Torah Pointer (Yad)

Wooden Yad

An original design by Steve Henry Herman, hand-sculpted from a variety of woods including juniper burl & koa (shown here).

A yad (Hebrew: יד‎), literally, "hand," is a Jewish ritual pointer, used to point to the text when reading from the Torah scrolls. It is intended to prevent the reader from touching the scroll--which is considered sacred--and to avoid damage to the fragile  lettering. The end of the yad traditionally takes the shape of a hand with a pointing index finger.

While silver yads are most common, they tend to leave a visible line below the lettering after a number of years. For this reason, scribes who produce and repair Torah scrolls recommend using a yad with a wooden tip.

Other examples currently in stock:

Box Elder & Koa Yad

Curly Walnut & Maple Yad

Inscribed presentation/storage boxes available on request.