The Symbolic Representation of the Sefer Torah - Maqom

eturning the Torah scrolls to the Holy Ark, was for the welfare of the heads of the Jewish communities inIsrael and Babylonia. Rabbi Amram Gaon in his prayer book (siddur) presents a mi shiberach that reads“He Who blessed our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He should bless all our brothers and sisters,the children of Israel, who come to pray and give charity in the synagogues. The Lord may Hear the soundof their prayers and heed their needs and fulfill positively their requests and say amen.” 60 In addition,during the Geonic period, a mi sheberach was composed and recited on Monday and Thursdays during therolling of the Torah. The prayer was included in the yehi ratzon. The purpose of this prayer, through themystical power of the Torah scrolls, was to encourage the Jewish men to come to the synagogue anddonate to charity. 61In Europe, the mi sheberach prayer was added to the Sabbath liturgy. Shortlyafterwards the mi sheberach prayer is presented in both the Shibolei Leket and the Kol Bo.Thus the time of the Torah reading, (as part of the mi sheberach), was used to solicit charity such asdonations for the synagogue or even for the sexton. Specific holidays such as Simchat Torah weredesignated to request donations for specific purposes, such as for the well being of the Pope. 62Forexample, on the last days of the Shalosh Regalim 63 an appeal was made for the poor of Israel and a misheberach read for those who donated. This custom continued throughout Jewish history in all ethnicgroups and geographical locations. The area of solicitation grew to include any form of charity. In the 13 thcentury, Rabbi Yitzchak of Vienna in his halakhic compendium Or Zarua (section Shabbat sub section 50)writes that is was the custom of the reader (shaliach tzibur) who read the Torah Sabbath portion to blessthe person invited to the Torah with “mi sheberach 64 Abraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, should bless so andso that he will pledge a donation in honor of the Torah.”The Or Zarua cites his father, who objected to this custom since it suggests business dealings whichare forbidden on the Sabbath. Rabbi Yitzchak of Vienna offered a rationalization as to why this ritual is not60 Yaari 1958 a pp. 118-119 discusses the historical development of the yakum purkan and its acceptance into the liturgy. Heshows the differences in different geographical locations that Jews resided.61 See Siddur Rabbi Amram Gaon.62 See Yaari 1958a, p. 125.63 Passover, Succoth, Shavuot.64 The prayer mi sheberach is often cited throughout rabbinic literature but is not usually recited at the Sefer Torah. This isespecially prevalent in the early rabbinic sources.27