The 19th Century Sephardic Torah scroll on display in the Otto F. Linn library at Warner Pacific University contains the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures. Each column of the scroll has been photographed and indexed. We invite you to view or download the images below. To read an English translation alongside the Hebrew text, visit Chabad.org.
Genesis | Exodus | Leviticus | Numbers | Deuteronomy
Numbers (Bamidbar)
| Leviticus 27:8 – Numbers 1:22 (columns 133-134) |
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Numbers 17:7-18:26 (columns 157-158) |
| Numbers 1:22-2:11 (columns 135-136) |
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Numbers 18:26-20:28 (columns 159-160) |
| Numbers 2:11-3:31 (columns 137-138) |
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* Numbers 20:28-22:23 (columns 161-162) |
| * Numbers 3:31-4:33 (columns 139-140) |
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Numbers 22:23-24:4 (columns 163-164) |
| Number 4:33-6:11 (columns 141-142) |
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* Numbers 24:4-26:36 (columns 165-166) |
| Numbers 6:12-7:45 (columns 143-144) |
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Numbers 26:37-28:13 (columns 167-168) |
| Numbers 7:46-8:19 (columns 145-146) |
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* Numbers 28:13-30:11 (columns 169-170) |
| * Numbers 8:19-10:29 (columns 147-148) |
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Numbers 30:11-32:7 (columns 171-172; Not Available) |
| * Numbers 10:29-12:4 (columns 149-150) |
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Number 32:7-33:28 (columns 173-174) |
| * Numbers 12:4-14:19 (columns 151-152) |
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Numbers 33:28-35:5 (columns 175-176) |
| Numbers 14:19-15:33 (columns 153-154) |
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Numbers 35:5-36:13 (columns 177-178) |
| Numbers 15:33-17:7 (columns 155-156) |
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Numbers 36:13 – Deuteronomy 1:22 (columns 179-180) |
| * denotes pages of special interest | ||
Points of Interest:
| Num. 3:39 | : | Dotted Letters (Puncta Extraordinaria). According to Rabbi Natan, dots are placed above the phrase “and Aharon” to indicate that the high priest, Aharon, was not included among the Levi’im who were counted (Perek 34:5). See “Connecting the Dots” for additional information. |
| Num. 9:10 | : | Dotted Letters (Puncta Extraordinaria). This verse states: Speak to the sons of Israel, to say: “If a certain man of you or your descendants shall be unclean for a soul, or on a way that is distant, yet shall he perform the Passover to YHWH.” In this case, the letter Heh (ה) in the word “distant” (rekhoqah) has a dot above it which may indicate that the “place” being referred to is not really distant, but instead any place located outside the Temple courtyard (Talmud, Pesachim 93b). See “Connecting the Dots” for additional information. |
| Num. 10:35-36 | : | Inverted Nuns. “When the Ark was to set out, Moses would say: ‘Advance O Lord. May your enemies be scattered! And may Your foes flee before You.’ And when it halted, he would say: ‘Return O Lord, You who are Israel’s myriads of thousands’” These two verses are set apart from the surrounding text by inverted Nuns. In this version of the text, they appear as stylized letter Zs. In many synagogue services today, the first verse is recited when a Torah scroll is removed from its protective “aron hakodesh” (the Ark) and the second verse is recited when the scroll is returned. Rabbi Daniel Kohn provides additional details about The Torah Service. |
| Num. 14:17 | : | Large Letters (Otiyot Rabati). Moses prays for God to show His great power by mercifully forgiving the rebellious Israelites. In the phrase “let the power of my Lord be great” the first letter of the word for “great” (gadol) is written as an unusually large Yod (י). This is significant on several levels. First, the Yod represents the hand of God. By enlarging the Yod, the scribes emphasize the supreme, infinite might of God. Second, in Hebrew numerology, the Yod has the value of 10. During their wanderings in the wilderness, the Israelites tested God’s patience ten (Numbers 14:22). The large Yod signifies that despite the Israelites’ ten acts of rebellion, God’s grace and mercy will supernaturally cover and exceed their ingratitude. The oversized Yod emphasizes that God’s power is shown not just in His judgment, but also in His ability to extend boundless grace in the face of human weakness. |
| Num. 21:30 | : | Dotted Letters (Puncta Extraordinaria). Regarding the Israelites’ warfare conquests during their journey in the wilderness, this verse states: We have overpowered them; Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon. We have shattered them as far as Nophah, which reaches to Medeba. The Resh (ר) in the word “which” (asher) has a dot above it. Rabbi Natan taught that this associates the word “which” with the people who were conquered, thereby indicating that the Israelites did not follow a “scorched-earth policy” of warfare. They overpowered and shattered the people, but did not destroy the land (Perek 34:5). See “Connecting the Dots” for additional information. |
| Num. 25:12 | : | The broken Vav. The Vav (ו) in the word “peace” (shalom) is often written with a break in the middle (or sometimes it is drawn small). This may represent that peace must sometimes be actively defended, or that the peace given to Phinehas was an incomplete peace. Refer to “The Broken Vav” for additional information. |
| Num. 29:15 | : | Dotted Letters (Puncta Extraordinaria). The Vav (ו) in the phrase “a tenth” (issaron) usually has a dot above it. The dot is missing in this version of the text. Rabbi Natan taught that this indicates the offering should only include one-tenth for each of the fourteen lambs (Perek 34:5). See “Connecting the Dots” for additional information. |