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When reading the Torah with cantillation in private, such as when doing "Shnayim Mikra Ve-echad Targum," when one gets to the end of an aliya (formal division of a parasha), does one end with the tune for ending an aliya or just with the normal tune for ending a verse?

If one is privately reading a parasha that's doubled-up for this week's reading with an adjacent parasha, how does one treat the points which would be aliya-endings for the individual parshiyot but not for the double parasha?

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    This sounds suspiciously like a "survey" (rather than definitive answer) question.
    – WAF
    Commented Apr 11, 2010 at 15:07
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    Maybe there's actually a source (or at least a convincing reasoning) available.
    – Isaac Moses ♦
    Commented Apr 11, 2010 at 20:09
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    I've edited the question to sound less like a survey.
    – Isaac Moses ♦
    Commented Apr 11, 2010 at 20:28

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I'm sure someone has written on this, but I think many people's details of shnayim mikra aren't well defined.

Sure, why not use the aliyah-ending notes?

There are two reasons suggested for Shnayim Mikra:

  1. Prepping yourself to read the Torah publicly this week if needed.
  2. A yearly system of studying the Torah

If we apply only reason #1 to all its conclusions, then it's best to divide and conclude this week's material the same way it will be done in synagogue.

According to reason #2 ... it's unclear. While this sounds dangerous, the answer might just be "whatever works for you."

By the way, many people divide the parsha not by the sevenths used for reading, but by paragraph marks as written in a Torah scroll ("petuchot"/"setumot"). (This makes Vayeitzei, Mikeitz, and ~Balak fun.) If that's your system, you could probably end each paragraph with the aliyah-ending notes; it's a good memory device.

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    If Reason #1 is important, then apply my question to general study of Torah, not within the context of that practice. I realize that reading through large swaths of Torah with trop outside the context of the weekly reading is uncommon, but it's clearly accounted for in the tradition. Otherwise, why would we maintain two sets of trop for the Ten Declarations?
    – Isaac Moses ♦
    Commented Apr 12, 2010 at 15:05
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    Shalom, your second reason could be defined further according to its source in the Gemara Berachos that says: "A person should always finish his parshiyos (paragraphs) with the Tzibbur." This halacha is brought in the context of Tefillah Bitzibbur and other aspects of Tzibbur. It is a form of Limud Torah as a Tzibbur that theoretically should allow all Jewish males to make a siyum together on Humash once a year, on Simhas Torah. (Daf Yomi was founded on the same principal)
    – Yahu
    Commented Apr 12, 2010 at 20:10
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    principle. Whoops!
    – Yahu
    Commented Apr 14, 2010 at 5:55
  • @IsaacMoses, they are Ten Commandments, not Declarations. You might think that dibrot mean declarations, but that is pointless since all ten of them are listed in the List of 613 Mitzvot. Just say Decalogue, everyone knows what that means.
    – Adam Mosheh
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 20:07
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    @Adam How would you translate "Dibrot"? I think "Commandments" would be "Mitzvot." Calling them The Ten Commandments fuels the popular misconception that there are, in fact, only ten Commandments. You're right that "Decalogue" is both accurate and pretty familiar, but I like to be a bit contrarian to make the point. Regarding your response to Shalom, in the olden days, anyone could be called up to read any portion without notice, so/because everyone was prepared for the whole parsha each week. Having a dedicated Reader was added later.
    – Isaac Moses ♦
    Commented Jan 10, 2012 at 20:20

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