• Etz chajim are wooden rods or spools to which the parchment scroll of the Torah is attached.
• Each scroll has two such rods – one on the left and one on the right side.
• The name "Tree of Life" has symbolic meaning: the Torah is perceived as a source of spiritual life and wisdom.
• During reading in the synagogue, the scroll is unrolled by moving the parchment from one spool to the other.
• The rods themselves are often decorated, and decorative finials called rimonim (literally "pomegranates") or crowns are placed on their ends.

✨ Religious Context

• The Torah scroll is the holiest object in Judaism, stored in a special cabinet called the aron ha-kodesz ("Holy Ark").
• It is forbidden to touch the parchment itself – a pointer called a jad ("hand") is used to indicate the text during reading.
• The entire structure – parchment, spools, ornaments – forms an integral and highly revered liturgical object.