The dedication of a new Torah scroll this Saturday night coincidentally fulfills a commandment in the second half of this week’s double Torah portion. In parashat Vayelekh, the Torah commands (31:19): “And now, write for yourselves this song” (kitvu lakhem et ha-shirah ha-zot). The Talmudic sages interpret this phrase as mandating the writing of a complete Torah scroll. Maimonides (Hilkhot Sefer Torah chapter 7) explains the sages’ derivation. Since one cannot write isolated paragraphs of the Torah, the only way to write “this song” is by including it as part of a complete Torah scroll.

Rabbi Aryeh Leib b. Asher Gunzberg,, the eighteenth century author of the Shaágat Aryeh, challenges the nature of Maimonides’ argument. Even if writing individual paragraphs of the Torah is prohibited, one is allowed to write separate books of the Torah. Since Maimonides assumes that the “song” referred to by the Torah cannot possibly encompass more than the entire book of Deuteronomy, a person should be able to fulfill his obligation by merely writing the book of Deuteronomy.

R. Aryeh Pomeronchik, the modern day author of the conceptual work Emek Berakhah defends Maimonides. He points out another Maimonidean statement that although one is permitted to write a solitary book of the Torah, such a work would not equal the sanctity of a complete Torah scroll. Maimonides really means to teach that the purpose of the Torah’s command is to imbue the song with the sanctity of a Torah scroll. This teaching suggests that the presence of a complete Torah scroll means much more than the sum of its parts. The scroll’s very presence bestows an aura of sanctity to its surroundings. The dedication of KRA’s new Torah scroll incalculably reinforces the sanctity of our holy congregation.