רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר העומד על המת בשעת יציאת נשמה חייב לקרוע למה זה דומה לספר תורה שנשרף שחייב לקרוע.
מועד קטן כה
R. Shimon ben Elazar states: If someone is present when a person dies, he is obligated to tear (his garments). What is this similar to? It is similar to a Sefer Torah that tore, where there is (also) an obligation to tear (one's garments). Mo'ed Katan 25a
Rules for a Sefer Torah
A Sefer Torah can not be placed on the floor. Some stand up for the Torah when it is moving. When the Torah scroll is no longer able to be used it is given a proper burial in the ground.
אמר מר זוטרא מטפחות ספרים שבלו עושין אותן תכריכין למת מצוה וזו היא גניזתן
מגילה כו:
The Gemara states: Mar Zutra stated: The worn out covers of the Sifrei Torah are converted to burial shrouds for a neglected corpse4 and that is their proper disposal. Megillah 26b
דהרי צריך להבין מאי טעמא התירו לעשות מטפחות תכריכין למת מצוה, נהי שזו היא גניזתן, מ"מ תשמיש קדושה, איך ישתמשו בו חול. וצ"ל דהאי נמי תשמישי קדושה, דאדם ישראל הוי כס"ת.
חתם סופר מגילה כו:
He writes: One must understand why they allowed using covers for burial shrouds for a neglected corpse. Granted that this is the method of disposal, nevertheless, they are still accessories of holiness and how can one use them for the mundane? One must conclude that the corpse is also considered an accessory of holiness because a Jewish person is compared to a Sefer Torah.
Chatam Sofer, Megillah 26b
Questions for reflection.
Choose one source that spoke to you and explain what you take out of it.
How is a person like a Sefer Torah ?
What if we saw every person as a Sefer Torah?
How would this change our behavior?
How come we don't see people as a Torah?
How do we get others to see this way?