1
B"H
THE YEMENITE SCROLL OF THE LAW (TORAH)
1) Written on un-split parchment (Heb. "jawil").
Note: In Yemen, the leather was treated by tanning it with Acacia leaves taken
from the salam-tree (Acacia etbaica), and dyed with turmeric. These leaves, being
astringent, have the same function as gall.1 To prevent spreading of ink after an
erasure, a moist mixture of tragacanth gum was applied to the leather and left to dry.
2) Scroll of Law written on 226 columns.
3) Scroll of Law written on 51 lines.
4) Tradition of orthography contains large and small letters, crooked letters (Lamed),
extended letters (Lamed), overlapping letters (Pe), inverted letters (Nun), spreading
letters (Het), etc. (This practice finds mention in the ancient Midrash of Letters by
Rabbi Akiba, as well as in Ba'al Haturim on the Pentateuch; in Meiri's "Qiryath
Sefer," in Maimonides' Code of Jewish Law (Hilkoth Sefer Torah), and in Machzor
Vitri, as in other writings.)
5) Each column begins with a new sentence. Never broken in the middle. e.g.
‫) ויהי‬6 ;‫) זכר‬5 ;‫) ויאמר‬4 ;‫) ויפל‬3 ;‫) ויברא‬2 ;‫) בראשית‬1
The exception to this rule is found in the acronyms ‫ בי"ה שמ"ו‬which six letters are a
sign unto the scribe that certain words beginning with these letters are to be written at
the beginning of a column (more precisely, that two of these six contain a sentence
which is to be written at the top of a column although they do not begin a sentence),
namely:
‫) בראשית‬1
(Gen. 1:1)
‫) יהודה‬2
(Gen. 49:8)
‫) הבאים‬3
(Exo. 14:28)
‫) שמר‬4
(Deut. 12:28)
‫) מוצא‬5
(Deut. 23:24)
‫) ואעידה‬6
(Deut. 31:28)
6) All letters are written a fraction below the line, and not on the line itself.
7) All large letters hang, as it were, from the line, but never written above the line to
accommodate for their size.
1
Gall substances used in tanning leather is a requisite according to many exponents of Jewish law,
such as the author of the lexicon, Ha-Arukh, and Maimonides, and Rabbeinu Hananel, and Rabbi Hai
Gaon, and the Sheiltoth of Rabbi Achai of Shibha. The gall gives the leather its lasting durability. The
Shulhan Arukh of Maran, on the other hand, writes that it is sufficient to treat leather with lime alone.
Leaves from the salam-tree (Ar. qarat) were crushed and put within a bath of water. The untreated
leather was added to this solution for a period of 15 days, the time allotted for its preparation. After the
first 8 days of soaking, the leaves are changed with a batch of fresh leaves. After another 7-8 days, the
leather was ready for use. The salam-tree leaves give the leather a reddish-tinge.
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8) The traditional writing instrument in Yemen was the cane reed (calamus), and not
the feathered quill.
9) The ancient practice in Yemen was to write the Song Ha-Azinu while it was
arranged in a column preceded by six lines. The six lines themselves were indented
before and after the text. A line left blank followed the six lines, which was followed
by the prosaic song itself. (This ancient practice is mentioned by Maharitz in his
Questions & Responsa, "Peulath Sadiq," Vol. II, Section # 22) e.g.
xxxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx xx xxxxx xxx xxxxxxxxx
xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx xx xx xxxxxx
xxxx xxxxxxxx xxxx xx xx xxxxxx xx xxxxxx xxxx
xxx xx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx
xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxx xxx xxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxxxx
xx xxx xxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx
xxxxx xxxxxx x xxx x x xxxxx xxxx
xxxxxx xx xxxxx xxx xxxxxx xxx xx
xx xxxx xxxx xxxx xx xx xxxx xxx xx
xxxxxx xxx x xxxx x xxxxx
xx xxxx xx xxxx xx xxx xxx
xxxx xxxx xxx xx xxxxx xx
10) Ink can be taken from the gentiles, but must be durable and capable of being
scratched away. (It was customarily practised in Yemen to place copper sulfate
crystals, or blue vitriol, into the ink concoction. The Arabic word for this mineral is
"zaj.") 2
11) In the Yemenite tradition of orthography, there are fourteen differences found in
the Torah scroll as compared to other traditions of writing found amongst other
communities. The Yemenite practice follows that tradition bequeathed by Aaron BenAsher in his "Aleppo Codex" of the Pentateuch. (For a description of these, see Rabbi
Amram Qorah's "Sa'arath Teman," pp. 103, or the Appendage at the end of this text.)
12) In the Scroll of the Law belonging to Rabbi Hayim Benayahu and family, its
dimensions are as follows:
Parchment Length: 21 and 9/16 inches, or 54.7 cm.
Column Width: 3 and 9/16 inches, or 9.3 cm. (or, in some places, 9.0 cm.)
Space between Columns: 1 and 1/2 inch.
Width of Column in the Song of the Sea: 5 and 1/2 inches, or 14 cm.
13) In the halacha, we find the following: The upper margin of a sheet of parchment
should be left clear, having the space of three fingers. The lower margin should have
2
Several methods were used in making scribal ink by the Jews of Yemen. One of the more popular
methods was to mix the following ingredients: 1) qishir ruman, Pomegranate rinds; 2) al-hura, Water
mixed with the litharge of alum, a yellowish-white mineral having the same property as vitriol. It was
derived from a saline earth found in the ravines and gulches of Yemen. The same earth, when
extracted, was usually mixed with alum. The alum was then cleansed of its litharge until it became
white. The litharge was then taken up and mixed with water to produce a black dye; 3) afass, Gall; 4)
Sugar; 5) Soot from burnt oils; 6) semagh, Gum Arabic. (In San'a, blue vitriol was also cast into the
ink, perhaps in place of al-hura.)
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the space of four fingers. Columns should have the space of four fingers. Between
columns should have the space of two fingers.
14) It was not practised in Yemen to make Tagin in the Scrolls of the Law (i.e., the
small crownlets made upon the heads of certain letters with the stroke of the nib),
since this ancient practice has been largely lost and forgotten in its detail.
15) The ancient practice in Yemen when writing the letter "Het" (‫ )ח‬is to make its roof
flat, and not a "gable-roof," as prescribed by Rabbeinu Tam (Yaakov Meir). The
difference stems from one's understanding of the word ‫ חטוטרת‬in Tractate Menahoth.
16) In the designated places where dots were written above certain letters of the Law
(e.g. Deut. 29:28), they were made with a slight slant to the right, as if made with the
dash of a pen.
17) The Yemenite tradition brings down only 154 overlapping Pe's.
18) Four lines are left empty between each Book of the Law.
19) The Yemenite custom in making the columns was this: The scribe concluded the
writing of each column with the end of a particular scriptural verse, but never
concluded the column in the middle of a scriptural verse. Thus do we find this ancient
custom mentioned in "Mahbereth San'ani" (Short Version), translated by Yosef Levi.
A scroll of the Law that is considered proof-read and fit for reading must have this
peculiarity about it.
20) Torah scrolls were stored in wooden cases, usually overlaid in decorative design
and silken cloth. The wooden cases were also equipped with finials.
21) In Yemen, the practice of writing a Megillah (Scroll of Esther) was thus: The
Megillah was always written with only closed sections. There were a total of twenty
columns, with twenty lines to each column. There were also minor changes found in
orthography, according to the Yemenite tradition. For example, the verse Esther 1:10
was made a closed section, and not Esther 1:9. (e.g. ‫ ביום השביעי‬--- ‫)אשר למלך אחשורוש‬.
