Explanation of Scribe’s Torah Evaluation

Recently we decided it was necessary to have one of our Torah’s checked to make sure it was still “kosher”. A Torah can only be read from when all the letters are legible and this Torah was showing some significant signs of wear. No one could remember if this Torah was every checked so we brought it to a scribe (Sofer) for a full evaluation. See the attached report.

This evaluation contains a lot of scribe lingo so here is an explanation of the technical terms used as they appear in the report.

Sofer STaM – Scribe for Sefer Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzot)

Ariza”l – To see this script go here https://merkazstam.com/arizal-mezuzah-4-inch-10cm.html ​

Klaf – Parchment: skin from a kosher animal

Glazed – used on the back side of the parchment

Sefer – Scroll as in Sefer Torah / Torah Scroll

Lines per Column – from top to bottom

Tears – small tears at the top or bottom

Loose Seams – parchment sections are sewn together

Yeriah – sheet of parchment

Matlesim – the binding that is glued on the back of the parchment sheets connecting one to the other

P. ____ - the name of the Parasha or portion where issues have been identified

Pasul – Not kosher because the writing is illegible

Kosher B’Di’avad – “Kosher after the fact” - this means the scroll in its present used condition is kosher but if this condition were presented in a new Torah it would not be accepted as kosher.

Breisheet – Genesis Shemot - Exodus VaYikrah – Leviticus Bamidbar – Numbers Devarim – Deuteronomy For more on what is involved in writing a Sefer Torah go here: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/torah-scroll/ ​