By Chaim Weber

We are familiar with the custom to say a special mi sheberach for sick people during krias hatorah.

What’s the source for this custom?

The Starting Point – The Gemara in Bava Basra

The Gemara in Bava Basra (116a) says that one who has a sick person in his house should go to a chacham – so that the chacham should ask for mercy on the sick person’s behalf.

The Nimmukei Yosef writes that a custom developed in France that a sick person would go to the local Rosh Yeshiva for a blessing.

The Rema (Darkei Moshe, Y:D 335:2) says that this is the source for the custom to say a special mi sheberach during davening for sick people. The Aruch Hashulchan (335:12) adds that the minhag is to say it specifically by the time of krias hatorah, as the mercy of Hashem is awakened then.

Why is the mercy of Hashem specifically awakened at the time of krias hatorah? To understand this, let’s take a step back and look into what krias hatorah really is.

The Source for Krias Hatorah – The Gemara in Bava Kamma

The Gemara in Bava Kamma (82a) says that the neviim among the bnei yisrael instituted that we should have krias hatorah every Monday, Thursday and Shabbos – as a result of the Marah incident.

In Marah, the bnei yisrael complained after having gone three days without “water.” The Gemara explains that “water” is actually a reference to Torah – and that the bnei yisrael stumbled and complained after having gone three days without Torah. This led the neviim among them to institute krias hatorah every Monday, Thursday and Shabbos to make sure that we never pass three days without learning.

The Rambam explains that these “neviim among them” is actually a reference to Moshe Rabbeinu himself.

The Gemara adds that generations later, Ezra Hasofer then instituted that we should also read krias hatorah by Shabbos mincha.

The Parallel to Hakhel – Krias Hatorah as a Reenactment of Har Sinai

Rav Hershel Schachter shlita (Rav Schachter on the Parshah, Volume III) quotes a fascinating insight from his rebbi, R’ Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik, zt”l into the very nature of krias hatorah.

Although krias hatorah was an enactment of Moshe Rabbeinu, we do find that there’s krias hatorah that takes place on a de’oraisa level: The mitzvah of Hakhel.

At the end of the shemitta year, the Torah commands all of klal yisrael to gather and hear the king read from the Book of Devarim. This is a krias hatorah that takes place on a Torah level. Therefore, although the obligation to read every Monday, Thursday and Shabbos was a decree made by Moshe Rabbeinu, when we do read the Torah and fulfill this decree, we fulfill a kiyum de’oraisa –  a concept that is found in the Torah itself.

The Rambam (Hilchos Chagigah 3:6) writes that Hakhel isn’t just learning in a communal setting. Rather, Hakhel is where the Jewish people gather together and reenact the Sinai experience – where we each listen to the Torah and see ourselves as if we are receiving the Torah anew. (This is similar to Pesach where we’re obligated to see ourselves as if we ourselves left Egypt.)

Rav Schachter notes that this may be why the king reads from an elevated platform – a bimah. This is done to recall the receiving of the Torah on a mountain – Har Sinai.

The same applies to krias hatorah.

R’ Yoshe Ber explains that every krias hatorah is a reenactment of us receiving the Torah at Har Sinai, which comes with a revelation of Hashem’s presence. This is why before reading from the Torah, the oleh recites “Barchu” – as similar to Har Sinai, every krias hatorah is a revelation of Hashem’s presence requiring us to sanctify Hashem’s name.

This explains the practice of the Maharam of Rothenburg, who was stringent to stand during krias hatorah. If krias hatorah was merely learning in a communal setting, our minhag is to sit while we learn (see Megillah 21a). However, since krias hatorah comes with giluy shechinah – a revelation of Hashem’s presence – that’s why it’s worthy to stand to honor Hashem’s presence.

This approach ties in beautifully with a Gemara in Sanhedrin (21b).

The Gemara tells us that Ezra Hasofer would have been worthy to have Hashem’s Torah given through him were it not for the fact that Moshe Rabbeinu preceded him. If krias hatorah is a reenactment of the giving of the Torah, it’s very fitting that our two great leaders who instituted krias hatorah – Moshe Rabbeinu (on Monday, Thursday and Shabbos) and Ezra Hasofer (on shabbos mincha) – were the two who were fitting to give us Hashem’s Torah.

Back to the Aruch Hashulchan

This brings us back to the Aruch Hashulchan, who said that krias hatorah is an opportune time to pray on behalf of the sick, as Hashem’s mercy is awakened then.

When we received the Torah, Hashem told us (Shemos 19:6): “V’atem tih’yu li mamleches kohanim v’goy kadosh – you will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.“ What’s the significance of the word “li –  to me”? Just say that we will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation?

The Ramban quotes a Mechilta that by accepting the Torah, Hashem told us that there’s no other being that has power over klal yisrael – only Hashem himself. He quotes the verse that we say in Tehilim – that Hashem is the shomer yisrael.

This happened through accepting the Torah.

If we reenact the kabalas Torah during krias hatorah, it indeed is an opportune time to beseech Hashem and ask for his protection – and for a speedy recovery for those needing the healing that only the rofeih kol basar can provide.

May Hashem send a swift refuah sheleima to all cholei yisrael.