Also, in Esther 8:11, it was customary to write ‫ולהרג‬, and not ‫להרג‬. In Esther 9:2, it
was customary to write: ‫ איש לא עמד לפניהם‬, rather than ‫בפניהם‬. There are other
differences besides these, such as in defective letters. While reading, it was never
practiced to double any verse because of the doubt entertained by other communities.
22) In the writing of a doorpost script (Heb. Mezuzah), where it is practised to make
Tagin (i.e. the fine erect lines made by the stroke of the nib for beautification), these
were made straight, and without rounded tops. Besides the "Shin" and the "Ayin" of
"Shema," the letter "Sadi" )‫ (ץ‬of ‫ על הארץ‬is also written large. The "Het" (‫ )ח‬of ‫וחרה‬
is made as if it were outstretched. The Mezuzah was always positioned in an upright
position (vertical) on the right-hand side of the doorpost as one enters the house, but
never diagonally.
23) In making the vellum (kalaf) used for writing the biblical sections inserted in the
phylacteries (Heb. Tefillin), only the leather hides taken from small kids of the goats,
approximately 2-months old, were used. It was not necessary to split the vellum, since
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it was naturally very thin. Large goats of at least 2 years were used in making the
parchment (jawil) for Torah scrolls.
24) In writing the scriptural portions in the phylacteries (Heb. Tefillin), the custom in
Yemen was to write the section known as "Wehaya im shemoa, etc." while leaving at
the end the space of a section consisting of nine letters, or even more than the space of
nine letters. (In Israel, however, the custom has already spread to write out the section
by drawing out the words so that they extend unto the end of the margin, in
accordance with the opinion of Magen Avraham.) Rabbi Yitzhaq Ratzaby says that
either way is permitted. 3
25) The leather straps and houses of the phylacteries (Heb. Tefillin) were painted
black by using a yellowish-white mineral substance known in Arabic as "al-hura," or
the litharge of alum. The mineral is derived from a saline earth found in the ravines
and gulches of Yemen, and has the same property as vitriol. The same earth, when
extracted, was usually mixed with alum (Ar. "shab"). The alum was then cleansed of
its litharge until it became white. The litharge (that which was discarded from the
alum) was then taken up and formed into a sponge-like mass. It was left to dry in that
state. When it was necessary to dye the phylactery straps black, they would moisten
the straps and then rub them down with the sponge-like mass of litharge taken from
the alum. (There was no need of mixing the litharge with water. Simple moistening of
the straps did the job!)
26) The knot which is shaped like unto the letter "Daleth" in the head phylactery was
not a literal Daleth-shaped figure, but rather an imaginary "Daleth," resembling more
of a square-shaped figure made-up of straps. Indeed, the Yemenite custom in this
regard is more closely related to "Halachoth Gedoloth," than it is to the custom
practised by other communities – although they, too, originally made their phylactery
knot just as the Yemenites do today. In the book, "Halachoth Gedoloth," we find this
testimony about how the knot should be tied: "One doubles the two heads (ends) of
the straps [in the form of two separate loops] and feeds one through the other,
and the head (end) of the one in the end (loop) of the other, so that there is
formed thereby the shape of a Daleth." Anyone who knows the Yemenite custom
will know that the author has described their custom.
3
See: Kitzur Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayim, vol. I, Hilkoth Tefillin sec. # 9, item # 33, footnote # 111.
