Questions tagged [torah-service]

the prayer service and ceremony surrounding communal reading from the Torah scroll

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Reason behind pinky during hagba

Why do people lift their pinkies during Hagba?
cookie monster's user avatar
28 votes
2 answers
1k 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 ...
yydl's user avatar
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18 votes
3 answers
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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 ...
Double AA's user avatar
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17 votes
3 answers
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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 see a ...
Isaac Moses's user avatar
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Who broke the parshiyot into aliyot and how?

The Torah readings on Shabbat are broken into 7 aliyot. I know that there are rules for the minimum number of pesukim for each aliyah but I am wondering who set up the exact placement of the aliyah ...
rosends's user avatar
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17 votes
2 answers
430 views

Why don't we use a translator during Torah reading?

Outside of the Teimanim I am not aware of any other segments of Judaism that still employ a meturgamen (translator) during kriat ha'torah. Why has this practice fallen into disuse?
none's user avatar
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17 votes
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Why, in double parshiyos, are the aliyos not simply combined in pairs?

Consider for example the double parshah Vayakhel-Pekudei. The aliyos from the two individual parshiyos are combined as follows: 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3. (Meaning: the first two aliyos are combined into ...
Alex's user avatar
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16 votes
4 answers
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maftir: an honor?

A bar mitzva or bridegroom is usually (in congregations I'm familiar with, or, at least, Ashkenazic ones) given maftir. Why is this, considering that it's the lowliest of all the aliyos (e.g.)? (The ...
msh210's user avatar
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16 votes
1 answer
304 views

Out-of-order minyan participation

Some shuls have several minyanim back to back. If one arrives before the Torah reading of the 8:30 minyan and has finished davening before the Torah reading of the 9:30 minyan (to whose Kedusha one ...
yoel's user avatar
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14 votes
6 answers
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What do I need to know in order to properly have an aliya?

What things should I know in advance in case I get called up for an aliya during a Torah-reading service?
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14 votes
2 answers
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Called to the Torah before wedding

I recently received an invitation to a friends wedding and I noticed that it said he would be "Called to the Torah" with a date and time approximately 1 week before the wedding. I am not Jewish, so ...
going's user avatar
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1 answer
612 views

"Yaamod p'loni ben p'loni... chazak"?

The last ole (person called to the Torah) (besides the maftir) of Vaychi, P'kude, B'chukosay, and Mas'e is, in my experience, called using the formula "yaamod p'loni ben p'loni sh'vii chazak", with ...
msh210's user avatar
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13 votes
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Bar Mitzvah before Circumcision?

If one was never circumcised can they be called up to the Torah for their bar-mitzvah?
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2 answers
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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?
Isaac Moses's user avatar
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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, ...
Charles Koppelman's user avatar
12 votes
4 answers
2k views

חזק חזק ונתחזק Chazak Chazak VeNischazek: why

Why do we say חזק חזק ונתחזק when we end each Chumash?
Gershon Gold's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
1k views

How does Hagbahah work on a Sephardic Torah case?

How does one do Hagbahah 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.
Menachem's user avatar
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12 votes
1 answer
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How to call up a ger who converted with his father?

In general a Ger is called up as [name] Ben Avraham. However, what if the Ger converted as a child together with his parents? I would think it is the same but I recently saw someone who is in that ...
Yishai's user avatar
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12 votes
2 answers
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Auctioning/Sale of Kibbudim on Shabbat / Yom Tov

Many synagogues have the practice of selling kibbudim (i.e. aliyot, haftorah, opening the ark, etc.) on major holidays, usually via auction. I've been to some shuls where this is done every Shabbat. ...
Ariel Allon's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
7k 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 ...
SAH's user avatar
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11 votes
2 answers
995 views

Does golel for first torah stand for second torah?

When there are two or three sifrei torah read on the same day, either the magbiah or golel holds the first sefer while the second is read. In this case should he stand for… kadish after reading from ...
2345678876543's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
282 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 ...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
127 views

Who instituted the Nusach of the Mi SheBerachs that we say?

Who instituted the Nusach of the Mi SheBerachs that we say for a newborn, for a sick person, after an Aliyah, etc.?
Gershon Gold's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
536 views

Who gets shelishi if there are no Israelim?

Imagine that the Cohen family reunion is on a Monday. A minyan is planned with a sefer Torah. However, the gabbai, a kohen, looks around and sees that the minyan has nine kohanim and one levi - who ...
Bruce James's user avatar
10 votes
3 answers
663 views

forgot birkas hachodesh

If a congregation forgot to say birkas hachodesh on the Shabas before rosh chodesh, should it say it another time? When? (Does it, perhaps, depend on what day(s) of the week rosh chodesh is?) Note: ...
msh210's user avatar
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10 votes
2 answers
373 views

process for Gabbai to call his son to the Torah

If the father is the Gabbai ,how should he call his son up for an Aliyah ? Does the father use his own name for example Yaakov ben Moshe? or Yaakov Bnee?
martin levy's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
238 views

Kohen k'rav ya'amod

Inspired by this question. When we call up a Kohen (or when not present, a Levi or Yisrael) we use a special formula: ויעזר on Shabbat and yom tov (Shacharit) and ותיגלה on weekdays (and Minchah). In ...
Noach MiFrankfurt's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
379 views

Hashta Ba'agala

There have been questions about the use of Aramaic as a language of prayer, in whole or in part, and even a question about the possible appearance of a single Aramaic word in an otherwise Hebrew ...
rosends's user avatar
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9 votes
3 answers
376 views

Must readers be called to the Torah by name?

"I was in one place recently where they are very strict about calling people's names before they approach the Torah and another place where the people just came up one-by-one, having arranged ...
WAF's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
214 views

Why is the order of returning the sefer-torah different on shabbos than on weekday?

