Everyday Judaism · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

00:01 - Intro (Announcement)
You are listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of Torch in Houston, Texas. This is the Living Jewishly podcast.

00:09 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Welcome everybody, welcome back, my dear friends, to the Everyday Judaism podcast. Today we are going to learn Simmon Toph Gimel the 23rd Simmon. 23rd chapter in the Kitzah Shohon Aruch, it's the laws of reading from the Sefer Torah, from the Torah Now. We started this last week offline. Today I tried to outline the introduction so that we know the words of what we're going to discuss. For those of you who are online, you can find in the description of this podcast or this video we will have shortly the link for these documents. You can look at one of the previous episodes and you can join us as well Simeon 23.

00:55
The source for the weekly reading of the Torah publicly is a decree from Moshe instituted when the Jewish people received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Years later, this decree was expanded by Ezra. The scribe that the Torah be read publicly also during the weekdays, on every Monday and Thursday. So today we read from the Torah every Shabbos morning after Shacharis, shabbos afternoon by Mincha, and on all festivals, fast days, and Mondays and Thursdays. Now we're going to be using the following terms throughout today's episode, today's class. The phrases are aliyah.

01:41
Aliyah is a section of the Torah that is being read aloud. Aliyah literally means ascent to go up or to rise. Okay, so people who make aliyah to Israel, they're going up to Israel. But also someone who gets called to the Torah is getting an aliyah. The person who gets the aliyah is called the oleh. The person who gets the aliyah is called the oleh. The oleh is the person who gets called up to recite a blessing on the Torah or an aliyah. Such a person is called an oleh.

02:14
The amud is where the chazen, the service leader, stands. The amud is usually positioned in the front of the synagogue, the bima. You see, these words are all italicized, they're all bold font and they're all caps. The bima is where the Torah is read from. The bima is usually positioned in the middle of the synagogue. In Sephardic congregations the prayers are led by the chazen from the bima as well. So they use the center in the center of the synagogue. If you look in any of the Sephardic synagogues in our community, they have just the bima. They don't have the amud in the front, they have just the bima, and the bima is where the chazen prays from and where they read the Torah from. In the Ashkenazic they have two. They have the Amod, which is in the front, and the Bema in the middle. There's a reason why it's important, but we'll see it later.

03:12
When we refer to the Torah, we are referring to an actual Torah scroll which has all the five books written on parchment on a single scroll. The scroll has two rods, rollers on each side. Ashkenazic scrolls have hands on the top, on the bottom and the top of the Torah, and the Torah lays flat on the bima. The Sephardic have the Torah standing upright in a casing. The Torah scrolls are exactly the same regarding every letter, every word and every verse written in them. There's no difference between an Ashkenazic and a Sephardic Torah. They're exactly the same, except how they are displayed. One is displayed in more of a scroll-like that has these handles on the top and bottom, and one is inside a beautiful casing, ebal Koreh. Ebal Koreh is a trained expert who reads the Torah with the traditional cantillations, trope or chant, and the Gabai is the person responsible to delegate the various honors in a shul in a synagogue.

04:31
Okay so, this is your index. This is the glossary. This is what you need to know for the coming many, many 51 halachas. Okay so, number one when the Torah is removed from the Ark to the Bema, it is carried via the north side and returned to the Ark via the south side of the Bema. Very good, what is the Bema? The Bema is in the center of the synagogue where the Torah is read from. You come through the north side because again, we're facing east towards Jerusalem. It comes through the east, through the north, and goes back to the Ark, to the Holy Ark, via the south side. The Torah should be held with the right hand on the right side.

05:19
It is proper for one to follow the Torah all the way to the Bema and the Holy Ark once the Torah passes in front of them. So if you're sitting on the side and the Torah is now passing you to go to the Bema, you're supposed to follow the Torah all the way to the Bema once it passes you. No, walk behind it and follow it. Now again, that's if you're on the side where it is being Now. If you're in the back of the synagogue, many people, out of love and admiration for the Torah, they'll go and at least give it a kiss. In some congregations they will walk around so that everybody gets the opportunity to do so. But the halacha teaches us that once the Torah passes you, you don't just let it pass and let it go to the Bema or to the Ark. You follow it, you escort it. Sometimes in the synagogue it's very crowded, that's true. But you got to do your best, try your best, give a kiss and take at least two steps, three steps, to show your honor and respect for the Torah Kissing. It is appropriate kissing the Torah, but also to take a few steps to escort the Torah Kissing. It is appropriate kissing the Torah, but also to take a few steps to escort the Torah.

