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When the Torah comes around in shul, is it preferable for women to touch it with their hand (and then kiss their hand) or with their prayer book (and then kiss their prayer book)?

Presumably some women avoid using their hands because of the issue of niddah--but isn't everyone always "ritually impure" these days anyway? (After all, that's one reason we don't touch the actual Torah, but only the cover.)

I know there are minhags to do it both ways, so please bring authoritative sources for your position.

SAH
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Ha Rav Riskin mentioned the following, in regard to a somewhat different question on women's minyanim.

There are some authorities - including my teacher and mentor, Rav Soloveitchik ztz"l - who maintain that since a Sefer Torah cannot become "tamei" (ritually impure), a woman may also read from a Sefer Torah, but without the order of aliyot and berakhot since these were instituted for men only.

(bold emphasis added)

Therefore, any tamei person, male or female, may kiss / touch a Torah scroll's cover, and there is no halachically preferred way to do so (directly, or with a book or other object).

Jake
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  • Can the scroll's cover become impure? – Double AA Aug 25 '14 at 12:31
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    @DoubleAA I don't know, but why would it matter? The scroll can't become tamei, so it can have a tamei cover on it. In any case, we see that men aren't required to immerse in a mikvah before holding or touching a Torah, covered or not. – Jake Aug 25 '14 at 12:35
  • Maybe it's degrading to the Torah? (Im not saying it is or isnt, just that would seem to be the primary concern and this answer hasnt addressed it at all) – Double AA Aug 25 '14 at 12:37
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – Jake Aug 25 '14 at 12:58
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    How do you know neither is preferred just because both are permitted? – Double AA Aug 25 '14 at 18:55
  • @DoubleAA I agree with your last comment. But as for "degrading to the Torah"--what on earth could that/would that mean? And why would it "seem to be" the primary concern? I can't imagine that being a serious concern in any but the most fanatical communities. – SAH Aug 26 '14 at 22:50
  • @DoubleAA ...And what of "degrading to women"?? – SAH Aug 26 '14 at 22:50
  • @DoubleAA --OK, sorry. Perhaps you meant "having the scroll be ritually impure [would be] degrading to the Torah"? – SAH Aug 26 '14 at 22:53
  • @SAH You don't think Torah degradation is the relevant factor in every community in determining how to touch it? What other factor do you think is at play? – Double AA Aug 26 '14 at 23:25
  • "degrading to women" What about it? Do you think it comes into play here? Why? – Double AA Aug 26 '14 at 23:26
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    $DoubleAA if you are saying that a niddah's touching the Torah [cover] would be degrading to the Torah, this to me sounds like a degradation of women. Even married women are niddah approximately 40% of the time (and nearly 100% of unmarried women are niddah 100% of the time). It is a very normal state of womanhood. The idea that a Torah scroll is "higher" than a human being and needs protection from them just seems wrong to me. – SAH Sep 04 '14 at 00:05
  • @SAH I didn't see your ping till just now. I don't know what normal has to do with it. Sexual intercourse with ejaculation is also quite normal (and often recommended!), yet one cannot enter the Temple after doing so. Is that offensive to men? Is it wrong that the Temple has such restrictions? The idea that there are certain conditions (whether temporary or permanent) which affect one's ability to perform certain ritual actions is one which is foundational to Judaism. I don't know why you feel a need to harp on this one as particularly problematic. No one is blaming the women for menstruating. – Double AA Sep 15 '14 at 17:15
  • @DoubleAA But we're not talking about entering the Temple, we're talking about touching a Torah cover with one's body. And that men are obviously allowed to do. – SAH Feb 15 '15 at 05:35
  • @sah I don't follow you're point. Why is one offensive and one not? Different conditions have different ramifications. OK. No big deal. – Double AA Feb 15 '15 at 05:40
  • Incidentally, it's possible a Boel Niddah cannot. I'm not sure. – Double AA Feb 18 '15 at 05:31