Yad
/jɑːd/noun
A pointer, usually shaped like a hand, used to follow the text while reading from a Torah scroll.
Did you know?The yad protects Torah parchment from skin oils and is often crafted with a miniature hand whose extended finger indicates the reader’s place.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*yad-
“Hand”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
יָד (yād)
“Hand; power; possession; monument or memorial in certain contexts”
Rabbinic Hebrew
Hebrew
יָד (yad)
“Hand-shaped pointer or implement used in Torah reading”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
יַד
“Hand; a pointer for reading sacred scripture”
19th–20th Century
English
yad
“A Torah pointer, adopted as a Jewish religious term in English”
Modern English
English
yad
“A pointer used to follow text in a Torah scroll”
Explore more surprising origins