the prayer service and ceremony surrounding communal reading from the Torah scroll
15
votes
7answers
1k views
10
votes
4answers
359 views
What's a good technique for a not-so-strong person to do [Ashkenazi] Hagbaha?
I've seen many people shy away when asked to do Hagbaha (הגבהה), thinking themselves too weak. I know for a fact that it doesn't take that much strength to do it correctly, so I'd love to ...
12
votes
2answers
609 views
What are “universal minimum” standards of tznius for halachic purposes?
What are the minimum standards of tznius for halachic purposes? By "halachic purposes" I mean Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 75, which forbids praying in the presence of ervah. I am raising the question ...
5
votes
4answers
171 views
Is B'rich Shmei said while the Torah sits in the Aron, or as it's held (by whom?)
Sing "vayhi binsoa" as the Aron is opened by -- let's call him Mr. Opener
Brich Shmei is said
Chazan is now holding Torah scroll and says Shema (or Gadlu).
I've seen different things happen for ...
3
votes
3answers
154 views
9
votes
2answers
222 views
How does Hagbah work on a Sephardic Torah case?
How does one do Hagbah on a Torah in a Sephardic Torah case, such as one of these silver cases (picture courtesy of Hadad Brothers) :
See also the Ashkenazi version of this question.
7
votes
4answers
357 views
Method for practicing Torah reading
What is your method for practicing reading a Torah portion and thus memorizing the associated vowelizations and intonations? I'm looking for ideas for maximizing your effectiveness at performing a ...
5
votes
1answer
75 views
I'm in the middle of Tachanun when they take out the Torah; what do I do?
This happens to me a lot on Mondays and Thursdays: I'm just putting down my head to finish Tachanun when the baal tefilah says kaddish, the aron is opened and the Torah is taken out. Do I stop what ...
16
votes
2answers
303 views
How does a son call up his father for an Aliyah?
Suppose a son is the Gabbai in a Shul and needs to call up his father for an aliyah (or his brother who is the son of his father). Does the son say his father's name? Does he say something else ...
11
votes
3answers
116 views
2 Sifrei Torah for close readings
This morning we read Parashat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1 - 24:18) and the special reading of Parashat Shekalim (Exodus 30:11-16). The custom everywhere I have ever seen is to remove two Sifrei Torah from ...
9
votes
1answer
101 views
Why are some bakashot made on Shabbat?
As I understand it, we don't make prayers of request (bakashot) on Shabbat (cf Rambam Shabbat 30:12).
For that reason, we omit so many liturgical requests because of shabbos - e.g., Avinu Malkeinu, ...
9
votes
2answers
93 views
Why doesn't saying the sh'ma satisfy torah-reading requirements?
According to this answer to a related question, the g'mara on Bava Kamma 82a requires reading torah at least every three days because we should never go longer than that without words of torah.
But ...
7
votes
4answers
179 views
maftir as an honor
A bar mitzva or bridegroom is usually (in congregation I'm familiar with, or, at least, Ashkenazic ones) given maftir. Why is this, considering that it's the lowliest of all the aliyos? (The question ...
6
votes
2answers
156 views
What do I do when asked to “open the Aron” or “take out the Torah”?
If I'm in synagogue and someone asks me if I can "open the Aron" or "take out the Sefer Torah," what will I be expected to do, and when?
5
votes
2answers
146 views
Formal Hebrew honorific for one's mother
Many men, when going up for an aliya, tell the gabbai their name as, e.g. "Reuven ben Rav Yaakov", even if "Yaakov," the father, isn't actually a Rabbi." I believe the reason for this practice is to ...
