The Jewish Nation is called “the People of the Book,” although I recently discovered that the origin of this term is in Islam and refers to any religion guided by scriptures.

In truth the Jewish people should be referred to as the People of the Scroll as it is the Torah Scroll that we studied for many years, until the compilation of the Mishna and much later, the advent of the printing press.

The imperitive to learn Torah is so strong, that there is actually a mitzvah for every Jew to write their own Sefer Torah, or have one commissioned for themselves. Nowadays when we study from books, one can fulfil this mitzvah by buying Jewish holy books, but many will still buy a letter or a verse in a communal Torah School. The Lubavitcher Rebbe actively encouraged that all Jewish children should own their own letter in a Torah Scroll written specifically for them in Jerusalem. (You can read more details and purchase letters at www.kidstorah.org)

Buying a new Sefer Torah is a great occasion and is celebrated by a parade through the city. Torah Scrolls are also treated with great respect – every child knows that if G-d forbid a Torah Scroll is dropped, everyone who saw it fall will need to fast. Old Torah Scrolls are not discarded but carefully buried, treated with the same respect accorded to a person who has passed on.

Why do we Jews have such respect for seforim? 

Chassidic philosophy explains that the first word of the Ten Commandments, “Anochi,” Hebrew for “I” (as in “I am the L-rd your G-d”), is an acronym for ana nafshi ksavis yihavis, which means “I myself wrote and gave.” This means to say that G-d Himself wrote and gave the Torah. 

But the Lubavitcher Rebbe explained that “ana nafshi” means that G-d inserted His nefesh, His very essence, into the Torah—meaning that the Torah is not just another book, but a “piece” of G-d.

That’s also why we close the Torah when we stop learning or reading from it - because when a person is studying from a Torah, it’s as if he’s personally studying with G-d. And to get up and walk out in the middle of personal meeting with G-d is inappropriate. One really ought to ask permission to leave—and does so by closing the book before departing. This is also the reason for burying and old or destroyed Sefer Torah, because we are not dealing with just parchment, but with the G-dliness that is within it.

Not everyone can own a Torah Scroll, but we can accord the Torah the greatest honour by studying it. As we celebrate the High Holidays and think about our resolutions for the coming year, why not invest in some Jewish books or make a commitment to regular Torah study?