Posted on 01/02/19
Of course, you do! But do you know that there are a few things that even many experts do wrong? These things are important and can cause serious damage to a Sefer Torah.
First a bit of background. We all understand the need to take the utmost care of a Sefer Torah. It embodies our most treasured values being the direct Word of Hashem. But even on a more physical level, a Sefer Torah is a very expensive item. A new sefer can easily cost $50,000. Also, many Sifrei Torah are the personal property of individuals or families on loan to shuls or yeshivos; often in memory or honor of their family members. So, in addition to their significant cost they may have significant sentimental value as well. Therefore, when you are honored with hagbah you are being entrusted with a very precious item.
OK, let’s start. Problem number one. I call it the SNAP. Some people lift the Torah from the table with a quick flick of the wrist. This looks impressive and requires a good deal of strength. But it is also very damaging to a Sefer Torah. The reason is that the etzei chaim (the poles) are not solid. The bottom part of the handle reaches only to the bottom disk. From there, a small dowel passes through the disk and connects to another pole on the other side. This gives the appearance of one solid piece even though it is not. Not only is the dowel thinner than the rest of the pole, but the pole is also thinner there since it has a hole to accept the dowel. The pole and/or the dowel can snap if hagbah is done by flicking the wrist. Even if it does not break on one hagbah, the poles will be weakened and will break later. Note that the etzei chaim of a Sefer Torah can easily run $500. It is thus better to lift the bottom of the sefer slightly, pull the sefer towards you about 1/3 of its length and then push down on the handles to cause the sefer to tilt upwards.
The second problem I often see is what I call the CRUNCH. Presume that one is not doing the SNAP as mentioned above but is rather properly lifting the bottom of the sefer up and then sliding it towards himself. It is very important to make sure that the klaf (parchment) of the sefer does not catch the lip of the table. Catching this lip will crumple the klaf and can cause letters to break and the klaf to rip. Many older Sifrei Torah have damaged edges on the bottom of the klaf. This is likely due to many careless hagbah attempts. The crunch is easy to avoid by keeping the klaf taut while lifting. Tighten the sefer before starting hagbah and the keep your hands apart so that the klaf does not sag.
The last common problem of the experts I call the SPREAD. The purpose of doing hagbah the way Ashkenazim do it is to allow the congregation to see the words of the Torah. But the congregation does not need to see all the word in the entire sefer! Three columns are enough. More than three columns may expose the hagbah-er to claims of gaivah (conceit – unwarranted for sure). Additionally, this can cause more damage to the sefer. After such an impressive spread, the one doing hagbah sits down and the one doing gelilah (rolling the scroll) must try to roll the sides of the scroll together. In the process, the klaf typically sags resulting in a tumult (commotion) of people pulling and tugging at the klaf to move it back to place. Clearly this is not healthy for the klaf and can lead to additional damage.
For real experts, these few tips should be easy to understand and lead to better care of our precious Sifrei Torah. תן לחכם ויחכם עוד (משלי ט:ט) – Give to the wise and he will become wiser yet.
However, many people refrain from doing hagbah simply because they have never had a chance to learn. It is not too hard, and you don’t have to be a hulk to do it. But on-the-job training is risky. Here I can help. I have a full-scale model of a Sefer Torah perfect for practicing hagbah. It has no keddusha (holiness) and didn’t cost too much either. You can snap it, crunch it and even drop it all you want and not even miss a snack. You can even learn the fancy hagbah that we do on Simchas Torah. Don’t be embarrassed, לא הבישן למד (אבות ב:ו) – The shy will not learn. Free lessons are available to individuals or groups upon request.