Earlier this week, Sotheby’s auctioned off the Codex Sassoon, the oldest and fullest copy of the Bible. It dates back to the early 10th century, and includes all 24 books of the Bible. Written on parchment and bound in book form, it weighs 26 pounds. In the margins are commentaries and notes, carrying original insights from over a millenia ago. Biblical scholars lamented the likelihood that the Codex Sassoon would end up in a billionaire’s private collection, as opposed to in a Museum where many could learn from its rich pages. In the end, the Codex Sassoon was purchased by a friend of ANU - the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, where it will be on display as a part of their permanent collection. It sold for 38.1 million dollars.
Sotheby’s started the auction at $30 million, so the final sale price was a surprise to no one, but I was amazed. Sure, it’s a historical artifact. Yes, it can teach Biblical scholars and academics about early interpretations and notes on the text. And, this is a Torah!! I can look at this dollar amount and see something exorbitant, or I can put everything else aside to marvel at what people are willing to pay for Torah, and what it means about our connection, as a people, to this text.
It means that Torah is the most precious thing we have as a people. There is something powerful about the ancient pages, handwritten in ink on parchment, bound by hand, carrying our holiest words. The price tag, in part, comes from the history that those pages have witnessed, the way they have been with our people for so long. So this week I wondered, what would our lives look like if the most expensive thing we had was Torah? How would we act? In what ways would our behavior, our conversations, our actions, be guided by that precious possession?
While I can’t imagine Sotheby’s had this in mind in planning the timing of the auction, I love that it took place the week before Shavuot. Shavuot, the holiday when we celebrate the giving of Torah, is about keeping Torah at the center. It’s about promoting the value of Torah and knowing that we can revolve our lives around it. The way we celebrate Shavuot is by studying Torah. (Join us on Thursday night!) The way we continue to make Shavuot relevant is by teaching and revealing new Torah each year, reminding ourselves that Torah is timeless. And most important, it’s the holiday that demands that Torah is for each and every one of us.
The last time the Codex Sassoon was up for public viewing was around 1960. These ancient words, the oldest pages with the holiest words we have, have been behind closed doors for so long. Now, thank God, they will be available for viewing. Torah isn’t meant to be a gem in a chest. We are meant to see it, learn it, be guided by it. As we approach Shavuot next week, may each truly feel that Torah is for us. It is our most precious gift.
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Sarit
P.S. I hope you'll join for our Annual Meeting on Sunday morning at 10AM, here at the shul. You can also connect on Zoom here .
