Original Torah Scroll Returns To Solve Legal Problems and Unite Jews

What is all the fuss about? So what if “Gewil” (pronounced “Gevil” by many) is dazzling to the eyes and difficult to tear. So what if Ezra wrote exclusively upon Gewil (literally the processed, un-split hide used by Torah scribes) over 2,400 years ago. So what if the Talmud mentions the use of Gewil as “mehadar Mitzvah” (the optimal way to do the commandment).  Your synagogue already has two Torah Scrolls. They may not be Gewil, but they are still original and kosher (acceptable) according to Jewish Law...right?

     Well, the answer to this question is not so simple. Today, many of our brightest rabbinical scholars and experts, including the chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, appear to be down-right troubled when confronted with this question. The Talmud (the authoritative oral law) refers to the underlying process used to prepare Gewil as the first legal requirement for the preparation of all kosher Torah scrolls (whether they are full hide or Qlaf parchment). The details governing this process (known as “ibud ha or”) are very precise. This process also requires “ibud Lishmo” (the working of the leather for the sole sake of producing a Sefer Torah).

     In the year 1170ce, the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) specifically reiterated this Talmudic requirement for the material, treatment and tanning process required for the preparation of kosher scrolls. The code of Jewish Law (ie: Bet Karo’s Shulkhan Arukh), accepted by most of the observant Jewish world, also makes a reference to this process. The Rambam notes that Ezra himself utilized this method and that almost all important legal documents were made using this process.

     The prescription literally refers to the processing of animal skin with salt, flour and other specific tanners. The Rambam describes this practice very clearly in chapter one of “Hilkot Sefer Torah”. One of the objectives appeared to be the closing of the pores to strengthen the skin. This process may be done using numerous acidic additives including various barks and other specifically mentioned chemicals. The base material, when prepared in this manner, is known simply as Gewil. Gewil usually has a darker appearance than most other scrolls, due to the introduction of turmeric. Unfortunately, most of today’s scrolls are not prepared in this way.

Resolving an Age Old Debate

     Today, there is a quiet debate in the rabbinic world—which is literally for the sake of Heaven. Only Gewil helps to settle an age old argument between the Tosafotists (the descendents of the famous Rabbi Rashi) and the Rambam. In the middle ages, the full Gewil hide was actually split down the middle in order to create two pieces. Each of these pieces had a different term. The debate STILL revolves around which piece is to be used for writing a sefer Torah or tefillin and which is used for a mezuzah. In ancient Yemenite texts, the Rambam's determination is that the thin outer layer of skin is known as “dukhsustus” while the thick inner layer (closest to the flesh) is called “Qlaf”. The Tosafotists said exactly the opposite. This makes for a serious legal problem regarding the acceptability of sefer Torah scrolls in today’s times, as someone is writing on the incorrect piece. Traditionally Yemenite Sifrei (scrolls of) Torah were written on Gewil, perhaps to avoid this issue altogether.  Only writing upon full, un-split material (ie: Gewil) solves this legal issue. But perhaps most important is the Talmudic mention of Gewil as mehadar Mitzvah (the optimal way to do the commandment). Another issue is that the Tosafotists deviated from the required process. Their method, known as “Ibud ha sid,” refers to soaking the animal skin in lime, which appeared to be a substitute used to close the pores of the skin. The Tosafotists, who were aware the Talmudic requirements, chose to revise the process by using a lime-focused soaking process. They claimed that a longer duration of time during their numerous soakings in lime was a sufficient justification to skip other ingredients in the process. Actually, this may not have started with the Tosfotists. According to the speculation of one famous Yemenite Talmid, this may have begun when Jews began to settle in Europe after their departure from Italy, as they found a new system of parchment making indigenous to the non-Jewish natives. Since they had to contend with guild issues (i.e.: Jews were not allowed to be in guilds), they may have purchased a near finished product from their gentile neighbors and then completed the process on their own. This may explain why the European tradition is more lenient with parchment as opposed to the middle eastern traditions, where there were no guilds. Regardless of why and when the change occurred, the revised process may not do enough to address the issue of needing to close the pores. Plus, it still changed the required tanning process. Also, there may have been a deviation regarding the role of Gentiles in this process.

Today, most scribes use one type of parchment for all three of these terms (i.e.: Gewil, Qlaf and duchsustos). The parchment is not split in two. Rather, a thin layer is removed from the upper layer, and the majority, if not the entire, lower layer is rubbed off. This produces a very light type of parchment. However, while this may look nice and weigh less, it has very little to do with the requirements listed in our Talmud.

The use of Gewil totally avoids all of these legal issues, without putting anyone on the defensive side. Thus, the Gewil revolution has begun. In these days of “being very careful about legal issues”, many Rabbis are opting to cover all their bases by having at least one “Gewil” scroll in their possession. Even the Chief Sephardic Rav Mordechai Eliyahu has approved of this process.  Incredibly, Gewil shows no marks or folds after being completely crumbled up in your hands. It instantly reverts to the original flat shape without one scratch or mark. This may explain why scrolls, such as those found in the ruins of the Judean desert, were able to survive such harsh conditions over time.