Historic Torah Scroll from the Period of the Ba'alei HaTosafot, with Unusual Letters - France, 13th Century

Historic Torah Scroll from the Period of the Ba'alei HaTosafot, with Unusual Letters - France, 13th Century

Handwritten Torah scroll on parchment. Ashkenazic-French script. France, c. 13th century - the period of the Ba'alei HaTosafot.

This scroll was written in characteristic French script customary in the 13th century. The script is similar in its typographic construct to two known scripts:

1. Chamishah Chumshei Torah, Meggilot and more written in Poligny, France, in 1300. The National Library has a scan of this manuscript (f 2931).

2. Tana"ch written in France, late 13th century. The National Library has a scan of this manuscript (f 18653).

Some time after it was written, this scroll found its way to Italy, where it underwent changes in several verses so that it would suit the custom of Italian Jews. During that period, two panels in the scroll were exchanged for other panels in Sephardic script that were written later.

This Torah scroll was written by an expert scribe in a singular script (except for two panels), and it has preserved the ancient traditions some of which are not currently customary, and some of which were already unknown several hundred years ago.

As is known, 'unusual letters' do not disqualify a Torah scroll, but they do have immense significance for the comprehension of the words of the Rishonim, and clearly also for preservation of tradition.

Several examples of the unusual letters found in this Torah scroll:

* Bereishit 11:32: "They came to Charan ... and Terach died in Charan." - the two nun-sofits [in חרן] are written reversed! Rash"i there states that "In Charan, the nun is reversed to tell you that until Avram, Hashem was unhappy with the world." Rabbi Menachem di Lozano (c. 1550-1626) in his book Ohr Torah notes, "I don't know what is reversed, because in all manuscripts, it is upright without any changes, nothing is reversed at all..." 

This Torah scroll bears a backwards nun sofit in several other places as well.

* Bereishit 4:26: "Then they began to call out in Hashem's Name" - the letter zayin (in the first word, אז) is written in a rare form called zayin d'akim rishihon. In this scroll, this unusual zayin appears in at least one more place.

* Bamidbar 7:1: "On the day Moshe finished" - Rash"i there writes in the name of the Tanchuma "Kalot is written [כלת כתיב], as on the day the mishkan was established, the Jewish people were like a bride entering her wedding canopy." In all known scrolls, the word is written in full ["ויהי ביום כלות משה"], including the letter vav, and what Rash"i was referring to was not understood. In this scroll, the word "כלות" is written in full. Yet a simple examination demonstrates that the letters vav and tav here were revised in a later Italian script, as apparently it was originally written "כלת" - lacking the vav!

*Devarim 6:4: "Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad" - the letter chet is written with a high hump at the top, and when this letter appears in other places in this scroll, it is only tagged, without the hump.

A small number of Torah scrolls from this early period are known today; a number that can be counted on one hand.

Attached:

1. Opinion from the researcher Shlomo Zucker, Manuscripts Department, National Library of Israel, Jerusalem (ret.).

2. Radiocarbon test on 22.10.2020.

55 panels, 165 columns, each with 55 lines, of which two panels were changed in Italy later on. Height: 70 cm.

Fine condition. Slight tears. Faded ink in several places. Minimal broken letters.