שָׂם מֹשֶׁה, לִפְנֵי בְנֵי יִשְרָׂאֵל -וְזֹאת, הַתּוֹרָׂה, אֲשֶׁר
This verse recited when the Torah is raised says, "THIS is the Torah" (Devarim 4, 44). Many have a custom of pointing at the Torah with their pinky finger. This custom is to demonstrate that Torah is here, now, tangible and relevant. (The word זה “this” indicates something tangible that one can physically point at.)
What is the source for saying this pasuk when raising the Torah?
Maseches Sofrim 14:14; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 134:2
Based on the Ariza”l, one must see what is written in the Sefer Torah to draw down the blessings. The Ben Ish Chai writes that one should try to look at a word which begins with the first letter of one’s name, and then say V’zos HaTorah.
Why the pinky?
- The pinky is the humblest of the fingers, and Torah is acquired through humility.
- The pinky had an important function in the Holy Temple service of "Kemitza" gathering a three-finger's full of flour meal required for a meal-offering, minus the pinky amount which remained unclosed.
The Gemara (Megilah 16a) relates that when Haman went looking for Mordechai to parade him around on the King's horse, he found him studying Torah. And what was the subject matter? They were talking about this Kemitza measurement of flour-meal (He was teaching the students to get ready for the Omer since this event occurred on the 16th of Nissan per Rashi). Haman was incredulous - this little three-finger worth of flour outweighed the 10,000 talents of silver he offered to the King! So by pointing the pinky, we're highlighting the power of Torah. (Chabad's custom is not to point a pinky or any finger, but to simply gaze at the words and letters of the open Torah).
The Maharal explains the connection between the Omer offering and the story of Purim. The Omer offering reveals the miracles that are hidden inside of nature. By bringing the first grain to the Beis Hamikdash, we are demonstrating that even the nature of the world is governed by HaShem. This was the method used to overcome Haman. The miracles were concealed from the human eye. The means to conquer Haman and Amalek is by exposing the concealed miracles, thus confirming that all which appears natural is controlled by HaShem.
The blessing on the sun (Bircas HaChamah) takes place when it reaches its original point in the heavens, which occurs every 28 years in the month of Nissan. Recently was the 206th Bircas HaChamah since creation. This happens on the fourth day of the week, because on the fourth day of Creation HaShem created the sun, the moon, and the stars.
Some say that on erev Pesach of the year recorded in the events of the Megilah, Mordechai was teaching the Jewish children the laws of Kemitza (as part of the preparation for the upcoming Mitzvah of taking the Omer). Some say that year Bircas HaChamah also fell out on the fourteenth of the month and on that day—after Bircas HaChamah and Mordechai learning Torah with the children —HaShem turned the judgment from Am Yisrael onto Haman and his ten sons.
If some of the flour protrudes beneath the fourth finger (the Kemitza is done with the second, third and fourth fingers) the little finger is used to level it off so that the kometz will not be excessive.