5
27) In Yemen, the embossed letter "Shin" on the head phylactery was made without a
base at all. Its three leg-like branches, on the one side, and four leg-like branches, on
the other side, each rose up directly from the base of the platform (Titura)4. There was
never a point on the embossed letter "Shin" as is the custom of Ashkenaz. Still, in all
of the old phylacteries, the grooves or compartments built within the head phylactery
went down to a depth of about two-thirds the height of the box. Meaning, they did not
even reach as far as the stitching at the upper-base of the platform (Titura), in
accordance with the words of Rav Dimi (ibid.) who said that it was not necessary that
they reach down so far, only that they be recognized as grooves. The "charitz" was
always viewed by them as the compartments wherein they insert the parchment
(RASHI), unlike Maran who viewed the word as meaning "the tapered point at the
base of the letter Shin." (Cf. Menahoth 35a and Shulhan Arukh, Orah Hayim, 32:4243).5
28) In Yemen, the custom was to make use solely of the sinew (tendon) taken from
the animal's loins (flanks) for sewing the Tefillin (phylacteries) and scrolls of the Law
(Torah), which same tendon was very long, and did not require softening by working
it with a stone. Nor was it necessary to twist the sinew before making use of it. 6
APPENDAGE: The fourteen changes in the Yemenite Tradition (Taken from book,
"Sa'arath Teman")
 Gen. 4: 13 -----
‫גדול עוני מנשא‬
word ‫ מנשא‬is written without a "waw")
4
(The
The platform on the Head Tefillin was actually divided in half: the upper part is called the
"ma'aborta," while the lower part is called the "titura." The sense here is to the upper-base of the
platform.
5
So writes Rabbi Yoseph Qafih in his commentary on Rambam's "Mishne Torah," Hilkoth Tefillin
u'Mezuzah wesefer Torah, chapter 3, footnotes # 11 and 25.
6
So writes Rabbi Yoseph Qafih in his Commentary on Rambam's "Mishne Torah" (ibid.), footnote #
20.
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 Gen. 7: 11 -----
‫( נבקעו כל מעינת‬The
word ‫ מעינת‬is written without a "waw")
 Gen. 9: 29 ----- ‫( ויהיו כל ימי נח‬The
word ‫ ויהיו‬is written with an additional "waw")
 Gen. 41: 46 ---- ‫כל פוטיפרע תיבה אחת‬
 Exo. 25: 31 ----- ‫( תעשה המנורה‬The word
‫ תעשה‬is written without a "yod")
 Exo. 28: 26 ----- ‫( אל עבר האפד‬The word
‫ האפד‬is written without a "waw")
 Lev. 7: 23 ----- ‫( פרשת כל חלב‬This section is
written as an "Open Section")
 Lev. 10: 28 ----- ‫( פרשת המקריב‬This is neither
a "Closed" nor an "Open" Section)
 Num. 1: 17 ----‫( אשר נקבו בשמת‬The
word ‫ בשמת‬is written without a "waw")
 Num. 10: 10 ---‫( ובראשי חדשיכם‬The
word ‫ חדשיכם‬is written with a "yod")
 Num. 22: 5 ----- ‫( בלעם בן בער‬The word
‫בלעם‬is written without a "waw")
 Num. 25: 12 ---‫( בריתי שלום‬The letter
"waw" in ‫ שלום‬is written as all other "waws")
 Deut. 22: 2 ----- ‫( פצוע דכא‬The word ‫ דכא‬is
written with an "aleph")
And in the differences which treat on large and small
letters:
 Gen. 8: 1 ----- ‫( זה ספר‬The letter "samach" is
written large)
 Exo. 34: 2 ---- ‫( נו"ן דנצר‬The letter "nun" is
written in an ordinary size)
 Lev. 6: 1 ----‫( מי"ם דמוקדה‬The letter
"mim" is written in an ordinary size)
 Num. 25: 10 --- ‫( יו"ד דפינחס‬The letter
"yod" is written in an ordinary size)
 Deut. 11: 21 --- ‫( צד"י דעל הארץ‬The letter
"sadi" is written large)
 Deut. 23: 7 ---- ‫( קן צפור‬The letter "kof" is
large)
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‫( אשריך ישראל‬The letter
"aleph" in ‫ אשריך‬is written large)
 Deut. 32: 1-ff. -- The song "Ha'azinu" is written
in sixty-seven lines, just as in Maimonides'
[Mishne Torah], of the Yemenite Ms."
 Deut. 33: 29 ----
(Note: the other large and small letters found in the tradition of other
communities, e.g. "aleph" of ‫ויקרא‬, etc., are also to be found in the
Yemenite tradition and, therefore, goes without mentioning here.)