CCAR RESPONSA
New American Reform Responsa
137. A Torah Permenantly Displayed in a Museum Case
QUESTION: May a Torah be displayed in a museum case on a permanent basis? The synagogue museum is located in the foyer of the synagogue. It is visited by a large number of Jews and non-Jews. The Torah in question has been damaged and can no longer be used at services. It has survived the Holocaust and so is considered as a silent witness to these tragic events. (Charles Goldman, Toronto Ontario)ANSWER: A Torah or any Hebrew book which contains the name of God is considered sacred. When it can no longer serve the original purpose it should be buried or disposed of in such a way that no desecration or inappropriate use of it will be made (Meg 26b; Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 282:10; Orah Hayim 154.5). Traditionally Torah scrolls, prayerbooks, and Bibles were buried in the congregation’s cemeteries or in some countries placed in storage areas in the synagogue which were designated for this purpose. For example the Geniza in Cairo which contained documents and books spanning a period of more than four centuries. Torahs particularly were put away and removed from the synagogue as soon as they became defective so that they would not be read at a service in error. The principle involved was that of honoring the book and the name of God rather than permanently removing the work from circulation. There has never, for example, been any reservations about displaying ancient Hebrew manuscripts in museums either Jewish or non-Jewish, as for example the Isaiah Scroll in the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem. We must, however, ask whether a Torah is in a special category. Certainly viewed historically it is not. It is simply the earlier form of the book before the invention of books with separate pages. However, through the centuries in which the Torah scroll remained virtually the only book in this form it has acquired through custom a special status. It has always been maintained in a separate container, either the permanent ark of the synagogue, the movable container of the Sephardic tradition or the still earlier mobile arks. This was an effort to safeguard it; even a pasul Torah remained sacred (Sab 115b); it could continue to be kept in the ark though this was usually not done in order to avoid accidental use (Jacob Ettlinger Binyan Zion 1.97; Magen Avraham to Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 154.8; Gedaliah Felder Yesodeh Yeshurun 2.142). Special rules also evolved about handling the Torah and the honor due to it at religious services. Furthermore being asked to participate in the Torah service was both a mitzvah and a special honor and thereby gave a unique status to the book itself (W. Jacob (ed) American Reform Responsa #39). The display in a museum case would certainly be appropriate as it continues to honor the Torah. We should view this as an educational tool which will bring about a better understanding of the Torah. There may be some problems with the museum’s location in the foyer of the synagogue. After all that is an area generally used for gatherings not only before and after services, but also for many social occasions not of a religious nature and so the behavior in the foyer will not always necessarily be decorous. It would therefore be appropriate to place the Torah in such a fashion that it is not directly accessible from the foyer and can only be seen upon entering the museum area itself. If that is not possible than it might be well to construct the case in which it is displayed in such a fashion that a curtain akin to that normally found in a Torah ark (parokhet) can be closed when the museum is not open or when the synagogue foyer is used for general assembly purposes. In this fashion the continued honor of the Torah will be maintained and people’s sensitivity toward this Torah which has survived the Holocaust will be heightened.June 1989
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