Shield to the Torah scroll

The Torah shield or tas, as it is called in Hebrew, tzitz - in Yiddish, belongs to the traditional circle of objects that accompany the synagogue action related to the main shrine for Jews - the Torah. It was hung on a chain to a scroll. It was used in synagogues and prayer houses during the ritual of carrying out and reading the Torah. The decorative design of the shield from the city of Lokhvytsa is characterized by a high level of craftsmanship and a richness of symbolic images. In the center there are the Tablets with the Ten Commandments and below there is the image of two cows. This composition refers us to the story of the struggle between the Israelites and the Philistines for the lands of Canaan (the Promised Land). In the battle near Even Ha-Ezer, the Israelites were defeated, the Philistines captured the Ark of God and took it to their lands. They thought that their capture of the Ark confirmed the superiority of the power of their gods, but in all the cities where the Ark appeared, pagan idols fell, the population was covered by epidemics of diseases, and disasters occurred. In desperation, the Philistines were forced to return the Ark to the Israelites by sending it on a cart drawn by cows. For the Israelites, the return of the Ark signified God's presence among them and His blessing. Under the image of the Tablets there is inscription: "Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done miracles!" (Psalm of David 98.1).