When a shul misses Torah reading

Hi,

When a synagogue misses the Shabbat Torah reading, they should make it up on the following week. This applies regardless of why they missed it. They read the previous portion first, and then the current portion. They also read the haftorah for both Torah portions.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:211)

[Note: Rivivot Ephraim does not discuss whether one recites separate blessings for each haftorah; I imagine that it is one set of blessings, but I don't know.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Read the wrong parshah?

Hi,

At minchah on Shabbat, and at Shacharit on Monday and Thursday, we call up three aliyot to the Torah and read from the beginning of the coming week's portion. If the first aliyah or two were read from the wrong parshah, one should use the remaining aliyah or two to read the proper reading from the correct parshah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:107 - and see a discussion there about what to do if they read all three aliyot from the wrong parshah)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

What if they lein too much?

Hi,

If the baal keriah (person reading from the Torah) reads all the way to the end for the second reading on a Monday, Thursday or Shabbat afternoon, then they should read further for the third reading, and not repeat. As a general rule, we prefer not to repeat. However, if this is a reading mandated by the calendar, such as for Rosh Chodesh, then one would repeat that which has already been read, since the day requires that reading, specifically.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:104:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The obligation to hear the Torah Reading

Hi,

On a given day when the Torah is read, one is obligated to hear the appropriate number of readings, at least 3 sentences per reading, but not to hear the blessings recited for the aliyah.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:40:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Ashkenaz and Sephard leining

Hi,

All accents are acceptable as "lashon hakodesh", and so one can fulfill Kriat haTorah by hearing it in any synagoguge, regardless of its Ashkenaz, Sephard or other accent. However, the person who leins (reads from the Torah) should use the accent of that synagogue.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:23)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Missing part of the Torah reading

Hi,

One who misses part of the Torah reading on Shabbat, so that he doesn't hear the entire parshah, should endeavor to hear it read again if that would be possible without great strain. This will enable him to fulfill the custom of hearing the entire Torah annually.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:23)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Words which are written one way and pronounced differently

Hi,

Regarding words which are spelled one way in the Torah and pronounced in a different way: One who is reading on behalf of the community's Torah reading obligation is required to look at the word as he reads it, as he does for all other words in the Torah, even though the spelling does not match the pronunciation.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:41)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

In the absence of a baal keriah

Hi,

If a minyan lacks someone who can read from the Torah with the notes, they should have someone read without the notes, making sure that he pauses at the end of each pasuk, and ideally at each etnachta as well.

The minyan should not use someone who looks back and forth between a chumash and the Torah text, lest he end up reciting the text from memory instead of from the Torah.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:19)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Torah reading of Shavuot

Hi,

On the first day of Shavuot, we read the presentation of the Torah at Sinai in order to commemorate that event.

We traditionally use a unique set of musical notes to read the "Ten Commandments" portion of that reading. This altered way to read the musical notes serves one purpose of marking this reading as special, but there is a second purpose as well: the different set of notes actually breaks up the sentences differently from the regular set of notes, providing another layer of meaning for the text.

(Chizkuni to Shmot 20:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mistakes in the Torah reading

Hello,

If the baal keriah (the one who recites the Torah reading aloud for the community) makes a mistake in pronounciation such that he alters the meaning of a word, he must go back and read it again.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 142:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai