Yad
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See yodh for the Proto-Canaanite letter.
The word yad may also refer to the Yad ha-Chazaka, another name for Maimonides' Mishneh Torah.
A yad (Hebrew: יד), literally, "hand," is a Jewish ritual pointer, used to point to the text during the Torah reading from the parchment Torah scrolls. It is intended to prevent anyone from touching the parchment, which is considered sacred. Although permissible, the yad should not touch the parchment, as not to scrach it. While not required when chanting from the Torah, it is used frequently.
A yad can be made of any number of materials, though silver is most common. It is often shaped like a long rod, with a small hand and an index finger pointing from it.
The word `"yad" has also the meaning "memory" / "reminder" in some oriental languages like Hindi and Hebrew.See "Yad Vashem"
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