Deuteronômio 31:26 Halacá: Mishneh Torah, Transmission, Mishneh Torah, Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll & Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah

BY OUR MASTER MOSES BEN MAIMON OF BLESSED MEMORY
"Then should I not be ashamed, when I have regard unto all Thy Commandments". (Ps. 119.6.)
All of the commandments which were given to Moses on Sinai were given together with their oral explanation for, it is said: "And I will give thee the tables of stone, and the Torah and the commandment" (Ex. 24.12.); the Torah, is Holy Writ; and the commandment, its oral explanation. Moreover, He commanded us to observe the Torah by the word of the commandment; thus it is this commandment which is called Oral Torah.

The whole Torah was written by Moses our Master, before his demise, by his own hand; and he gave a Book to each and every tribe, and one Book he deposited in the Ark as testimony, even as it is said; "Take this Book of the Torah and put it by the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against thee" (Deut. 31.26.);

If one is travelling from place to place and had a scroll of the law with him, he is not to put the scroll in a sack, place it on the donkey's back and ride upon it. If, however, he is afraid of thieves, he may do so. When there is no such apprehension, he places it in his bosom close to his heart, and continues his journey, riding. Any one, sitting before a scroll of the law, should be inspired with a sense of earnestness, awe and reverence, for it is a faithful witness concerning all who come into the world, as it is said, "It shall be therefore a witness against thee" (Deuteronomy 31:26). All possible honor should be shown it. The ancient sages said, "Whoever treats the Torah with contumely will be treated with contumely by his fellow-creatures. Whoever honors the Torah, will receive honor from his fellow creatures" (Ethics of the Fathers 4:8). End of the laws concerning the scroll of the Law by the Grace of God.