Maintaining Your Torah The life of a Sefer Torah can be greatly increased with proper care and maintenance. A properly cared for Torah should function for generations. Sofer On Site offers to come in annually to maintain your Torah scrolls after they have been restored. By popular demand, we have created a Torah Maintenance Plan which at a fraction of what it would costs allows you to both reduce dramatically the expenses of restoring and maintain your scrolls, while ensuring this is being done on a regular bases. Please see our T orah Maintenance Plan . There are however several ways that members can be proactive in looking after their Torahs. Being aware of the problems that play a part in the deterioration of a scroll and catering for these issues can prolong the well being of a Sefer Torah by several years. See our Holy   Rollers program for more details. Here are some proactive guiding points to consider: • The number one cause of deterioration in Torahs is moisture. One must ensure that the Aron Kodesh (Ark) that houses the Sefer Torah is completely free of any moisture. Often an Aron Kodesh is built into an exterior wall and unknowingly, this can cause all the scrolls to be exposed to moisture from the outside. Sometimes, a coat of sealant or waterproof paint will help rectify this problem. It is necessary for the Aron Kodesh to have adequate ventilation to prevent mold from growing on parchment. In addition, very dry climates can also have a negative effect on Torahs and a humidifier should be installed to increase the level of moisture in the ark. Obviously, if a Torah is being carried outside, great caution should be taken that scrolls not come into contact with rain in the slightest bit. • The Ba’al Koreh or any others who are reading from the Torah must be made aware that saliva can cause tremendous problems to a Torah. Hence, unless one is reading from the Torah, one should not speak above an open scroll. • The Yad is meant to point above the Torah, not to actually touch it or roll across. This can scrape the parchment and even cause letters to be damaged. • When rolling and tying a Sefer Torah, one should be aware that the edges are not protruding so as not to inadvertently become torn. One should not roll the scroll too tightly, as this will make letters rub against one another causing them to crack and break. • A Sefer Torah must have the correct size of Atzei Chaim with wooden plates affixed at the top and bottom to prevent such tears. The proper way to roll a Sefer Torah is that the parchment should be as close to the top of the Atzei Chaim on the right side and as close to the bottom on the left side. This assists in leaving enough room for the plates of the opposite side when closed. • The Chagora (belt) should preferably not have any sharp points; such as on a hook or buckle, that could catch on the parchment and damage it. • The best maintenance one can provide a Sefer Torah with is to allow it to breathe. It is a healthy practice to completely roll a Sefer Torah from one end to the other, once a month. This allows the parchment exposure to air and helps prevent letters from cracking and fading. This practice alone can prolong the life of a Sefer Torah by many years. A special program has been initialized called Holy   Rollers™ whereas community members gather once a month to take care of their Sefrei Torah. If a questionable section, word or letter presents itself, it must be marked so it can be located and repaired. If it is found on a weekday, one must mark it in pencil on the top of the column and again on the beginning of the line. If it is located on Shabbat, one can use a paperclip to mark the section. After Shabbat a pencil mark can be made. A Sefer Torah should not be left un-repaired indefinitely. It should be repaired as soon as possible or if there are too many problems, and no other options remain, it should be buried. A Sefer Torah is holy and like a human body should be treated as you would treat yourself. Take care of the Sefer Torah, guard and protect it, cherish and respect it. When not sure what to do, ask someone that knows. Above all, use the Torah and read it with love. See more about our: • On-site Torah Restoration • Holy Rollers Torah Care Program • Torah Restoration Project • Torah Maintenance Plan

Maintaining Your Torah The life of a Sefer Torah can be greatly increased with proper care and maintenance. A properly cared for Torah should function for generations. Sofer On Site offers to come in annually to maintain your Torah scrolls after they have been restored. By popular demand, we have created a Torah Maintenance Plan which at a fraction of what it would costs allows you to both reduce dramatically the expenses of restoring and maintain your scrolls, while ensuring this is being done on a regular bases. Please see our T orah Maintenance Plan . There are however several ways that members can be proactive in looking after their Torahs. Being aware of the problems that play a part in the deterioration of a scroll and catering for these issues can prolong the well being of a Sefer Torah by several years. See our Holy Rollers program for more details. Here are some proactive guiding points to consider: • The number one cause of deterioration in Torahs is moisture. One must ensure that the Aron Kodesh (Ark) that houses the Sefer Torah is completely free of any moisture. Often an Aron Kodesh is built into an exterior wall and unknowingly, this can cause all the scrolls to be exposed to moisture from the outside. Sometimes, a coat of sealant or waterproof paint will help rectify this problem. It is necessary for the Aron Kodesh to have adequate ventilation to prevent mold from growing on parchment. In addition, very dry climates can also have a negative effect on Torahs and a humidifier should be installed to increase the level of moisture in the ark. Obviously, if a Torah is being carried outside, great caution should be taken that scrolls not come into contact with rain in the slightest bit. • The Ba’al Koreh or any others who are reading from the Torah must be made aware that saliva can cause tremendous problems to a Torah. Hence, unless one is reading from the Torah, one should not speak above an open scroll. • The Yad is meant to point above the Torah, not to actually touch it or roll across. This can scrape the parchment and even cause letters to be damaged. • When rolling and tying a Sefer Torah, one should be aware that the edges are not protruding so as not to inadvertently become torn. One should not roll the scroll too tightly, as this will make letters rub against one another causing them to crack and break. • A Sefer Torah must have the correct size of Atzei Chaim with wooden plates affixed at the top and bottom to prevent such tears. The proper way to roll a Sefer Torah is that the parchment should be as close to the top of the Atzei Chaim on the right side and as close to the bottom on the left side. This assists in leaving enough room for the plates of the opposite side when closed. • The Chagora (belt) should preferably not have any sharp points; such as on a hook or buckle, that could catch on the parchment and damage it. • The best maintenance one can provide a Sefer Torah with is to allow it to breathe. It is a healthy practice to completely roll a Sefer Torah from one end to the other, once a month. This allows the parchment exposure to air and helps prevent letters from cracking and fading. This practice alone can prolong the life of a Sefer Torah by many years. A special program has been initialized called Holy   Rollers™ whereas community members gather once a month to take care of their Sefrei Torah. If a questionable section, word or letter presents itself, it must be marked so it can be located and repaired. If it is found on a weekday, one must mark it in pencil on the top of the column and again on the beginning of the line. If it is located on Shabbat, one can use a paperclip to mark the section. After Shabbat a pencil mark can be made. A Sefer Torah should not be left un-repaired indefinitely. It should be repaired as soon as possible or if there are too many problems, and no other options remain, it should be buried. A Sefer Torah is holy and like a human body should be treated as you would treat yourself. Take care of the Sefer Torah, guard and protect it, cherish and respect it. When not sure what to do, ask someone that knows. Above all, use the Torah and read it with love. See more about our: • On-site Torah Restoration • Holy Rollers Torah Care Program • Torah Restoration Project • Torah Maintenance Plan