The Mitzvah to Write a Torah Scroll

The mitzvah to writing a Torah scroll (Hebrew: מצוות כתיבת ספר תורה) is is one of Jewish commandment a mitzvah) for every Jew to write a Torah scroll for himself. This mitzvah is the last mitzvah in the 613 mitzvos. The source of the mitzvah is from what is said in Parashat Vayelech in Book of Deuteronomy:"Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them" (in hebrew:"וְעַתָּה כִּתְבוּ לָכֶם אֶת הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת וְלַמְּדָהּ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׂימָהּ בְּפִיהֶם לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה לִּי הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לְעֵד בִּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל")[1]In the oral Torah it is said that although according to the verse only the parashat "hazinu" should be written, but since it is forbidden to write only one parsha from the Torah, necessarily the intention of the Torah in this mitzvah is to write the whole Torah.[2]

Writing a torah

The reasons for the mitzvah

The mitzvah was given two reasons, The first is that in writing the Torah in ink on the parchment there is a continuation of the tradition of Israel, and the passing on of the testimony of "the event of Mount Sinai". The second reason is so that Torah scrolls are in the hands of every person in Israel, and anyone who wants to study them will be able to do so.[3][4]

Laws of the Mitzvah

Even a person who inherits a Torah scroll from his parents is obligated to write one himself.

Anyone who does not know how to write a Torah scroll, or has difficulty writing it himself, can hire someone to write it for him, or buy a written Torah scroll. At the end of the writing, it is customary to bring him into the synagogue in a big celebration, in a ceremony called inserting a Torah scroll (Hachnasat Sefer Tora).

Those who owe a mitzvah

Due to the high prices of Torah scrolls (currently: over one hundred thousand NIS), it is difficult for many people to have a Torah scroll in there possession. Therefore, the rabbis ordered that anyone who does not have enough money is released from the mitzvah. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein rules that it is forbidden to spend more than a tenth of a person's fortune on this mitzvah. Because then one might not have enough money left over for other mitzvos.[5]

Women in the mitzvah

There is a disagrement wethere women are also included in this a mitzvah. In the Sefer ha-Chinuch it is written that the obligation to write a Torah scroll is only for men, because they are obligated by the mitzvah "Talmud Torah".[6] But The Shaagas Aryeh wrote, that women are also obligated to write a Torah scroll even though they are exempt from "Talmud Torah", because they are still obligated to study the practical laws and foundations of faith and morality. This is also the reason why they bless the Birkot HaTorah. In addition, in his opinion, the mitzvah does not depend on the mitzvah "Talmud Torah" at all, but is a mitzvah in itself that is directed towards all of Israel, including women.

Most of the latter Poskim[7] rule that in principle women are exempt from the mitzvah of writing a Torah scroll, but if they wish to participate in financing a Torah scroll, a blessing will come upon them. But regarding the second part of the mitzvah which is the obligation to buy books for the purpose of Torah study, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed in the Peninei Halakha that women are obligated and that every woman is commanded to have basic books in halakhah, the Bible, faith and morals.[8]

References
  1. Deuteronomy 31:18
  2. Sefer Hamitzvot. 18
  3. talmud, Menachot 30
  4. Piskey harosh Sefer Torah 1
  5. Igros Moshe Yore De'a A, ks"g
  6. Sefer ha-Chinuch, mitzva 613
  7. Igros Moshe, Yore De'a, prat 1, 164
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