Questions tagged [torah-service]
the prayer service and ceremony surrounding communal reading from the Torah scroll
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Kohanim on Rosh Hashanah [closed]
Is it permissible to have the same kohen have a Torah Aliyah in two different rooms? Is it permissible to have the same kohen duchen in two different rooms?
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How is a baby girl with a non-Jewish Father given a name?
What is the process for naming a baby girl with a Jewish mother and a non Jewish father?
Typically the father is given an aliyah and the name is given as part of a mishebarach. Does the mother's ...
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Why this specific pasuk when returning the Torah to the Ahron?
Why was " Yehallulu es shaym hashem ..." specifically chosen to be said when we put the Torah back in the Ahron? And why does the shliach tzibur not complete the whole pasuk as is generally ...
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Grammar and word choice of the Mi Shebeirach for Yom Tov
On Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot, the phrase "ויזכה לעלות לרגל" - "he should merit to go up [to the Beit Hamikdash]" is added to the end of the Mi Shebeirach after each aliyah.
I've ...
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For how many years, aggregate, were the requiremenst of the Law actually carried out?
I am certainly no expert on Hebrew history so pls be patient with me :). I do read a bit and have not been able to put together an answer on my own - maybe because there are too many nuances, and too ...
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Who Gets Shlishi when Gabai makes a mistake and thinks there is no Levi in shul
The Gabai was not aware that there was a Levi in the congregation and gave the second Aliyah to the original Kohen (as per Halacha).
The Gabai was then made aware there was a Levi present.
Question: ...
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Is it sufficient to start Torah reading after only 2.5 verses in a parasha?
In Torah reading, we don't start reading in the middle of a parasha when there are fewer than three verses preceding in the parasha, and similarly we don't stop reading in the middle of a parasha ...
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Having a descendant read about Aharon's death on its anniversary
This week is the somewhat rare Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Av. When that happens, we always read the section containing Numbers 33:38 about Aharon's death on Rosh Chodesh Av. In most communities this week a ...
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Following a sefer Torah
In a minyan I participate in, the one doing hachnasas sefer torah has to return the torah immediately to an aron kodesh in another room. I see people walk out the door to follow the Torah outside of ...
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Does one call up to the Torah someone already "up"?
As a followup to this question, the pandemic has created some interesting situations. In one shul in which I daven, on a Monday/Thursday the one who reads the Torah also receives all the aliyot. As ...
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At which point during the Torah reading on Shabbat is it appropriate to recite the prayer for the sick (מי שברך לחולים)?
Is there a correct or preferred point (aliyah) during the Shabbat Torah reading at which the traditional "mi shebeirach lecholim" prayer for the sick should be recited by the gabbai?
If such ...
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Would it be a lack in כבוד to close the Aron while being the one holding the תורה?
In today's day and age with COVID, many synagogues are streamlining the process for safety reasons. One of the things is to have the same person who opens the Aron, take out the Torah and then close ...
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What did it use to mean for a kohen to get a second aliyah?
If there is no levi present in the synagogue, the second aliyah is given to the kohen who received the first aliyah. (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 135:8)
Now, originally only the first and last olim ...
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Must someone be called to the Torah at all?
A followup to this question.
One of the practices I have seen in this pandemic age is that one individual gets all the aliyot (often the one doing the laining). In that case, not only is there no ...
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Why is it neccessary to call up multiple people to read the Torah in synogogue?
Wouldn't it make sense for one reader to do the whole thing?
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Fast days and אל ארך אפים
I have heard various opinions about saying Keil erekh apayim before the Torah reading on fast days.* Most say that we should only do that if the public fast day falls on Monday or Thursday. What are ...
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Is a new blessing required when taking off and putting back on your tallit?
You remove your tallit while services are ongoing (say, to go to the bathroom). When you put it back on, do you have to say the blessing on the tallit again?
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Streaming services on Shabbat and holy days [duplicate]
More and more non-traditional congregations stream their Shabbat and Yom Tov services, for the benefit of hospital patients and shut-ins.
