Asofer,sopher,sofer SeTaM, orsofer ST"M (Hebrew:סופר סת״ם, "scribe"; pluralsoferim,סופרים) is a Jewishscribe who can transcribeSifrei Kodesh (holy scrolls),tefillin (phylacteries),mezuzot (ST"M,סת״ם, is an abbreviation of these three terms) and other religious writings.
Soferim are men who are trained and permitted to transcribe Jewish texts according to thelaws of Judaism:
collectively known as ST"M.
By simple definition, soferim arecopyists, but their religious role inJudaism is much more. Besides sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzot, scribes are necessary to write the Five Megillot (scrolls of theSong of Songs,Book of Ruth,Book of Esther,Ecclesiastes, andBook of Lamentations),Nevi'im (the books of the prophets, used for reading thehaftarah), and forgittin, divorce documents. Many scribes also function as calligraphers—writing functional documents such asketubot (marriage contracts), or ornamental and artistic renditions of religious texts, which do not require any scribal qualifications, and to which the rules on lettering and parchment specifications do not apply.
The majorhalakha pertaining tosofrut, the practice of scribal arts, is in theTalmud in the tractate "Maseket Sofrim". In the Torah's613 commandments, the second to last[1] is thatevery Jew should write a sefer Torah before they die.[2]
A sofer must be religiously observant, of good character, and knowledgeable about the laws concerning sofrut. It is a common misconception that one has to be arabbi in order to become a sofer.[3]
People who want to become ritual scribes usually learn from another expert scribe by undergoingshimush (apprenticeship), since it would be impossible for someone to be a scribe without any actual practice. Newly certified scribes writeMegilat Esther scrolls.[4] The hardest part about learning to be a sofer is not thecalligraphy, but, rather, remembering the thousands of laws that apply to sifrei Torah, tefillin, mezuzot, and all the other texts that are written onparchment.
The main texts from which Ashkenaz soferim learn the scribal art include theKeset Ha-Sofer,Chasdey David,Mishnah Berurah (24-45),Mishneh Torah (Hilchot Tefillin u'Mezuzah v'Sefer Torah, Hilchot Tzitzit),Mishnat Hasofer,Mishnat Sofrim, and theLikkut Sifrey Stam.[5]
Sephardic soferim rely, in addition toMishneh Torah (Hilchot Tefillin u'Mezuzah v'Sefer Torah, Hilchot Tzitzit), onArba'ah Turim,Beit Yosef on Tur, andShulchan Arukh.[6]
Baladi Rite Yemenite (Teimani) scribes try to follow as closely as possible only the instruction of theRambam, i.e.Mishneh Torah (Hilchot Tefillin u'Mezuzah v'Sefer Torah, Hilchot Tzitzit), though before Mishneh Torah, their standard was based on the Rama, i.e. RabbiMeir ben Todros HaLevy Abulafia.[7]
Forming the basis for the discussion of women becoming soferim, Jen Taylor Friedman states, "Sifrei Torah, tefillin and mezuzot written by (some versions insert "a heretic"), an informer (to the Romans), a star-worshipper (some versions substitute "non-Jew"), a slave, a woman, a minor, a Cuthean, or an apostate Jew, are unfit for ritual use"[8] The rulings on mezuzot and tefillin are virtually undisputed among those who hold to theTalmud. WhileArba'ah Turim does not include women in its list of those ineligible to write Sifrei Torah, some see this as proof that women are permitted to write a sefer Torah.[9] However, today, virtually all Orthodox (both Modern and Ultra) authorities contest the permissibility of a woman's writing a sefer Torah. Yet, women are permitted to inscribeKetubot (marriage contracts), STaM not intended for ritual use, and other writings ofsofrut beyond simple STaM. In 2003, CanadianAviel Barclay became the world's first known, traditionally trained, soferet.[10][11]
Among non-Orthodox Jews, women have written Torah scrolls since the early 2000s. In 2007Jen Taylor Friedman, a British woman, became the first woman to scribe a sefer Torah.[12] In 2010, the first sefer Torah scribed by a group of six women (from Brazil, Canada, Israel, and the United States) was completed;[13] this was known as theWomen's Torah Project.[14] Since then, other women have written Torah scrolls.[15] As of 2014[update], there were an estimated 50 female sofers around the world.[16]
Besides Torah scrolls, tefillin, and mezuzot, scribes are also necessary for the writing of theFive Megillot (scrolls of theSong of Songs,Book of Ruth,Book of Esther,Ecclesiastes, andBook of Lamentations) and Nevi'im (the books of the prophets, used for reading thehaftarah), and forgittin (divorce documents). In some communities, especiallyChaim Kanievsky's community inBnei Brak, soferim also write the other books of the Bible, such asPsalms or theBook of Ezra. This was promoted in 19th-century Jerusalem by RabbiShemuel Shelomo Boyarski.
There are many rules concerning the proper formation of letters that must be followed if a written text is to be deemed religiously valid.[17] TheAshkenazi,Sefardi,Chabad (Lubavitch), andMizrahi Jews each have their own script for forming the letters, though the same rules apply throughout the text. Generally, regarding sifrei Torah, none of these groups would consider that these differences would render a Torahposul (ritually unfit or invalid).
The documents must be written on properly preparedparchment orvellum known asklaf.
Many scribes also function as calligraphers—writing functional documents like ketubot, or ornamental and artistic renditions of religious texts—which do not require any scribal qualifications, and to which the rules on lettering and parchment specifications do not apply.
I began like every other scribe by writing copies of Megilas Esther
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