Netivat Sofrut: diary of a Soferet

Adventures of a female sofer learning to heal the world by doing Holy Work...writing a Sefer Torah

נחזיר את השכינה למקומה בצייון ובתבל כלה

"Let us restore the Divine In-Dwelling to Her Place in Zion & infuse Her spirit throughout the whole inhabited world."

So wherever we are, let us bring the Peace of G@d's Presence.

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Location: Vancouver/London, British Columbia/UK, Canada

SCRIBAL EVANGELIST As the only living certified Soferet (סופרת - female Jewish ritual scribe) & the first woman to practice sofrut (creation of sacred Hebrew texts) in over 200 years, I feel an obligation to blog about my experiences of The Work. I am also currently researching the foundation of a lost tradtion of women practicing this holy craft. For more on the services I provide, please see Soferet.com; Sofrut Nation. I am now available to engage with students, male or female, wishing to enter into the preliminary stage of learning sofrut. You are welcome to join me on this path. "Tzedeq, tzedeq tir'dof - Justice, justice you shall pursue." Devarim/Deuteronomy 16:20.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

SUNDAY MORNING

בס"ד
27 Adar


I received an e-mail recently from a stranger asking whether I write (sofrut) while menstruating. The answer is no. I halt writing each month & then I go to miqveh before I resume work on Sifrei Torah, mezuzot & the like. Please don't scoff at me & tell me I'm not really a feminist because I do this, because it is a choice I made based on rabbinic guidance & my own sense of what's right & wrong.
Besides, it gives me time each month to do promotional work & drum up new gigs! & this is a priority, because to be honest, speaking & teaching pays better than sofrut :)
That's probably because in our tradition, we are told to make sure we under-pay scribes. Because if sofrim get rich, they'll stop working, we are told, & then what will happen?

So I was sitting in Pini's today, the cholov yisroel pizzeria in my neighbourhood, doing research - yes, they have WiFi! It's awesome! I have internet at home, but it's great to sit in Java Hut or Beans or Esquires with a coffee or at Pini's with a bit of nosh & do work there. It gets me out of the house & into the 'hood. Anyway, I was checking out Canadian Jews (found myself on Wiki) when I came across the weirdest blog. I'm not sure that it's actually authored by 80's pop heartthrob (& Canadian Jew) Corey Hart, but if it isn't, he should probably sue them, even though it's funny: Corey Hart Drives a Fiero.

I picked up some Pesach necessities - one cool thing I found was a capped toothbrush with kosher for passover toothpaste inside the handle! So cool! & I can use it after Pesach for travel!

I had a slice of pizza while I sat & worked, which was awesome, but I often feel conspicuous for not doing netilat yadayim (ritual hand washing) & making motzie (blessing on bread) when I eat pizza in public, because some rabbis say you shouldn't & others say it's questionable.

I have pizza angst.

I also went through a book I took out from the library, Jerusalem & the Holy Land, to get me ready for my sacred pilgrimage.

This evening I davened Arvit (evening prayers) at Beth HaMidrash, the Sephardi shul in the 'hood. It was very peaceful, which is good, as the ru'ach nevu'ah (spirit of prophecy) is said to visit at this time. We want to be able to hear it, don't we?




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3 Comments:

Blogger Avrum68 said...

I too enjoyed sippng Java and surfing at Esquires (I quite enjoyed that place).

But the best...THE BEST coffee drink in all of Canada/USA...Mochachinos at Blenz. Oy do I miss those.

And judging by the amount of KMS gel I used to put in my hear...I was a Corey Hart fan. That, and my 1st and only guitar teacher played on all of his early demos.

"Never Surrender"

12:46 p.m.  
Blogger Soferet said...

בס"ד
Sometimes I have trouble getting online at Esquires, but it's really bright in there & they have a big patio, so I still go.

Aren't there any Blenz coffeeshops in T-O? They have them in the UAE...
You used to go to the one @ Granville & B-way, I remember. But they don't have WiFi, so I alternate the B-way & Heather cafe with Esquires, Java Hut, Beans & Pini's. I usually only go to Max's when someone else invites me - they don't have wireless...

:D I knew it!

Ameyn

1:15 p.m.  
Blogger Soferet said...

בס"ד
Bwa-ha-ha! Touche, Emily :D
My brother-in-law Jeremy offered to fill in the personal details, so that's nice of him :)

4:54 p.m.  

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