Pointing to the Torah

Pointing to the Torah

When reading sometimes it is helpful to have something to guide us so we don’t skip a line of text.

Jews use something special to help them focus while reading the Torah called a yad or a Torah pointer to point to the lines of text. It is not considered necessary to use a yad, but it is helpful.

Yads or Torah pointers in general are often at least one foot in length and may come in various styles and are often made out of sliver and sometimes made out of gold. Traditionally Torah pointers may be highly decorated with detailed engravings or plain (Eisenstein, Judah David and Jacobs, Joseph “YAD”).

But a Torah pointer is never more valuable than what it is pointing to the Torah. It is good to have a Torah pointer to guide you to the correct text. It is more important to allow the Torah to point you in the right direction. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8

The Torah points us in the right direction if we allow it. We should trust God to guide us in every area of life. The Torah pointer may only reach about 12 inches in ahead but God’s guidance reaches into eternity. The Torah pointer maybe made of silver or gold but the words of God are worth more than the world itself.

“Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,’ says the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23-24 But we shouldn’t keep the Torah to ourselves. Whenever we have the opportunity we should point others to God.

Reference:
Eisenstein, Judah David and Jacobs, Joseph “YAD” Jewish Encyclopedia received from http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/15047-yad

Picture originally found here

Related Articles

More From Traditions

Yiddish Part One

The Yiddish language is a western Germanic oral and written dialect used by the Ashkenazi Jews…
Yiddish Part One

What is Kosher?

This video is an introduction to what it means to be kosher.
What is Kosher?

Two Torahs?

Many understand the Torah to be the five books of Moses. And that is true but what many Jews…
Two Torahs?
Circumcision - Jewish Tradition

Circumcision - Jewish Tradition

Male circumcision is a well known Jewish tradition. Avraham (Abraham) was called by God and…
Circumcision - Jewish Tradition

Jewish Guide to Shiva Practices

Shiva is a weeklong mourning period following the burial of an immediate relative in a Jewish…
Jewish Guide to Shiva Practices

Mezuzah

A mezuzah is a little box that is nailed to the doorpost of a Jewish home. The Hebrew word…
Mezuzah

Haftarah

הפטרה (Haftarah), the name given to the reading from the Prophetic books which follows the…
Haftarah

Minyan

In many Jewish synagogues a minyan is required for public prayer times. A minyan is a group of…
Minyan
The Shochet-Jewish Tradition

The Shochet-Jewish Tradition

Have you ever wondered what a shochet is? It is known that Torah observant believers keep a…
The Shochet-Jewish Tradition

Jewish Wedding Rings

Even though we have modernized we still hold some sacred old traditions dear amongst the Jewish…
Jewish Wedding Rings

Publish the Menu module to "offcanvas" position. Here you can publish other modules as well.
Learn More.


donation