Quote:Question: I purchased a Chumash (Five Books of Moses). Is there any suggested etiquette, care, or signs of respect that you would recommend towards G-d's Word that I should take into consideration?
Thanks for your important question about proper treatment of a holy Torah book. Here are the main rules you should try to follow:
- keep it off the floor
- do not put it on a surface which a person is sitting on or lying down on at the time
- do not take it into a bathroom
- do not put objects or non-holy books or less-holy books down on top of it. A Chumash is the most holy type of Torah book, and it can be put down on top of another Chumash book or any other type of Torah book or non-Torah book. But out of respect, a Torah book should not be put down on top of a book of idolatry or lewdness or heresy.
- do not use it for a mundane purpose, like putting something under it to get flattened out by the weight
- when it is set down flat, or standing up on a shelf, it should be right side up, not upside down
- when the book is not being used, it should be closed and not left lying open,
- if any of the above is accidentally or purposefully violated, the mistake should be corrected as soon as possible, and the holy book may be kissed as a sign of penitential reverence for its holiness which was disrespected
- it is OK to use a bookmark in a holy book, but it is best for it to be thin so it extends only within the blank inside margin of the pages, and not over the printed text.