STaM--Sifrei Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzot
The Jewish culture is rich with ancient traditions and meanings. Their writings are all preserved in parchment scrolls that are revered and adored. The hand-written form makes their scrolls an amazing work of art which is a profound expression of the value of their Torah. Their writing style is known as STaM which stands for Sifrei Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzot or Mezuzah.
Preparing the Parchment
A parchment is prepared by a scribe. It uses a kosher which is an animal skin. The animal skin is dried and intricately cleaned by the scribe, or sofer, making sure that there are no more hairs left on it. It would scrape the hair multiple times at that. The scribe needs several skins of animals if he will be making a Sefer Torah. When this process is done, the scribe would then cut the animal skin into several square pieces and would start inscribing the text.
The Letters of STaM
The STaM is a special kind of writing used for sacred documents such as scrolls of the Torah. It is a writing style that has “crowns” on most of the letters. It is identifiable right away because of the distinct “crowns” drawn mostly on top of the letters.
Sifrei Torah
Sifrei Torah is the plural form of Sefer Torah, or the first five books written by Moses. It is treated with all sanctity by the Jews. It is not even allowed to touch the Sifrei Torah because of its delicate nature. Because of this, a reader is given a yad to point at the letters in the Torah. This way the reader would not get lost reading and at the same time preserve the quality of the parchment. The Sefer Torah is read in the synagogue on Sabbaths and on festivals. Each Jew must have his own Sefer Torah. This sacred text has 245 columns and is written using a quill. The Torah needs 60 sheets of parchment and they are bounded together by sewing one on top of the next. Due to the intricacy of making the Sefer Torah, it takes almost a year to finish one. Thus, the price is also expensive.
Mezuzot
The Mezuzah, or Mezuzot, is a special parchment scroll that contains the text of Shema. This scroll is small compared to other scrolls. This one is commonly placed on the right-hand side of doorposts to protect the family in that home. Some say that the Mezuzah acts as a reminder of the presence of God. This small and delicate parchment must also be checked regularly for any signs of deterioration.
Ketubot
Ketubah, also known as Ketubot in its plural form, is a marriage contract for the Jews. This is read in the marriage ceremony after the groom places the ring on the bride’s finger. This artistic document contains all duties and responsibilities of the husband for his wife which includes financial and emotional aspects. This document is meant to protect the wife in instances where the couple would get a divorce. Two witnesses are also needed to sign the said document. In case the ketubah gets lost, the husband is required to secure another copy for his wife.
The Torah Scribe
A highly esteemed and revered individual is the Torah Scribe. He possesses the wisdom and the skills needed to make the Torah. He is a man with deep faith in God. He must have undergone the rigorous training that one has to surpass in order to be able to write the Torah.
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