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A child’s Hebrew primer. Still clear and readable, this page dates from about the 12th century. Each of the top two lines shows one Hebrew consonant with different vowel points beneath the letter, a common exercise for beginners. The bottom four lines are the words of the prayer still chanted today before reading a portion of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) in the synagogue. It expresses gratitude for the gift of the Torah. The large word in the middle means “be strong” or “be strengthened,” a word spoken by the congregation when the reading of each one of the five books of the Torah is completed.