The Torah, like faith, must be used.
The Torah, like faith, must be used.
By D.A. WILKINSON
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
LIBERTY -- The restoration of a Torah is ending with new spiritual life.
Temple El Emeth will finish its restoration project with a special service at 7 p.m. June 1. The service is called Siyum HaTorah, which is Hebrew for "completion of the Torah."
Rabbi Eric Ray, a master Torah scribe from Great Neck, N.Y., and El Emeth's Rabbi, Joseph Schonberger, will ink the final 18 letters.
Rabbi Schonberger said that after Rabbi Ray completes most of the letters, he will write the last one.
Letters of life
Each letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value. The two Hebrew letters that compose the word life have a have numerical value of 18. The last 18 letters that will be written in the Torah will also add up to 18, or life.
Rabbi Schonberger said he still has a great deal of work to do on the Torah before the service and so he is unsure how many letters he has inked.
Torahs are composed of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Each Torah has 304,805 letters, according to Holly Small, who has been involved in the restoration project.
The Torah that is being restored dates to the 19th century and is probably from Romania. Records aren't clear, because El Emeth was formed in a merger of two congregations about 30 years ago.
A large number of the letters in the restoration Torah had faded or been worn away.
"Without the restoration," said Rabbi Schonberger, "It would have had to have been buried."
Worn out or damaged Torahs are buried because they are considered living documents.
Natural materials
Torahs are also made from natural materials. Rabbi Schonberger said a member of El Emeth made the wooden dowels used to roll out the continuous leather surface on which the Torah is written.
Rabbi Schonberger has done all of the writing since the project began in January. Under Jewish law, all Jews are required to create a Torah. But since creating one can take three years, Jews can authorize work by a trained scribe, such as the two rabbis, to fulfill the law.
"Over 200 people have been involved in some way," said Rabbi Schonberger, who added that more will be involved in some way before the service. Groups from some churches have also come to watch him at work.
While the rabbi does the work by proxy, he and the faithful and the Torah become intertwined spiritually. As he works, he recalls the names of the helpers, their needs, and their good deeds.
"The tradition is that if you repair a letter in the Torah, it gives life or restores a soul," said the rabbi. "I hope people feel it makes a difference in people's lives."
Using the restored Torah will also require renewed spiritual life. If not used, the Torah will begin to decay.
"It has to be handled to maintain its shape and health," said the Rabbi.
Wholly satisfied
Since the Torah contains God's revelation to us, said the rabbi, keeping the Torah whole is a way of keeping people healthy and whole.
Rabbi Schonberger added that the temple has been pleased with the project.
"People have felt a sense of uplifting, a spiritual uplifting," he said. "I think we've reconnected people [spiritually]."
wilkinson@vindy.com