We respond to every follow-up question submitted, but only publish selected ones.
In order to be considered for publication, questions must be on-topic, polite, and address ideas rather than
personalities.
Why are there more than 1 torah in the ark? Besides when one reaches the end, when are the others used?
Why are there just a few prayers where body language is important during the prayer?
(I just returned from a bar mitzvah. A non-Jewish friend sitting next to me asked me these questions, and I realized I did not have an answer for her. Thanks for your help).
There are many scrolls because people have them written, a big mitzvah, and oftentimes have them donated in memory of a loved one. We use more than one on many holidays and occasions. (Example: when Rosh Chodesh, the first of the month, falls out on a Shabbat.) Body language is important during prayer because prayer is an intense spiritual experience, something that you get your whole body into. All of your limbs speak to G-d. Some people sway at the more intense points in the prayer, such as the amidah, but there are no rules about this.