06:29
Four the ole should be wrapped in a talus for the entire aliyah. So when a person gets an aliyah he should be wrapped in a talus. The ole should take the shortest route to the bima and the longest route leaving the bima, and a special effort should be made to come from the right, if it's the shortest, and leave from the left. It is proper to remain at the bima until after the following aliyah is concluded. Aliyah is concluded. So we mentioned previously that there should always be four people standing around the Torah when it's at the Bimas. You'll have the person who the Baal Koreh who reads the Torah, the person who gets the Aliyah, the person who got the last Aliyah, the previous Aliyah and the Gabi and those four. We'll see in a minute that if the balkorah himself gets the aliyah, then the person who got the previous one stands right next to him. It means it's a little bit of a backup because you need to make sure there's always four. So three minimum, three people minimum to be around the Torah. It is proper to remain at the bimah until after the following aliyah is concluded.

07:46
Number seven the oleh, upon being called up, opens and holds the Torah, handles with both hands, looks at the section that will be read in the text, keeps the scroll open while holding both hands and closing the eyes when reciting the blessing of the Torah. So the Oleh says loudly Baruch Hu Yis Hashem HaMavorach, calling for everyone to praise Hashem. The congregation replies Baruch Hashem HaMavorach Le'olam Va'ed. And then the Oleh continues Baruch Hashem HaMavorach Le'olam Va'ed. He says Baruch Ata Hashem Elokeinu melech haolam asher bachar banu mikol ha'amim binasan lanu es Torah. So baruch ata Hashem nosen haTorah. And this is the blessing that we recite before the Torah is read. After the Torah is read, the scroll is closed and then the blessing, the after-blessing, is recited as follows Baruch atah Hashem Elokeinu melech haolam asher nosan lonu toras emes b'chaye olam nota b'sochenu baruch atah Hashem nosen haTorah. And this is thanking Hashem for imbuing within us His holy Torah.

09:06
Number eight Once the ole concludes the blessing, the left hand should be released while maintaining the right hand on the right handle throughout the duration of the aliyah. So we said he holds both rolls together, holds it open, but then, after reciting the blessing, you leave go of the left one so that the balkore, he is going to then hold the left one while he's reading it. And now you're both holding both sides of the Torah, both looking into the Torah and reading the Torah together. The olesh should read along with the balkore, with the Torah reader, silently If you can whisper it, but you're supposed to read along with the balkore. Number 10. The balkore should not begin reading till everyone concludes the ameen from the Ola's blessing. So once he that's why the chazen usually gives an extended ameen, so that everyone will have concluded saying amin to the blessing by the time he is done. So he'll say amin, right, that way, now everyone is done and now he can begin. But the halacha very clearly says the barakah should not begin until that amin is concluded Number 11.

10:22
The congregation should listen carefully to the reading of the Torah, number 12. After the reading concludes, the Ola holds the left handle again, rolls the Torah closed and recites the second blessing. The parchment of the Torah should never be touched with our bare hands. Instead, a talus should be used. Number 14, the Baal Koreh and the Oleh should both be standing and not be leaning on anything. Our sages teach that since the Torah was given with awe, it should be read with awe. If one is weak, however, they can lean on something. They can lean on the Bema, they can lean on something while they are standing for their Aliyah. During the recitation of the blessings, the entire congregation should stand, but during the actual Torah reading it is not obligatory to stand. Those who are more stringent upon themselves may stand for the entire reading. If number 16, if the balkorah is himself the ole, like we mentioned previously, the previous ole should stand near him.

11:36
It is forbidden for the congregation to talk during the reading of the Torah, even with discussion of Torah study. It doesn't make a difference if you're a righteous Torah scholar not to talk during the reading of the Torah. It is inappropriate to leave the synagogue while the Torah is open. Once the Torah scroll is closed, one may leave to attend an urgent matter, number 19,. On the other side, the aliyahs are given with the following priority of honor Kohen, levi and then Yisrael.