If done automatically, or managed by Gentiles, or started ...
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What is the best route for going up to the bimah?
When we go up for an aliyah then back to our seat in synagogue, we are supposed to go up from the right side of the bimah (as you face it) and back to our seat from the left side. This was how Jews ...
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Ein Kamocha on Shabbat
Before the Ark is opened on Shabbat, we don't just say "veyahi b'n'so'a ha'aron" as we would on a weekday. We begin with Ein Kamocha. The Artscroll siddur (I don't have the page number handy) explains ...
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Is a shul allowed to refuse an aliyah to an "improperly dressed" Cohen or Levi?
Some shuls have a "dress code" requirement in order to receive an aliya. For example, I know of a shul that requires wearing both a button-down (dress) shirt and tie to receive an aliyah.
Suppose ...
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Women standing for their husbands when called up for an Aliyah
I have noticed women in several sefardic communities to stand while their husbands are called up to the synagogue. Yalkut Yosef in Hilkhot Shavuot brings down the halakha of a child or a student ...
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What are the knowledge requirements for an aliyah?
In Midrash Tanhuma Yitro 15, we read that Rabbi Akiva was called to "read the Torah" (לִקְרוֹת בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה) before the congregation, but refused "because I have not reviewed the chapter two or ...
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"Importance" of certain aliyot
I occasionally schmooze with a Bucharian guy at work. He tells me that in his shul, certain aliyot are considered "more important" or "prized aliyot" than others. All the aliyot are sold each week (he ...
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Questions about Mi Sheberach L'olim
It is fairly common minhag to recite a blessing for the person receiving an aliyah for the Torah reading. The blessing requests that G-d protect the person from misfortune and troubles and make him ...
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Congregational standing during Torah reading
In a number of shuls that I have attended, I have noticed that the congregation stands for certain sections of Torah readings. Specifically:
Aseret Hadvarim - The 10 Commandments
Az Yashir (song at ...
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Can One Give Away an Aliya?
If one is offered an Aliya, can he give the honor to someone else? By “offered” I mean the Gabbai issues the Aliyas prior to the Torah service in the form of, say, a card with number of the Aliya ...
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Carrying the Torah around
When the Torah is taken out and is being carried around songs are being sung. I would like to know which songs exist for this part of the service and where I could find traditional tunes for those ...
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Wearing a Tallis for Aliyah at Chabad
If there is someone who is not married. However, when he gets an Aliyah he usually wears a tallis (follows Ashkenazi Minhagim), should he wear one if called up for an Aliyah at a Chabad where the ...
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Is there a minhag of giving tzedakah during the torah service?
My weekday morning minyan recently merged into another one, so we're seeing some minor changes in customs. One that is new to me is: at the end of the torah service, as the torah is being carried ...
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Does a Ger have a Chiyuv to get an Aliya?
Inspired by the comments to my answer about (pseudo) 2nd Bar Mitzvahs.
Both the Magen Avraham in 282:18 and the Biur Halocho in 136:1:1 mention that the reason a Bar Mitzva boy has a high priority to ...
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The Aliyot in Parshat Bereisheet
According to the Hertz (Soncino Press) chumash, the aliyot for Bereisheet are (excuse my poor formatting)
Aliyah...…. begins at
2...…………..1:14
3...………….1:24
4...…………..2:4
5...…………..3:22
6......
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Torah service on Hoshana Rabba
My old Ashkenazi machzor says that the Torah scroll should be removed from the Ark on Hoshana Rabba just as on the Shabbat. Nevertheless, I find a few points unclear, while I make some reasonable ...
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Hilchos Pesicha/Pesichas HaAron
I'm having trouble finding the halachos around the kibud of pesicha. I found the Shulchan Aruch contains a section for hagbahah and gelilah, but I don't see any description of pesicha.
L'maaseh, here ...
