For the source text click/tap here: Chagigah 24
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The gemara (Shabbes 14) explains that people used to keep teruma and holy scrolls together because both are holy, but this attracted mice, which nibble on the scrolls, so they enacted that such scrolls disqualify the teruma.
The gemara also explains that hands before netilat yadayim are metameh teruma because they are often dirty. The gemara also mentions such a decree on hands that touched a sefer, since this violated R. Parnach’s idea, and Tosafot (ad loc.) posits that this is true even if one did netilat yadayim soon before touching the sefer. The gemara discusses why there was a need for two different decrees regarding hands and Kisvei Kodesh metamei hayadayim..
There are different approaches in the Rishonim as to whether, nowadays (when we don’t eat teruma), the issue of touching a sefer Torah is still connected to tumah, proximity to teruma, or dirtiness of the hands.
We explore further the halachos of touching the klaf of the scroll and who may hold a sefer torah…and the thorny issue of women’s participation on different levels with the Torah scroll.