As with many Jewish customs, there are more explanations than we have space to list. For example, certain Midrashim say that every Jew has his or her own letter in Torah. By this account, there are 600,000 letters in a Torah scroll, corresponding to approximately 600,000 Israelites in Torah census counts.  Using our pinkies, we symbolically point to "our" letter in the Torah.

The only problem is that there are 304,805 letters in our Torah scrolls, as noted by tenth-century grammarian Aharon ben Asher in Dikdukei Ta’amim.

Scholars who trace the origins of Jewish customs note that lifting the pinky (wrapped with tzitzit –or not) is associated with Sephardic practice. In the Sephardic compendium Yalkut MeAm Lo'ez, (Ki Tavo, perek 17), the section on laws and customs of lifting the Torah, we read:  "And there is a custom [during the hagbah] to point with the little finger over the writing [of the Sefer Torah] and then kiss [the finger]." R. Yaakov Kuli, the early-eighteenth-century author, offers no explanation.

Centuries-old Catholic street pageants and ceremonies in Catholic countries suggest a crossover of customs. Most notably in some Italian and Spanish communities there are parades in which a statue of Mary winds its way through the crowded streets. As the statue passes by, onlookers lift their pinky fingers to denote that they are grateful for all the blessings, large and small, that they have received.

Among Eastern European Jews, a common explanation is that raising the pinky is to indicate that this document is THE Torah, the unchanged word-for-word facsimile of what Moses received at Sinai. We raise the pinky (rather than our index finger) as a token of humility.

Perhaps the most fascinating speculation about this custom is found in the work of Dr. Saul Lieberman, scholar of Talmud and ancient pagan influences on Jewish practices. Seeking to draw masses of assimilated Jews away from Greek and Roman rituals, the Rabbis redirected drifting Jewish hearts and minds to a more rewarding focus. They cited Psalms saying, “And the righteous will point to [God] with their fingers and say, ‘Ki zeh Elokim…’ – ‘For this is God…’(Psalm 48:15). A parallel text in Midrash Devarim Rabbah seems to strengthen the claim: “To their mothers they pointed out [God] with their fingers, saying, ‘This is my God, and I will glorify Him.’”

Lieberman also noted that ancient Romans made this pointing gesture – accompanied by the words "kelus kelusim" – when they pointed at the Emperor.  They were not permitted to do this for anyone else on pain of death. (The proclamation kelus kelusim even entered the Hebrew language and Shabbat morning prayers as one type of praise for God – “likales”.)

With typical (and admirable) chutzpah, our ancestors appropriated pinky-finger pointing to proclaim God and Torah as sovereign everywhere in their lives, hoping we would take the hint and keep our eyes on the prize.

Do you have a question you would like answered in this column? Email information@shaareyzedek.mb.ca.