Iconic Books

 

The Times of Israel reports on the visceral reactions of congregants to accidentally dropping Torah scrolls on the floor in two New York synagogues. They also detail the rabbis efforts at ritual rectification, including recommending tha the congregants fast and give extra to charity.

These stories show again how ritualizing the iconic dimension of a scripture resonates particularly with lay people who feel that religious legitimacy is at stake (see How and Why Books Matter 15-23, 31-70, 83-98). They also illustrate how the ritual rules for iconic texts that are promulgated by leaders are usually generated in responseto lay people's anxity and questions (thus creating the genre of responsa).