12:15
Okay, so we have three, I would say, classes of Jews. The highest class Jew, the upper class, are the Kohen I'm not a Kohen. The second class is the Levi, the Levites I'm not a Levi. The third class, okay, the lower, what do they call that? The lower echelon is the Yisrael. Obviously, we're at the top of the top, we're the Jewish people, but you know what? There's no equality, I'm sorry. We're at the top of the top, we're the Jewish people, but you know what? There's no equality, I'm sorry. Okay, there's no D-E-I in Judaism. Okay, in Judaism God says the highest priority is to the Kohen, then to the Levite and then to the Yisrael. Someone who converts to Judaism becomes a Yisrael, just like me. Okay, you're just like everyone else. The majority, kohen and Levi, are only from the tribe of Levi. You're not from the tribe of Levi. You can do anything you want, it doesn't change, you know.

13:23
Let me tell you a funny joke. They say this guy comes to his rabbi and he says rabbi, can you please make me a Kohen? The rabbi's like I can't do that. He says, rabbi, come on, 50 grand, 50 grand, make me a Kohen. He says I can't, I can't, I can't do this. He says, rabbi, $100,000. Can you make me a Kohen? I can't do it. He says, rabbi, you really want a lot of money for this. I see he says $200,000? Can you make me a Kohen? He says I can't help you. Can you just leave, go, I'm not going to. Yeah, I can't help you.

14:03
So he comes back the next day and he says to the rabbi rabbi, I figured it out A half a million dollars, just make me a Kohen. The rabbi's like what do you keep bugging me? Why do you want to be a Kohen so badly? He says what are you talking about? My father was a Kohen, my grandfather was a Kohen. I also want to be a Kohen. You can be a Kohen for free.

14:24
Okay, but let me tell you another true story is a man I know who was in a synagogue very, very infrequently. But one time he came to synagogue and it was the first time there in this place and the rabbi says any coin, any cohen, any coin. And he figures it's something to volunteer for. So he says I guess I'll, I'll volunteer to be the cohen. He had idea. So he gets called up to be the Kohen and after many, many years of being there, the rabbi tells him we need a Kohen next week. You make sure you come back. We need you for our Shabbos morning to be the Kohen. So he's like, okay, they really want me to volunteer, I'll do this. I guess okay. After many years he says to the rabbi. He says, rabbi, I've been volunteering to be the Kohen for seven years. Maybe it's time to get somebody else to volunteer. He was not a Kohen for all those years. It's sad but it's funny, but it's true.

15:25
So the Kohen is given in that order the first Aliyah is given to the Kohen, the second Aliyah is given to the Kohen, the second aliyah is given to the Levite, and the third and the rest are given to the Yisrael. Even a simpleton and an unlearned Kohen cannot forego their honor for even a master Torah scholar of great stature. If a Levi is not present, the Kohen is called for the second Aliyah as well. If a Kohen is not present, a Levi or Yisrael may be called up in their place. In an unlikely scenario where a congregation only has a Kohen, only has Kohanim, kohen in plural or Levim Levite in plural, they should consult with the rabbi what to do One who is in the middle of prayer.

16:17
So now this is going to be talking about several scenarios of what happens when you're in synagogue. You're calling up, or the Gabbai is calling up, someone to get an aliyah, but now he's in the middle of prayer. They didn't realize he was still in the middle of his amidah. They're calling him up to get the aliyah. What do they do? He's in the middle of the shema. What do they do?

16:35
So if one who's in the middle of prayer should not be interrupted to be called up to the Torah, if, mistakenly, one was called for an aliyah while praying, if it was mid-amidah, they should not interrupt and someone else should be called up instead. However, if they were in the middle of the Shema blessings or the Shema itself, they should pause at the end of the paragraph, take the Aliyah honor and return to their prayers after their Aliyah. In this scenario, the oleh should not read along with the Baal Korah. Since they're in the middle of prayer, they recite the regular blessing for the Torah, but they should not read along with the Baal Korah. If one who is not present in the synagogue is mistakenly called up for an aliyah.

