I once attended a hachnasat Sefer Torah which touched me deeply, as it was conducted amidst much majesty and grandeur. Throughout all Jewish communities, Sifrei Torah are often brought into the Beit Hakeneset. Men, women, and children accompany a new Sefer Torah to its home amidst music and dancing. Often, torches are lit in honor of the event.
This celebration, too, took place with great honor and glory, befitting a holy Sefer Torah, the apple of our eye and the delight of our lives. The holder in which the Torah Scroll was encased was made of pure silver. It was very impressive, as was the hall where the seudat mitzvah took place afterward.
I was truly joyous at seeing such love and respect toward the Torah. I praised the one who had spent so much money on this project. He caused a tremendous kiddush Hashem and publicly fulfilled the verse “I prefer the Torah of Your mouth above thousands in gold and silver.”
- With the Rabbi of Tel Aviv, previous Chief Rabbi, HaGaon Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, shlita
He demonstrated that just as he invested vast sums in material matters, so, too, and even more so, did he invest in spiritual pursuits. He spared no money in affording the best for the sake of Hashem’s glory.