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Question about placement of 2nd Shacharit Ashrei in Nusah Ashkenaz [duplicate]
This is what I have seen listed in most Nusach Ashkenaz siddurim / occur in most Nusach Ashkenaz shuls:
When the Torah is read during Shacharit:
On weekdays - The 2nd Ashrei is said after the Torah ...
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Can a ventriloquist chant the Torah?
A ventriloquist essentially recreates sounds using a different part of the speech system. For example, mouthing the sound ‘B’ would give away the act, so it must be recreated in a different part of ...
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Meaning of ונתחזק
In the famous phrase: חזק חזק ונתחזק
What exactly does the word נתחזק v’nitchazek/v’nitchazak mean?
I’ve seen different translations like:
“may we be strenghtened”
“ let us be strenghtened”
“ les ...
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kavod hatorah vs tznius/kol Isha
if one is in a non orthodox synagogue and suddenly has thoughts of repentance as a woman is called up to the torah, what takes precedence? should he walk out because he feels this practice is ...
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Qualifications for a man Reading the Torah in public
I have been told that there are conditions that a man must fulfill before he is allowed to read the Torah in public.
If so, what is the halacha? What are the disqualifications?
[EDITED] Example: I ...
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Sources prohibiting Mi Sheberachs on Shabbos [duplicate]
There are a couple of potential reasons to perhaps avoid saying Mi Sheberachs for Cholim or people who get Aliyos during Leining on Shabbos (Tircha Detzibura and Pesikas Mammon). However, whether due ...
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May one reposition Sifrei Torah on Shabbat?
Scenario / Example:
This Shabbat is parshat Sheqalim, the first of 4 special Shabbatot before Pesach. We will take out two Sifrei Torah.
Upon returning the Torot to the ark, one would like to shift ...
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Why is there no Kaddish after Torah reading at mincha on a fast day?
Every Torah reading is followed by half Kaddish, except for Shabbat and fast day mincha.
Mishnah Berurah #4 on O.C. 292:1 says that on Shabbat and fast days we don't say Kaddish after Torah reading ...
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Direction of Torah movement
The Torah when removed from ark is brought to bimah in anti-clock direction and when it is shown to congregation, it is in the clock direction. Why? Is this a custom or halacha?
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No Cohen - use a Levi or Yisra'el Gadol?
Mishna Berura note 9 on O.C. 135:3 says that if there is no Cohen in the shul during public Torah reading, we call up the wisest person in the shul.
In many shuls that I have attended, they call up a ...
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Jew with non-Jewish father: maternal grandfather has no Hebrew name; great-grandfather's Hebrew name unknown [duplicate]
Usually, when a Jew's father is not a Jew, the name of the maternal grandfather is used when being called up to Torah. (Source?) But what happens if the maternal grandfather does not have a Hebrew ...
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Balak ending on a sad note
The end of parshas Balak is the sin at Shitim with the Bnos Moav, culminating in the sin of Zimri and Cozbi. Pinchas kills them both, stopping the plague. That would have been a good place to stop, ...
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Can a "metargem" fulfill the Targum obligation of "2 Mikra and 1 Targum"?
I understand that Yemenite congregations still use a metargem - a person who translates each Torah verse being read into Targum Onkelos. (The metargem was much more common centuries ago.)
O.C. 585:5 ...
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Tips for sitting holding a Sefer Torah without hurting your shoulder?
I'm occasionally asked in shul to take out the second Sefer Torah, which also involves holding it until it's needed. I usually sit holding it with one eitz chayim resting on the chair between my legs,...
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Is there a limit to how many people should be on the bimah when the Torah is removed / returned to the ark?
As I understand, only one person needs to be on the bimah to take out one Torah (as on most Shabbatot) from and return the Torah to the ark - the chazzan.
Is there a specific halacha that says that ...
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If a Torah ark has "French" doors, which door should be opened first?
Extending this question:
Some shuls, such as mine, have "French" doors on the Aron. These are two vertical doors that open "outwards" (i.e., towards you when facing the Aron. Well, if it opened ...
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