Obj. ID: 37365  Torah pointer, Yemen, circa 1900

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 is an early Yad with an inscription on the four sides of the Yad recording the donation, as well as the normal inscriptions relating to the prayers, said when taking out the Torah scroll from the ark and a long quotation from Psalms. Sometimes bells were attached to the ring at the top. In this particular example, there are three bells arranged in an attractive manner, with the largest in the middle. Such long Yads with bells are almost always from Yemen.

Inscription: Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob (Deuteronomy 33:4) And this is the Law which Moses set before the Children of Israel (Deut: 4:44) The congregant Mualem ibn Mualem ben Buki? [Salem ibn Salem ben Busi] had the honor and made the purchase. The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever (Psalms 19:8-10)