Yad

It is often shaped like a long rod, capped by a small hand with its index finger pointing from it.

Beyond its practical usage in pointing out letters, the yad ensures that the parchment is not touched during the reading.

There are several suggested reasons for this, including the mistaken idea that the fragile parchment is easily damaged by skin oils.

The Mountain Jews had a particular way of handling pointers: they were held in pairs forming a V-shape dividing the text into passages.

In both types, the pointing part is made in the shape of a flat broad leaf with a rounded tip.