Sefer Torah Archives

Can non-Jews or questionable Jews get a letter in a Sefer Torah?

Question: I was asked to submit names for letters in a Sefer Torah that’s being written. Can the following three people be added? One person is not Jewish. I…

Women and Girls Kissing a Sefer Torah

Question: What are the exact halachos of a woman or girl who is a niddah in regards to kissing a Sefer Torah or looking at an open scroll? Is…

Sefer Torah for Kol Nidrei

Question: I was asked to be chazan in a backyard Minyan for not frum people on Yom Kippur, for Kol Nidrei and Ne'ilah. The person asked if I could…

Can we read the Torah (without Brachos) without a Minyan?

Question: I am the new rabbi at a small shul, the outgoing rabbi said that when there was no minyan he would take out the Torah and read a…

Can I use a Passul Sefer Torah to Lein from without a Minyan?

Question: If I have a Passul Sefer Torah, can I take it out of the Aron Kodesh to lein from in absence of a minyan? Answer: It should…

When a Sefer Torah Falls…

Question: The Sefer Torah fell out from the Aron Kodesh in our Yeshiva (no one was touching it - it just slipped onto the doors and the doors swung…

Splitting the letter Vov in Parahas Pinchas

Question: In a recently written Sefer Torah, which was written according to the Alter Rebbe’s ksav, we noticed that the letter Vav in the word ‘shalom’ is not split.…

Must a Sofer computer check his work?

Question: I am a Sofer, I was wondering if it is a chiyuv to computer check my work or is it enough to go over it three times as…

Does one bow during hagbah the way the Shulchan Aruch rules in Orach Chaim 134:2? If not, why not?

The custom is to not be particular about doing so. Source: ראה הר צבי א, סד. בירור הלכה תליתאי קלד. דברי יציב א, עו. וראה המובא בפסק"ת קלד…

Covering the Aron Kodesh with a Paroches

Question: I have a Sefer Torah in Chabad house in a portable dresser/closet. What is the minhag in general regarding how many coverings and how to cover it? Right…

Nefilas Apayim During Tachanun When Not Davening In Shul

Question: I've always heard that one doesn't do Nefilas Apayim when there's no Sefer Torah in a room. But recently I've heard that one does so if there are…

The Rebbe said that Jewish children should have a letter bought for them in a children’s Sefer Torah.

Question: The Rebbe said that Jewish children should have a letter bought for them in a children's Sefer Torah. Because we cannot all afford to write a Sefer Torah,…

If I am having a minyan on my porch just on Shabbos, may I bring a Sefer Torah before shabbos from Shul for Kriah?

Yes, if you designate a special place for the Sefer Torah first. Ideally, you should ensure to lain three times. If yes, what do I need to know…

Can one bring a Sefer Torah to their son who is Bar Mitzvah for Leining in their house without Minyan on Zoom with family? No Birchas Hatorah just Leining. Friday afternoon. Has been preparing.

One should not transfer the Sefer Torah out of it's set place to bring to read it in a home. There is no such an obligation to read the…

Can Ma’aser money be used for writing a Torah in someone’s memory?

Answer: Ma'aser money can be used to pay for non-obligatory Mitzvos and writing a Sefer Torah to be used by a community is definitely a worthy cause. Nonetheless, since…

Is there a preference to hear Parshas Zachor specifically from a Sefer Torah which has פצוע דכא with an א?

Yes, there is room for such a hiddur. ראה לקט יושר ע׳ 153 שהתרוה״ד אמר ליקח ס״ת לפרשת זכור שהיא מוחזקת שהיא מדוייקת. והכי נהוג בכ״מ להשתמש בס״ת…

Our 4th grade class is learning about words which are nokud in the torah. Can I take out a sefer torah just to show them our passuk with the nakud?

Although it is technically permitted, especially if you learn a Posuk inside as well, it is recommended to use instead a tikun korim, which contains the ksav ashuris and…

Is there a Minhag in Chabad whether to or not to use a “Yad” for the Torah reading?

While the Rebbe insisted on decorating the Sefer Torah with a Yad, we do not find that it was actually used during Krias HaTorah. I have yet to find…

Is it Halachically acceptable to display an open Sefer Torah in a glass display case in a Shul? (Several Shuls do this with Sifrei Torah from the holocaust).

It is permissible to keep a worn-out invalid Sefer Torah in a glass display in a Shul. This is also a good thing if it is done in a…

We are writing a Sefer Torah and we would like to keep it in our house when it is done. What are the Halachos about that? We do not have a specific shul to give it to right now.

What are the rules of keeping a Sefer Torah in the house if we wont really be using it for Krias HaTorah generally? Answer: Firstly, keep in mind that a…