Obj. ID: 37377
Sacred and Ritual Objects Torah pointer, Tiberias, circa 1925
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.
In synagogues of the Sephardic and Mizraciן rites in the Holy Land, many Yads in this style are found. While it is the style of Torah pointers in Tunisia and Libya, these Yads were clearly made in Eretz Israel. One possibility is that these are the work of a group of Libyan silversmiths who came to Israel at some time during the 1920s or 1930s and worked in Jaffa, making a number of silver Torah tiks which are signed by them. This example was donated to a synagogue in Tiberias. Such items from Tiberias are rare. Another unusual aspect of the inscription is the use of Arabic script in the dedicatory inscription.
Inscription: This is to the synagogue in the holy city of Tiberias, , the servant of the Lord , the servant of the Lord, David Kranetz, the servant of the Lord, Avraham Larboni. (two letters that seem to be Arabic are "Samech" "Tet" with Gershaim)
On reverse: Shadai