17:24
And I've had this sometimes happen in my synagogue where there was a Kohen and then, for whatever reason, the Kohen left. He went out, went to make a coffee, he went to tend to an important, urgent matter, and then the Gabbai calls him up and then turns around. He's not there. So what do you do? Someone else should go up. However, the replacement should not be called up by name, since this would put the lineage of the original person into question, unless the person replacing his aliyah is his own son. So if it's the son of that Kohen, you're not going to suspect that it's a taint on the lineage, that he wasn't actually receiving the aliyah. So you can call up the son by his name, actually receiving the Aliyah. So you can call up the son by his name.

18:12
A replacement may be called up by name for a Kohen or a Levi who is in middle of praying, since everyone sees that it is forbidden for them to interrupt their prayers and no one will think that it is due to a tainted lineage. So just amazing to see how the Torah is so cautious to the perspective someone might have. Someone might think that this person has a tainted lineage. We're so careful If they didn't know there was a Kohen present and instead mistakenly called the Yisrael. So they're like, oh, there's no Kohen, okay. And then, oh, he was right there, I didn't see him.

18:54
The Kohen should take the place of the Yisrael so long as the blessing wasn't recited yet, and the Yisrael should stand by the Bema till being called up for his Aliyah. So now, once they called him up, can't send them back. Go, sit down, we're going to give somebody else the aliyah anyway. We're just going to give it to you because we had an extra slot there, because the coin wasn't around. You can't do that, it would be embarrassing. You tell them stay here by the bima. They stay there by the bima and when the Yisrael turn comes up, then you give him the aliyah Number 29.

19:32
Two siblings or direct family members should not be called one after the other for consecutive aliyahs. Also, it's not mentioned here, but it is customary not to give two siblings or direct family members the honor of Chagba lifting the Torah and Galila rolling the Torah. Not to give two siblings that honor. Why? Because it can lead to the evil eye People saying oh, look at that family, look how you know, you don't want to call a negative attention to it. Number 30, if one was called up to the Torah in one synagogue and then visited a second synagogue and was called up to the Torah again, they may recite the blessings again, as usual, because you might think, like I already said, the blessing, I shouldn't say it a second time. You're allowed to recite the blessing a second time On a fast day when reading the Torah, only someone fasting should be called up for an aliyah If the Kohen now you only have one Kohen, but the Kohen wasn't fasting If the Kohen that was going to be called up on the fast day was not fasting for whatever reason maybe it was a medical reason whatever the reason was, someone else should go up for the aliyah in his place.

20:53
But it is proper for the Kohen to exit the shul in such a scenario in advance. However, if another Kohen is present, he does not need to exit. So the idea is like this you can't skip over the Kohen. If he's right there, skip over the coin if he's right there. So in advance, the coin should walk out of the shul so that you skip him. He's not around. You'll give someone else the aliyah instead. If there's another coin, he doesn't need to exit at all. You just give the other coin the honor. But if there isn't a coin, you're going to give it to either a Levite or a Yisrael, and then the Yisrael can take that place instead.

21:30
Number 33, on festivals when someone from Israel who celebrates only one day of holiday and there is an exception on Rosh Hashanah, israel keeps two days as well it's universally two days for Rosh Hashanah, but regular festival like Sukkot or Pesach in Israel, they celebrate one day. So this person is visiting the diaspora where we celebrate two days. Who is in a synagogue on day two of the festival? They should not be called up to the Torah, since it is not Yom Tov for them, it is not a festival for them. A blind person can be called up to the Torah, even though portions of the written law may not be recited by memory. You're not allowed to say the written Torah by heart. Nevertheless, since the Baal Korah reads for the ole, it is permitted If the ole has shown, but the blind person who gets that aliyah should not say, along with the Baal Korah, what he is reading. Typically you should, but the blind person shouldn't, because you're not allowed to recite the words of the Torah from memory.

22:55
If the Ola was shown the wrong section that they are about to read prior to reciting the blessing, the blessing does not need to be repeated when the correct section is recalled. So they show you the wrong line. You don't need to repeat the blessing unless the section is from the previous column upon which a new blessing is recited. So they got confused. They showed you the wrong column. It was a previous column that they needed to go to, so then you need to recite the blessing again. It's very unlikely that such a thing happens, but we don't only learn what's likely, we learn also what's unlikely. However, before reciting that new blessing, the words Baruch Hashem Kevod Malchusol Olam V'ed should be recited, and this is any time a blessing is said in vain. It is appropriate to say Baruch Hashem K'vod Machosololam V'ed, number 36.

