Question:
Why does a Sefer Torah have to be written as a scroll on parchment? If modern technology has been around at the time, would printed Sifrei Torah have been Kosher? Looking at Rambam. I’m not clear how much of these laws are to do with intrinsic laws of holiness and how much are simply, so that the holy objects are treated respectfully.
Would a Sefer Torah printed onto parchment be any holier than a standard Chumash?
Answer:
If modern technology would have been around at the time of matan torah nothing at all would change. A sefer torah needs to be specifically on a certain type of parchment, not all the skin of the animal is kosher for a sefer torah. It needs to be specifically from a kosher animal. The parchment needs to be made with the specific intention that it should be kosher for a sefer torah. If a sefer torah would be printed on parchment it would not have the holiness of a sefer torah, as another condition for the sefer torah to be kosher and kadosh on the level needed for a sefer torah it has to be written by a human with the specific intent that the words should have kedushas sefer torah.
As an analogy to understand why there are specifics what the sefer torah has to be written on, we can compare it to our bodies, which are comprised of a soul and a body, and in order for the soul to be kadosh the body needs certain conditions, such as a bris milah, from Jewish parents etc. So too, the sefer torah need certain conditions to get its holiness.
Sources:
Y”D 271-1
