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Conference taveng::bagels

Title:BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest
Notice:1.0 policy, 280.0 directory, 32.0 registration
Moderator:SMURF::FENSTER
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1524
Total number of notes:18709

925.0. "A question about liturgy" by ABE::STARIN (Electronic Archaeologist) Wed Apr 18 1990 19:46

    I have a question about a particular part of the service.
    
    After the Torah is removed from the Ark, the Rabbi walks around
    the sanctuary with the Torah and people touch the Torah with their
    prayer books.
    
    Why is this?
    
    Thanks.
    
    Mark
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
925.1Longwinded answer to short questionGAON::jemAnacronym: an outdated acronymWed Apr 18 1990 20:1325
Re: .0

Hi Mark -

>    After the Torah is removed from the Ark, the Rabbi walks around
>    the sanctuary with the Torah and people touch the Torah with their
>    prayer books.
>    
>    Why is this?

Actually, in many congregations, the Torah is simply brought straight to
the _bima_, the table where the Torah is read. The procession you refer
to is designed to further honor the _Sefer Torah_. Touching the Sefer
with a holy object (and kissing it), serves the same purpose. The object
is not strictly required, in that the Torah is still covered at that
point of the service. However, when called for an _Aliya_, to pronounce
the blessings when hearing the portion read from the scroll, the exposed
parchment may *not* be touched with one's bare hands, hence the custom to 
touch the parchment with the fringes of the _Tallit_, or another holy
item. This law should also be remembered when rolling up the scroll -
that is, do not touch the parchment with bare hands, cover them first
with the Tallit before adjusting the sagging parchment.

Jem
925.2CLT::CLTMAX::dickSchoeller - Failed XperimentWed Apr 18 1990 22:269
Mark,

If you end up at a less liberal Reform congregation (or any Conservative or
Orthodox congregation) the men will usually touch with fringe of the tallit.
The women in a Conservative congregation (who generally do not where a tallit)
will touch with the siddur (as you will see the men do in the Reform
congregations where a tallit is not worn by most of the men).

Gavriel
925.3ABE::STARINElectronic ArchaeologistThu Apr 19 1990 00:1716
    Re .1:
    
    Thanks, Jem, as usual, for your response. I appreciate the background
    info very much as you know.
    
    Re .2:
    
    Thanks also, Gavriel. I attended a Bas Mitzvah at a Conservative
    temple in Connecticut a couple of years ago where all the males wore 
    tallit and noticed what you point out in your reply. That's where
    I first wanted to ask the question but never got around to it until
    now.
    
    Thanks again.
    
    Mark
925.4Shortest way must be usedTAV02::ROTENBERGHaim ROTENBERG - SSDU IsraelSun Apr 22 1990 16:165
    From the Halacha point of view, the Sefer Torah must brought to  the
    Bima by the shortest way before the lecture. The same for a person
    which is called to the Torah: he must go the Bima by the shortest way
    from his place. When he goes down from the Bima, he must on the
    contrary use a longer way.