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A gabbai called someone up for an Aliya. Yaamod, Reuven ben Shimon Shlishi.

Then, it turns out that Reuven isn't Jewish (he thought he was, his mother had a reform conversion and he thought that was enough). Now what?

  • If he was caught right away, do you have to re-read it, calling up another as Shlishi?
  • Do you have to go back if caught later?
  • If not, do you still have to break up the next aliya into two to have a full seven Aliyas?
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  • Is this Reuven shomer sheva mitzvot bnei Noach? Does he accept Torah? Does he immerse himself in Torah study? All three questions are pertinent in explaining the type of non-Jew he is and Hilchot Melachim 10:10 might then apply.
    – EhevuTov
    Jul 14, 2015 at 1:11
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    @EhevuTov they might be relevant in explaining the type of non-Jew he is, but they are probably irrelevant with respect to this question
    – Daniel
    Jul 14, 2015 at 1:13
  • I would not be completely surprised if this is not discussed in the poskim.
    – Noach MiFrankfurt
    Jul 14, 2015 at 2:44
  • I think I may have asked this question a while ago. Have to hunt it down if I can.
    – DanF
    Jul 14, 2015 at 3:11
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    See Igros Moshe OC 3:21 which talks about giving an aliyah to a reform rabbi
    – sam
    Jul 14, 2015 at 23:13

1 Answer 1

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I would think that the issue of Darchei Shalom should apply. Just think of the embarrassment for the individual if he is told at the bimah to return to his seat. Certainly the actual leining of that aliya is not compromised and there would be no need to read it again even if that particular section it turns out was read without a brocha (would this person's brocha be any worse than that of a mechallel Shabbos beFarhesia getting an aliya?) but, if caught in time, it might be a good idea to add a hosafa before Maftir to keep the minhag of seven aliyos.

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  • 2
    Is 7 Aliyot just a Minhag?
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 15, 2015 at 1:13
  • @ShmuelBrin I understand that. My comment is only as regards the acceptance of the beracha. Would you answer amen to the bracha of a kofer beIkar, for example? If you would not, then the portion of the Torah read for his aliya would not have been blessed. I was suggesting a tzu'shtel.
    – MichaelKatz
    Jul 16, 2015 at 15:19
  • @ShmuelBrin Quite so, but his beracha is no better than that of a goy and the question is whether the fact that an aliya was read without an acceptable beracha recited on it is a "me'akev."
    – MichaelKatz
    Jul 17, 2015 at 17:28
  • @ShmuelBrin Not at all. The question before us is only whether every section of the Torah that is read in shul must be preceded by a beracha. If the answer is no, then it makes no difference who made the beracha on that particular aliya. If the answer is yes, then we must determine whether the mevarech made an acceptable beracha. That would take us to the secondary question as to whether a kofer can make a valid beracha. If the answer is no (as I suspect) then his beracha would not sanctify the portion of Torah any more than the beracha of a gentile. There is no a fotiori argument here.
    – MichaelKatz
    Jul 19, 2015 at 15:24
  • @ShmuelBrin What if the aliya was given in error to a minor? Would you rquire that the aliya be read again with a gadol making the beracha or not?
    – MichaelKatz
    Jul 19, 2015 at 15:26

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