Polish silver yad (Torah pointer)

The yad ('hand') is the Torah reading pointer: a rod terminating in a small hand with a pointing index finger, which allows the reader to follow the sacred text line by line without touching the parchment with the bare hand, out of reverence for the scroll. Suspended from the Torah mantle by a small chain, it is part of the scroll's adornments. Polish examples, in chased silver, frequently feature a twisted rod, a worked cuff, and sometimes stones or inscriptions. Their fabrication is part of the tradition of Ashkenazic synagogue silverwork, in which the yad is one of the most widespread ritual objects.