hope will service a growing community.

Sharona B

www.judaicamosaica.com

An Extra Packet of Pretzels

It’s strange how things work out. Just before Shabbat I was in the supermarket getting a few last minute bits and pieces. I was at the till when my neighbor said hello and mentioned that the pretzels in my basket were on offer – two for a cheaper price. I said I only wanted one packet but noticed she had a packet in her trolley too. I reached over and put her packet through the checkout so that we made the most of the offer. There followed the charade of her trying to throw a few shekels to me and me refusing. Finally she said that she was going to get a second packet as she had decided she wanted two anyway! In the end she bought another two and I kept my two and we laughed about all the confusion. I didn’t think too much more about the incident.

We had friends from the UK staying this Shabbat and the Rabbi had agreed with my husband that it would be nice to have a kiddish after shul. However, during the week my husband didn’t think to remind the Rabbi, and the Rabbi, who had a particularly busy week, unfortunately forgot.

When my husband got to shul he noticed the fridge was bare but also saw that a few extra people had come to shul, expecting a kiddish. He dispatched my son home to me to see what could be done. I rustled together all sorts of nibbly bits from my cupboards… including the extra packet of pretzels!

It’s a funny old world!

Sharona B
www.judaicamosaica.com

A sweltering Shavuot

It’s a good thing that we eat ice cream on Shavuot. The day commenced with a bright, scorching sun, accompanied by a hot, dry breeze which combined to make an uncomfortable, heavy heat. It was the kind of heat that makes you aware of the weight of your body; that gives you the sensation of dragging your heavy bones along, hauling your body one step at a time towards your destination.

The walk to shul was exhausting. Although there is a shul just a few minutes from our house, we attend one which is twenty minutes away. With the buggy to push and the blazing sun above us, we made slow progress. We finally arrived red-cheeked and puffed out but instantaneously delirious as we felt the air conditioning sooth away our discomfort.

We fulfilled the obligation to listen to the Book of Ruth and the Ten Commandments and then retreated back home beneath the unrelenting rays of the midday sun.

I was not brought up in a religious environment and when I learn very simple things that are almost insignificant to others more learned than me, I get quite excited.

This Shavuot I looked into why we eat dairy foods. There were lots of reasons from all sorts of sources. The most commonly cited one relates to the Torah introducing the idea of kashrut and therefore there being a delay to prepare meat, utensils etc. in the appropriate manner; necessitating a milchig meal. However, the fact that impressed me the most was finding out about the numerical value for the word ‘chalav’ (milk). When the value of each letter is added up it equals 40. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai receiving the Torah and when he came down it was ‘chalavy’ food that was consumed.

We certainly enjoyed our Shavuot food this year - particularly the ice cream.

Sharona B

www.judaicamosaica.com