Obj. ID: 37305
Sacred and Ritual Objects Torah pointer donated by Hevra Kaddisha, Miskolc (Miskolcz), 1800/01
The following description was prepared by William Gross:
The pointer used by the Torah reader to keep the place is known in European communities as the *yad, "hand," or the etẓba, "finger," and in Sephardi and Eastern communities as the moreh, "pointer," or kulmus, "quill," the former because of its function and the latter because of its shape. Halakhic sources also use the terms moreh or kulmus. The pointer was originally a narrow rod, tapered at the pointing end, usually with a hole at the other end through which a ring or chain could be passed to hang the pointer on the Torah scroll. An additional reason for using the pointer was to prevent the oily finger from touching the parchment and inked letter, something that would eventually cause severe deterioration.
The original form of the pointer was preserved in Eastern communities, the differences from one community to another being mainly in length and ornamentation. In certain communities a hand with a pointing finger was added, and accordingly the pointer came to be known as a yad, "hand," or eẓba, "finger." Pointers are made for the most part of silver or silver-plated brass, but in a few European communities they used to be made of wood. In such cases the pointers were carved in the local folk-art style.
This large Yad is also exceptionally heavy for such ritual objects. The fact that it has been repaired more than once and that a supporting rod was introduced for the entire length gives evidence that the rather unpractical character of this piece probably caused it to be dropped rather often and consequently repaired. There is a long inscription describing the donation from the Chevrah Kadisha society in Miskolc. In the pinkas of this confraternity, on a page listing the assets of the society, this Yad is the first object described. Miskolc was the second largest Jewish community in Hungary, after Budapest.
Inscription: This Torah pointer (yad) was donated by the eminent, learned in Torah, our teacher, the Rabbi, Reb Moshe Katz Rahat, of blessed memory, who was the head of the Holy Burial Society here in the Holy Congregation of Miskolc, in the year (5)561 [1800/01], according to the minor reckoning