Tas (a Torah pendant, scroll shield)

A repoussé silver tas on a silver chain, depicting the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments held by two lions standing on their hind legs. The image is placed between two columns, topped with a crown, and finished with two bells at the bottom.

The word “tas” comes from Hebrew and means “a shield”. It denotes one of the numerous ornaments used for the Torah, which has the shape of a plaque topped with a crown and decorated with Jewish symbols - lions (representing the Tribe of Judah from which the Messiah will be born) supporting the tablets with the Ten Commandments. The item, in addition to its decorative purpose, also performs a practical function. It contains the information about the reading for which the scroll is prepared in order to avoid wasting time scrolling the Torah during the prayer.