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A yad (Hebrew: יד, romanized: yad; Yiddish: האַנט, romanized: hant, lit. 'hand') is a Jewish ritual pointer, or stylus, popularly known as a Torah pointer, used by the reader to follow the text during the Torah reading from the parchment Torah scrolls.

Yad, in Judaism, a ritual object, usually made of silver but sometimes of wood or other materials, that consists of a shaft affixed to a miniature representation of a hand with its index finger pointing.

The word yad (Heb. יד) means “hand.” It can also refer to the pointer used during the public reading of the Torah scroll . The traditional shape of the pointer is a long arm topped with a closed fist and the index finger pointing.

There are various styles of yad for the Sefer Torah. The usual size is about 12 inches long. It is made in the fashion of a staff or scepter, narrowed down at the end, which is in the shape of a closed hand with the index-finger extended.

In the Scriptures, yad is used to refer to a physical hand, but more often it is used idiomatically to refer to the power or the craft of a person or group. Thus we read of the "hand of the enemy," "the hand of the Philistines," the "hands of Moses," and especially the "Hand of God."

The yad is a tool part of the kele kodesh, the holy vessels that adorn the Torah, the sacred text of Judaism. Yad in Hebrew literally means “hand”: they are in fact pointers for reading the Torah, which usually end up in a shape of a closed hand with the index finger extended.

The metal or wooden pointer used to follow the text when reading Torah. "Use this yad while you are reading from the Torah."

Mar 2, 2016 · A yad is a ritual pointer used by Torah readers to follow the text when leyening (chanting from the Torah scroll). It’s used to ensure that we don’t damage the parchment of the scroll – or worse, deface the lettering – by touching it directly with the fingers.

A Yad Torah, simply referred to as a Yad, is a ceremonial pointer used when reading from the Torah during Jewish religious services. It is a long, slender rod, often made of silver or another precious metal, with a hand-shaped or pointer-shaped tip.