B'yad Moshe

The artist's daughter Sarah uses the Yad he crafted for her Bat Mitzvah.	It is holy work to make a Sefer Torah, a Mezuzah, or the parchments for a pair of Tefillin. The Talmud and other books of Jewish law teach us that no base metals (iron, steel, brass, copper or bronze) may be used for this work. Everyday tools and weapons are fashioned from base metals; nothing which is intended for killing can be used in making a Sefer Torah. It is acceptable to use tools made of silver, gold, ivory or fine wood. When reading from the Torah, we do not touch the parchment scrolls because the oils from our hands can damage the parchment and rub off the ink. The same teachings apply to the yad, the pointer used to follow our place when reading Torah, so it too is made from silver, gold, ivory, or fine wood.
My kavanah, or intent, in the design of each handcrafted yad is to incorporate numeric elements which have symbolic meanings in traditional Judaic teaching.
Each yad is unique, symbolizing the number one, that which we call G-d. The five fingers of the black ebony hand, as well as the five purpleheart beads, represent the five books of Moses, the Sefer Torah. There are seven black ebony elements from the hand to the kippah separating six purpleheart segments. These seven ebony groupings evoke awareness of holy time, Shabbat, and the seven lower Sephirot, or emanations of G-d: loving-kindness, discipline, beauty, endurance, splendor, foundation, and divine presence. The seven ebony and six purpleheart segments total thirteen, referring to the thirteen principles of faith of Maimonides, the principles of logic or Talmudic reasoning, and the attributes of divine mercy. Six of the elements each have three rings which totals eighteen, symbolic of the Hebrew letters "hey" and "vav" which translate to "chai/life." Combining the eighteen ebony rings and the five purpleheart beads totals twenty-three. The meaning of the Hebrew letters for the number twenty-three are "crowning accomplishment" and "kindness."
Ordering Information:	Yad prices begin at $350.
Method of Payment:	Check or money order prior to shipping.

For more information or to order your Yad: email: mark@byadmoshe.com phone: 541/482-6677 541/482-6699 fax or write: B'yad Moshe 2285 Morada Lane Ashland, OR 97520

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