mappah

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Pronunciations

mappah (mah-PAH)

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Definitions

  • n. The cloth placed on the table the Torah is read on to prevent it from touching the bare wood.

  • n. The embroidered cloth used to protect and decorate the Torah.

Example Sentences

  • "The mappah, the cloth which the Scroll is wrapped in, is yellow silk." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • מַפָּה 'lit. tablecloth'

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).

      Alternative Spellings

      mappa

Notes

  • "During the High Holy Days, a white mappah is customarily used [as a cloth under the Torah]." (JPS)

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