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A yad (Hebrew: יד, literally "hand"; Yiddish: האַנט hant) is a Jewish ritual pointer, popularly known as a Torah pointer, used by the reader to follow the text during the Torah reading from the parchment Torah scrolls.
Rationale[edit]
Beyond its practical usage in pointing out letters, the yad ensures that the parchment is not touched during the reading. There are several reasons for this: handling the parchment renders one ritually impure and the often-fragile parchment is easily damaged. Moreover, the vellum parchment does not absorb ink so touching the scroll with fingers will damage the lettering.[1] While not required when chanting from the Torah, it is used frequently and is considered a hidur mitzvah ("embellishment of the commandment") of reading the Torah.
Manufacture[edit]
A yad can be made of any number of materials, though silver is common, especially used in crowning the yad. The yad is often shaped like a long rod, capped by a small hand with its index finger pointing from it. In some cases a yad is covered with fabric.[1]
Other uses[edit]
The Hebrew word yad also refers to a memorial, based on the verse in Isaiah 56:5. Organizations with the word yad in their titles include:
- Yad Eliezer, Israel poverty-relief organization
- Yad Sarah, Israel free-loan organization for medical and rehabilitative equipment
- Yad Vashem, Israel's official Holocaust memorial
 | Look up יד in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "JewFAQ Torah". February 10, 2012.
