Downloads

Your Aleph-Bet

Reading Skills - A prerequisite for learning Torah Scroll Navigation skills, is the ability to recognize and read basic Hebrew narrative.  Understanding what you are reading is a bonus.  A good baseline is the ability to read the beginning words of Sefer Devarim/Deuteronomy:

אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן

“These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond Jordan”

This includes recognizing the same text in the STAM font, without vowels, used in the Torah Scroll and within the Tikkun.

אלה הדברים אשר דבר משה אל כל ישראל בעבר הירדן

Dictionary Skills - Another necessary competency is the ability to find words in a Hebrew Dictionary.  When recovering from Unknown Columns, using the Torah Scroll Column Reference Guide, the first few words on Line 1 of the Unknown Column are looked up alphabetically. This provides you with information on the location and contents (Sefer, Parashah, Aliyah) of the Unknown Column, changing it into a Known Column.

Weekly Parashah in Tikkun and Chumash

In addition to using a Tikkun, students will benefit by also using a Chumash, which contains the text of each Parashah in Hebrew and in English.  Over time, students will begin to memorize the names of each Parashah, within each Sefer.  The Reference Tables that contain the unique information about each Aliyah (including Address: Column #, Line # and Beginning Text) also include the Book, Chapter, Verse where the Aliyah begins.  This is helpful when students study with their Chumash.

Locate Column - Reference Tables

Finding your place in the Torah Scroll, or when practicing with a Tikkun Korim, is a two-step process:

• Locate the Column containing your Aliyah, then
• Locate the beginning text for your ALIYAH within that Column

These Reference Tables help you with the first step.  You will be directed to go to an Anchor Column.  This is a column that has distinctive formatting and text and a known Column Number.  Each Column where a new Sefer begins, is an Anchor Column.

Scenario – Your reading is in Sefer Bereshit/Genesis,  Parashat No’ach, Cohen Aliyah.

These Reference Tables will direct you go to the Beginning of Sefer Bereshit (Col.  # 1), then Roll LEFT 5 Columns. You now have the Column containing your Aliyah in front of you (Col. # 6).

Locate Aliyah Within its Column - Reference Tables

Finding your place in the Torah Scroll, or when practicing with a Tikkun Korim, is a two-step process:

• Locate the Column containing your Aliyah, then
• Locate the beginning text for your ALIYAH within that Column

These Reference Tables help you with the second step.

Scenario – Your reading is in Sefer Bereshit/Genesis,  Parashat No’ach, Cohen Aliyah.    Aliyah Address: Column # 6, Line # 32

You have Column # 6 in front of you.  Using these Reference Tables, you notice that your Aliyah is preceded by an Open Space – so you look for an Open Space around Line # 32.  When you find it, you look for the beginning text of the Aliyah.  When there is a match, you can confirm you have found your Aliyah by matching the preceding words. You can now begin reading your Aliyah.

Gaining Expertise through Practice

Instructors can use the Practice Session Tracking Worksheets to assign class activities and homework. Self-paced students can use these Worksheets to track their progress, even timing themselves to see how they become more proficient in quickly locating Aliyot with more practice.