23:52
Each Aliyah should have at least three verses read and on Monday and Thursday at least ten verses in total. So each Aliyah three. One of them should have four verses. The exception to this is on Purim, when only nine verses are read for the three aliyahs, since it is of the topic of the day, only those nine verses and therefore each aliyah gets three verses. Additionally, the Baal Korah should avoid the appearance of there having only been two verses read. So the balkorah has to make an emphasis in the way he reads that it is three verses that is being read at all times, not two. Uh, so the halacha brings a few examples of how a verse can be almost like split into two so that it gives off the impression that you're reading three verses. But again, it should be three verses but make an emphasis of it.

25:00
It is appropriate to begin and conclude the reading of the Torah with a topic that has good connotations regarding the Jewish people, so always making sure that the point of beginning and ending each aliyah is always with a good story. In a scenario where less than three verses were read, a rabbi should be consulted right, because the blessing applies on at least three verses. A minor under the age of 13 should not read from the Torah or be called up for an aliyah. Not read from the Torah or be called up for an aliyah. Number 42, after the Torah is read, half Kaddish is recited.

25:55
Number 43, after half Kaddish, the Torah is raised, chagba and shown to the congregation with at least three columns visible. The person raising the Torah should display the Torah to the people of the congregation in the following pattern the people on the right, the left, the front and then the back. So this is a common mistake that I see. When people raise the Torah, the Hagba, they just go back and forth and they just and then sit down. No, there's an actual halacha to how it's done. You show it to the people on the right, so you turn to the left, then you show it to the people on the left, you turn to the right, you go to the back, show it to the people in the front and then you go to the front again and then you show it to the people behind you. Okay, very, very interesting and important halacha. That's very commonly done incorrectly.

26:51
Number 44. The congregation should see the writing of the Torah and proclaim the verse. This is the Torah which Moshe placed before the children of Israel at Hashem's command by the hand of Moshe, and this is a verse in Deuteronomy 9, verse 23. The Torah is then rolled up, glila and wrapped. It is proper to ensure that the seam of the parchment is in the middle. When it's rolled up, glila and wrapped, it is proper to ensure that the seam of the parchment is in the middle when it's rolled up.

27:30
Number 46, half-kaddish is always recited after the Torah reading, except Shabbos, mincha and Mincha V'Faste, because we rely on the Kaddish that is recited immediately before the Amidah, which immediately follows the reading of the Torah. Number 47. After the Torah reading on Monday and Thursday, while the Torah is raised and wrapped, the Chazan recites Yihiratzon and the congregation answers Amin, if Tachnun supplications are omitted, the Yihiratzon is also omitted. You can find I think it's four yihiratzons that are recited. You can find them in the Sitter, number 48.

28:16
After the Torah is wrapped and the yihiratzon is concluded, the Torah is returned to the Ark. It is proper for every person that the Torah passes to escort the Torah to the ark. It is proper for every person that the Torah passes to escort the Torah to the holy ark. Like we mentioned previously, if there is no Torah present, one should read the portion aloud from a chumash and the congregation should listen. This is so that the Torah will not be forgotten from our people.

28:46
So let's say you're traveling and your flight is canceled and you're not able to make it to a Jewish community, to a place where there's a shul, so now you're going to be stuck in your hotel for Shabbos. You'll be wherever it is. There's no minion. What are you going to do? Make sure you have your chumash with you at all times and make sure you read out loud the Torah readings so that the Torah not be forgotten from the Jewish people. If there are other people there, they should listen in to your reading the Torah portion from the chumash, number 51,.

29:21
Finally, if 10 people are praying together and they do not have a Torah scroll, one should not bring them a Torah to read from, even for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. If there isn't a proper cabinet or chest designated for the Torah scroll, you don't just bring the Torah scroll in and read from it and have no place to place it. It has to have a closet or a chest that it be placed in. If this is needed for a prominent or ill person, an exception is made, all right. So this concludes Semen 23, the laws of the Sefer Torah.

30:03 - Intro (Announcement)
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