What is Shaimos? What is Geniza?

The Gemara Shabbat 115a directs that holy writings in other than the Hebrew language require genizah, that is, preservation. There are several refernces to the term geniza in the gemara. In Pesachim 118b, bet genizah is a treasury. In Pesachim 56a, Hezekiah hides (ganaz) a medical work; in Shabbat 115a, Gamaliel orders that the targum to the Book of Job should be hidden (yigganez) under the nidbak (layer of stones). In Shabbat 30b, there is a reference to those rabbis who sought to categorize the books of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs as heretical; this occurred before the canonization of the Hebrew Bible, when disputes flared over which books should be considered Biblical. The same thing occurs in Shabbat 13b in regard to the Book of Ezekiel, and in Pesachim 62 in regard to the Book of Genealogies.

In medieval times, Hebrew scraps and papers that were relegated to the genizah began to be referred to as shemot or in English names, because their sanctity and consequent claim to preservation were held to depend on their containing the "names" of G-d. In addition to papers, articles connected with ritual, such as tzitzit, lulavim, and sprigs of myrtle, are similarly stored.

In contemporary practice, articles associated with mitzvah and sacred texts are commonly identified as either Shaimos or Geniza. The words themselves are Hebrew so you may see different spellings based off of different systems of transliteration. Genizah, sheimos, shaimot, and sheimot all refer to the same thing.

When addressing Shaimos, the selection of a service provider that strictly observes halachic (rabbinic guidance) principles is of utmost importance. Shaimos LI takes great pride in offering services of exceptional quality and reverence. Our commitment lies in the meticulous adherence to halacha, guaranteeing the proper and respectful handling of your Shaimos materials.

For help with Shaimos and Genizah Service reach out to our providers 516-537-8145 or email us at service@shaimosli.com.