The Components of the Torah Scroll

Our generation has been privileged to witness the dedications of hundreds of newly written sifrei Torah. Communities and individuals throughout the world have committed themselves to mitzvas taryag-the 613th commandment-writing a Torah scroll.

It takes approximately one year to write a complete sefer Torah. The safer who writes the sefer Torah must be a pious, G-d fearing individual. He must be knowledgeable in all Halachic aspects of Torah script, while being an expert craftsman, for the task of writing of a sefer Torah is difficult and complex. The penmanship, spacing and uniformity of script will differ from sofer to sofer, ranging from minimally acceptable to excellent. They would be the most preferable and mehudar, using a meticulously exacting script. The attractiveness and consistency of k'sav, script, is one of the determining factors for the cost of the sefer Torah. The precision of each written letter, the crowns, curves and points, although seemingly insignificant, are what differentiate the sefer Torah from an ordinary Chumash. No two letters may touch. Each letter must be surrounded by parchment, mukafg'vil.

Each sefer Torah is handwritten with a simple turkey or goose quill, copied from the text of an existing sefer Torah. The klaf (parchment) is made from the hides of kosher animals that have been soaked, stretched and sanded lishma, for the specific intent of writing religious scrolls. The parchment surface should not be coated or glazed. The klaf is scored with horizontal and vertical lines called sirtut to guide the sofer in his writing.

Although the line and column format of sifrei Torah may vary, most newly written scrolls contain 245 columns of 42 lines each. The average parchment height is between 17 and 20 inches tall, although some have been written as small as 6 inches or as tall as 28 inches. Approximately 62 pieces of hide are needed to complete a sefer Torah, and each yeriah, sheet of parchment, contains from three to five columns. Once completed, all yerios are joined and sewn together with giddin, the sinews and tendons of a kosher animal. Once the writing of the sefer Torah is complete, it is proofread by reputable ba'alei magiah, examiners, to ensure that all words and letters are intact. With the advent of computer technology, we have the capability of inspecting sifrei Torah, tefillin, mezuzos and megillos by computer to virtually ensure halachic accuracy. The computer will detect any missing or additional letters that may have been overlooked by previous proofreaders. Although all aspects of the sefer Torah writing are done traditionally with the simple ancient tools used by Moshe Rabbeinu and all sofrim since, modern technology is utilized to ensure that our sacred scrolls are as perfect as humanly possible.

The Chasam Sofer writes that one who commissions the writing of a sefer Torah and goes through the difficulty of choosing the appropriate scribe, selecting the finest hides for the parchments, appointing the best possible proofreaders and choosing the most beautiful atzei chaim and Torah covers has a great merit. He makes an indelible impression upon his offspring, making a profound statement about one's willingness to expend energy and resources for the love and honor of the Torah. He has re-enacted what transpired on Mount Sinai centuries ago, recreating the ecstasy, joy and splendor of the giving and receiving of the Torah.