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Glite Dictionary
sofer

sofer

9.9
A Jewish person who writes Torah scrolls and sacred texts by hand following strict rules
  • noun
  • /ˈsoʊfər/
  • Jargon
translation icon : sofer
  • In order to complete this matter without any further delay, the court will instruct the clerk immediately to convene the sofer, the scribe, and the witnesses for this purpose.

Examples

  • During the ceremony, the sofer presented the newly completed Torah to the congregation.

  • A sofer carefully writes each letter of the Torah scroll to ensure it follows traditional rules.

  • Before the festival, the sofer spent weeks preparing the scrolls to be read during services.

Synonyms

scribe
vssofer
25 6.2

A person who writes or records information for other people

is a religious specialist who copies sacred texts following tradition
scrivener
vssofer
  • Archaic
4 9.9

A person who writes important documents by hand, especially before printing

is a ritual role rather than a hired secular document writer
sopher
vssofer
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A person who copies or explains Jewish holy books by hand

is specifically the ritual copier of Torah and related texts under rules
scriptor
vssofer
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who copies texts by hand, often in the past

is a living religious practitioner following strict copying rules
autographer
vssofer
8.7

A person who writes texts by hand, for example an author

is focused on ritual copying of sacred works rather than original authorship

Surface Forms

sofer singular
sofers plural

Etymology

Sofer comes from the Hebrew word sofer, which means 'scribe' and is related to sefer, meaning 'book'. A sofer today is the person who writes and carefully preserves Torah scrolls and other holy books by hand, which fits this name.