Miniature Torah Scroll, Russia, 20th century

Scroll (Height of parchment: 6 in. (150 mm); height of text: 3 3/4 in. (96 mm); X 49 ft. 6 in. (app. 15 m). 50 membranes, 257 columns, 42 lines, blind-ruled, written in black ink on vellum in Ashkenazic STAM square script, sewn with gidin; on wooden rollers. Black velvet gartel (belt), matching black velvet mantle embroidered and bordered with golden and silver metallic thread. Housed in a velvet-lined wooden ark (16 ½ x 10 ¼ x 6 ¼ in.), with metallic handle, hinges and decorative plaques ; with matching wood surmount of Mosaic tablets (detached), inscribed with Ten Commandments.



The present scroll is accompanied by a certificate from Makhon 'Ot attesting to its ritual fitness for liturgical use

The most sacred ritual artifact of the Jewish faith is the Torah Scroll.  Containing the text of the Pentateuch and written by hand on specially prepared parchment by a trained scribe according to traditions that date back thousands of years, Torah scrolls are most often used for public worship services in Jewish communities around the world.  There is nevertheless a long tradition of private ownership of scrolls as well.  In fact, Judaism considers both the ownership and the writing of Torah scrolls to be obligatory positive commandments.  Given the expense and great degree of complexity inherent in producing a Torah scroll that is fit for ritual use, most individual Jews are unable to fulfill those commandments.  For those few individuals with a consummate level of skill, or more likely, with the financial wherewithal to hire someone that skilled, the opportunity to possess a Torah Scroll became a reality.