Torrah rollers

The Torah mantle (Hebrew: meil) is a type of decorative cover for the Torah scrolls (containing the most important part of the Hebrew Bible, the so-called Pentateuch, i.e. the first five books of the Bible

It is made of burgundy velvet and decorated with a decorative ribbon with golden fringes at the bottom and at the top edge and a trim. In the central part, there is a white satin appliqué representing the tablets of the Ten Commandments, where the Hebrew letters standing for the commandments are embroidered with golden thread. The tablets, supported by two lions, are crowned with a closed crown made of white satin, on the sides of which there is another inscription. This is a dedication from Mrs. Fridman, connecting the offering with the soul of her father, Avraham, son of Zalman Reuben. The object is dated at the years between 1918 and 1939.

The practice of covering the Torah with a cloth may originate from a mystical tradition which presents it as a living organism. Ornaments of the mantles often include a crown, one of the most popular motifs in Jewish iconography. It can also be found on Hanukkah lamps, Aron Kodesh and parochets (curtains).A frequent decorative motif appearing on Torah mantles are two lions supporting the Tablets of Moses depicted in the form of a two-winged gate representing the entrance into God's wisdom, knowledge and paradise.This mantle was donated by Michał Bristiger, a musicologist and music critic.

Natalia Różańska