Diary 49
Diary 49 - On Nehemia's Wall.
Many years ago I had a brief email conversation with a Karaite and I found their take on Judaism fascinating. Particularly since I'm so connected to the text of Torah
without intermediation by any rabbinic commentary, since I just encounter the Torah
purely in the consonantal text on such a regular basis as part of my job as a scribe. At the time I visited their website Karaite Korner
and came across the name Nehemia Gordon, who was key in that community.
Many years later I received an email from that same Nehemia Gordon asking me to appear on his videocast to talk about scribal practice and so I went to meet him at the Czech Scroll Trust, where before I started my own interview I ended up being the video cameraman for a segment on the Czech Scrolls. It just so happened that I had has some training as a video cameraman working on the first ever Jewish Community Magazine in Redbridge when I was a teenager, so I was fairly good with a camera.
We then got together and I had a wonderful afternoon putting the programme together with Nehemia and then we popped out for tea afterwards and became friends. The video is below.
The 'blurb' from his site for episode 102 reads 'In this episode of Hebrew Voices, The Scribe's Toolbox, a Jewish scribe explains the ancient methods used since the time of Moses to hand write a Torah scroll. We explore the different types of parchment, how a quill is turned into a precise writing implement, and the surprising ingredients in scribal ink. He also explains the ritual observance involved in writing the name of God and how to fix scribal errors. If you have been following my research of thousands of Hebrew manuscripts and have been wondering what exactly goes into writing one, you need to watch this episode!'
If you would like to see my camera work in action then you can watch the segment at the Czech Scroll museum. https://www.nehemiaswall.com/torah-scrolls-holocaust
In terms of trying to understand the dis-intermediated relationship I have with Torah, one of the other things that I did a little while back, which was quite out of character for me, was to put pen to paper and write a poem. It does feel a bit Karaite to be honest.
Just me and my Torah
When I'm fixing a Torah
quill in hand
ink to my side
bent over the parchment
as it sits expectantly for repair
on my drawing board
it's just me and my Torah.
When I'm fixing a Torah
quill in hand
ink to my side
bent over the parchment
as it sits expectantly for repair
on my drawing board
it's just me and my Torah.
Black fire
written on white fire.
written on white fire.
Just me and my Torah.
Undiluted
unencumbered
unconstrained
by thousands of years
of commentators
whose
Undiluted
unencumbered
unconstrained
by thousands of years
of commentators
whose
views
were coloured by their times
their society
their mores
and their mishugas.
As they reworked
the plain meaning
layering
hints
allusions
stories
and
mystical musings
that were never there
when first these
words were written.
were coloured by their times
their society
their mores
and their mishugas.
As they reworked
the plain meaning
layering
hints
allusions
stories
and
mystical musings
that were never there
when first these
words were written.
And I have no doubt
that even though
I strive
to understand
the text
in and of its time
I too
view
the words
through the lens
of my
world
and my
loaded preconceptions.
that even though
I strive
to understand
the text
in and of its time
I too
view
the words
through the lens
of my
world
and my
loaded preconceptions.
But
at least it's
just my preconceptions
with no others
interfering.
at least it's
just my preconceptions
with no others
interfering.
Just me and my Torah.
Try it.
It's quite novel
what you uncover
when it's
just you
and your Torah.
It's quite novel
what you uncover
when it's
just you
and your Torah.
