Seraphic Secret

Robert J. Avrech: Emmy Award winning screenwriter. Movie fanatic. Helplessly and hopelessly in love with my wife since age nine.

Torah Dedication in Memory of Ariel Chaim, Z’L

by 7 Comments

Karen and I dedicated a Torah to our synagogue in memory of our son Ariel Chaim, Z’L. On the evening of August 22, at our home, there was a ceremony where the last hundred letters of the Torah were filled in by our friend, a scribe, with a few dozen honored family and friends present.
All Photos: Steve Cohn Photography www.stevecohnphotography.com (310) 277-2054 © 2019

In his 1899 Harper’s Monthly essay, “Concerning the Jews”, Mark Twain concludes his reflection on the Jewish people with a question.

All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?

There is no secret.

At least not to those of us who understand Jewish history and our eternal covenant with HaShem.

The Jewish people are immortal because of their adherence to the Torah.

For a Torah scroll to be kosher it must be written on parchment with ink and quill. There are no punctuation marks in a Torah scroll.

 

It is a mitzvah for a Jew to write a Torah scroll. But since we are not all created equal in terms of talent, and thus unable to master the intricate Torah calligraphy which is prescribed by Jewish law, one can fulfill the mitzvah by sitting beside the scribe and gently—very gently—placing a hand on his as he fills in the letters. There is a tremendous feeling of awe, and an awareness of the flow of Jewish history when taking part in this ceremony.

 

Our five grandchildren were fascinated by the ceremony of finishing a Torah scroll.

 

The transmission of Torah Judaism, the Mesorah, is beautifully captured in this photo wherein our son-in-law has his hand on the scribe’s wrist, and his son, our grandchild Ariel, with his hand on his father’s; from one generation to the next.

 

The Torah mantle is inscribed in English and Hebrew with the dedication to our beloved son, Ariel Chaim Z’L.

 

We placed a picture of Ariel beside the Torah… his Torah. May his neshama have an aliyah.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The Torah scroll is beautiful. What a meaningful way to commemorate Ariel Chaim z”l. After all, his love of Torah is well known. The whole dedication was very well done- from Thursday night to Sunday when you had the lively procession into the synagogue. Speeches were wonderful. Each speaker really captured the essence of Ariel. The room where the brunch was looked magnificent with those gorgeous centerpieces and the catering was delicious and plentiful. Of course, the best part of all, was being together with family and friends. So glad we were able to be there!

Leave a Reply