Why on shabbos is ashrai said before returning the sefer-torah and on weekday (nusach ashkenaz) afterwards. This cannot have to do with kaddish tiskabel since this is also done on rosh chodesh where ...
preferred's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
284 views

How are we allowed to take out two sifrei Torah?

The Mishna in Yoma says that when the Kohen Gadol used to read from the Sefer Torah on Yom Kippur, he had to read two portions: one from Acharei Mos and the other from Emor. It says that he used to ...
ertert3terte's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
1k views

naming convention for a Jew with a non-Jewish father?

If a Jew has a non-Jewish father and a Jewish mother, how is he or she: Called up to the Torah, Mentioned in legal documents, such as ketubot, and Mentioned for healing in mi shebeirach? Does any of ...
Shivaram Lingamneni's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
149 views

Why reverse Mishle verses' order?

When putting the Torah scroll back in its cabinet, we — at least most Ashk'nazim — say (among other things) "עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּׁר. דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי ...
msh210's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
526 views

Why are the Yehi Ratzon prayers connected to Tachanun?

On Mondays and Thursdays, after the torah is read, we say a series of Yehi Ratzon prayers. However, we do not say those prayers on a Monday or Thursday on which we do not say Tachanun: The ...
rosends's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
294 views

Megilas Esther by day - why is it done after Kriyas HaTorah?

We read Koheles on Succos, Shir HaShirim on Pesach, and Rus on Shavuos, and we always read it prior to Kriyas HaTorah. Then why do we read Megilas Esther on Purim day after Kriyas HaTorah?
Gershon Gold's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
4k views

What is the origin of hazak u'baruch?

Hazak u'barukh is a phrase commonly said after one does something in the synagogue (e.g., after an aliyah). What is its origin?
minhag's user avatar
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8 votes
3 answers
170 views

Non-statutory Torah service

Is it possible to have a "stand-alone" Torah service, not connected to a statutory prayer? I saw this done on Shavuot once, where some people who slept through davening convened a minyan solely for ...
Vincent Calabrese's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
5k views

What's the reason of using Yad in reading Torah?

I heard from a Bengali writing - just a single line that - Jews fear their God that much that they even fear to touch the God's word. Then I searched and found that Jews use Yad when they read Torah. ...
Mayeenul Islam's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
475 views

Can the Torah be read in shul if a minyan is present after the point in the service designated for Torah reading?

There have been instances where we had 9 people in the shul, and we began to daven Mincha Shabbat afternoon. We finished our individual Shmoneh Esreh, when the 10th person appeared. Can we go back and ...
DanF's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Why "new-mother bat her-father" for a woman who gives birth?

When we pray for the healing (refuah) of a woman or girl, we refer to her as "(patient's name) bat (patient's mother's name)", for example "Shoshana bat Michal" or "Rivka bat Shifra Aviva". This is ...
David P. Hochman's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
763 views

Ya'amod by an Aliya

The root of the word Ya'amod means to stand in place. See Hebrew dictionary here. Thus why do we call up someone to an Aliya with the word Ya'amod? We are not asking him to stay in place, we are ...
Gershon Gold's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
500 views

Why does the Chazzan bow when saying "Gadlu" holding the Torah?

There's a widespread custom for the Chazzan to bow, facing the ark, when reciting "Gadlu" with the Torah before carrying it away. The Aruch Hashulach (282:1) says that one should do this, but doesn't ...
הנער הזה's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
559 views

When to close the ark after putting away the Torah

On shabbat morning when putting away the Torah, many chazzanim like to draw out different tunes for the verses recited then. Should the one honored with putting the Torah back wait until after the ...
Double AA's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
651 views

how to call up a kohen/levi as acharon

Shulachan Aruch (OC 135:10) holds, and Rama (there) seems to also hold, that if a kohen (or levi, m.m.) is called as acharon then the gabai should say "af al pi shehu kohen". The purpose of this is to ...
msh210's user avatar
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8 votes
1 answer
344 views

How do you decide how the aliyos should be arranged when there are not sufficient yisroelim in a minyan?

(This is a question based on an event. A shaaloh was asked. The object of the question is to examine the underlying reasons for the dinim in the situation.) A family minyan meeting once only on ...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
233 views

Counting towards a Keriat HaTorah one who accidentally ate

We have Halacha that at least 6 people need to be fasting in order to read the Torah in a fast day. However, let's say there are 10 people and 5 are definitely fasting and one who accidentally ate (...
Hacham Gabriel's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
7k views

What is the correct response to "Chazaq u'Baruch!"?

When a person gets an aliyah or other synagogue privilege the congregants of an Ashkenazic synagogue generally thanks him by saying "Shokyach!" or "Yasherkoach!" to which he responds "Baruch Tehiye!". ...
Ani Yodea's user avatar
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7 votes
4 answers
494 views

Is it permitted to make kiddush before Torah reading on Shabbat?

I know it's acceptable to have kiddush before Mussaf. Is it acceptable to have kiddush after the kaddish shalem of Shacharit but before the sefer Torah is taken out to be read? (I believe I've heard ...
Andrew M. Greene's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
179 views

Why do we do Hagbaah?

After "leining" the Torah, we pick up the Torah scroll to show everyone. Why do we do this?
yydl's user avatar
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7 votes
1 answer
258 views

Original Aliyah breaks for Ki Tisa

The Magen Avraham (OC 428 sk 8) records a custom to give a Levi the Aliyah containing the story of the Golden Calf. Indeed in many Chumashim nowadays I see the first two portions of Ki Tisa are ...
Double AA's user avatar
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