When a sefer Torah passes by and one is unable to walk up and kiss it directly some use a siddur to touch the sefer Torah and then kiss the siddur. Is this a proper hanhaga? Perhaps not proper to use a siddur for such a thing?
Answer:
“Perhaps” is the right choice of word. This is not a tashmish shel chol, and it is hard to come out against it. Those who do it presumably feel that it is more respect for the Torah to kiss it via a siddur than via one’s hand.
Somebody who feels it is not right should not do it, but one cannot tell others to refrain from doing so.
