about the scribal arts

and general things having to do with the sacred scrolls...

I write stuff on the blog a lot quicker than I plumb it into this site, largely because no-one expects organised on a blog. Eventually, I unbloggify stuff and turn it into real web pages...eventually. This is mostly links to blog posts, with the occasional real page.

Holiness

• Writing surrounded by Torah - Part 1 and Part 2.
• Notes on Torahs in airports - transporting sifrei Torah requires care and attention. Also, notes on breaking shabbat to save Torahs.
• Why we don't use metal implements on Torahs

Parchment

All about parchment (aka klaf). Klaf in warm weather; in general klaf can be hard to write on.

Ink

Lots of stuff about ink. A description of identifying ink types with chromatography.

Quills

Quill cutting list. Description of tempering quills with sand.

Torahs and cruelty to animals

Parchment's made from animals...why not just write on paper? Exploring the ethical alternatives for vegetarians; a brief note that potentially even the ink is made from bugs.

How you know what to write

What scribes copy from - a tikkun soferim and how it is used. With a bit of discussion on historical tikkunim.

Sewing

How the finished sheets are sewn together; a digression on silk.

Fixing mistakes

What happens if you make a mistake? Part 1 and part 2. A digression on erasing God's Name. The principle of not carving to form a letter (aka hak tokhot). On repairing broken letters, and on seeing Torah repair as a metaphor for Life. Things you really never want to see - coffee rings, lipstick stains, and blots on Divine Names. But here is a cute little blot

Jen Taylor Friedman, 2009