Vayelekh. Your Jewish Library!

What books are on your bookshelf?

What is the value of books in a digital age when all our music and photographs are virtual? Should we own books at all or are they a waste of space?

What does Judaism have to say about the question of books and libraries?

Parashat Vayalekh contains the final mitzva in the Torah which is the instruction to write a book. That every Jewish man should write a Sefer Torah:

“We have been commanded that each male must write a Sefer Torah for himself … and if he cannot write it himself, he should purchase one or commission a person to write it for him, as it states: “Write this Song for yourselves” (Deut 31:19) – the indication is the entire Torah which includes the [song of Haazinu]. The Talmud states: Even if one’s father bequeathed a Torah scroll to his son, the son is obligated to write another scroll.” (Maimonides. Sefer Hamitzvot. Positive command 18)

The Sefer Hachinuch disagrees and thinks that it is about having a scroll at hand to study with.

"The mitzva is that each Jewish male should own a Sefer Torah … God commanded that each Jew should h