In this final (at least for now…) post on taggim we are going to take a look at some unusual examples of taggim and, at the end, some of the deeper reasons for these special “crowns”.

Example #1

These examples of decorated taggim are from a 17th century German Torah scroll in the possession of Yitzchok Resiman, a well-known sofer in New York.

Most of the taggim throughout the scroll are simple, tiny lines without heads (not the “zayins” we described previously).   However, the taggim at the tops of several columns at at the beginnings of several section are embellished, appearing almost like small heraldic shields. 

And a closer view…

Check here for more pictures of taggim oddities…

Example #2

While the halacha requires taggim only upon the letters of shaatnez g’etz, there is a tradition to add taggim to other letters as well.   However, there is some dispute among the Rishonim (early medieval scholars) as to exactly which letters receive these added crowns.

Nowadays, these additional taggim are usually placed in tefillin and mezuzos only.  The following are pictures of additional taggim from tefillin parshiyos:

Note the added taggim on the heads of the "shin" and the right head of the "ayin"

Note additional taggim on the "shin" and "koof"

Note taggim upon the "pey" and "samech"

See added taggim on the "pey" and "tes"

Example #3

There are also varying traditions of elaborating and embellishing certain taggim.   Sometimes these embellished taggim became vehicles for the sofer to express himself artistically, as seen in the following photos from a 130-150 year-old sefer Torah from Romania/Hungary.  These sorts of extremely elaborate taggim are rarely seen in old Torah scrolls and almost never written in modern ones.

Taggim crowning the verse "How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel..."

One of the laws of taggim is that the parts of the crown cannot touch one another or the taggim upon another letters.  The parts of the crowns must all be separate and distinct.  Note the extreme care taken by this sofer in his more elaborate designs to keep each and every tag distinct and unconnected to any other tag.

Deep Stuff

Lastly  – What exactly is the reason for these taggim?  The Sefer Iggres ha-Tiyul brings the only known reason for the taggim, explaining that the letters shaatnez getz form the names of two prosecuting angels: Soton A’z and Getz.  By placing taggim on the letters of their names, the tiny “swords” and “daggers” of the taggim bind these destructive angels and save us from their power.

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