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Why do people do this?
Minhag.
I don’t do it.
The Wolf
Ain kol chodosh tachas hacoffee room.
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/raising-the-pinky
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/pinky-by-hagbah
This is one of those things that has no known halachik source.
Do away with it?
It is too widespread a minhag for some 21st century rabbi to do away with it.
However, this is my theory: Chazal say that whenever it says ‘??’ or ‘???’, it connotes something that is able to be tangibly pointed at. it is of my opinion that pointing with the pinky is the most deferential way of doing that to the revered Torah and saying ???? ?????…
R. Pichus Scheinberg ZT’L told a friend of mine that it’s brought down in the Ben Ish Chai.
I’ve that there is really no mekor for this “minhag.”
I believe it’s brought down in the Ben Ish Chai. It’s a Kabbalistic issue.
(A Rav I know claims it’s because by Sephardi Hagbah, someone will point out directly where they are going to read from. But it’s not Mashma that that’s the reason from the Ben Ish Chai.)
I think it’s because they’re pointing at the Torah when they say the pasuk of “And this is the Torah…”. But it’s considered disrespectful to point at a Torah with your index finger so they use the pinky instead. However, I am not aware of any source that brings the custom of pointing during Hagba and I have seen many talmidei chachamim who never do this.
Sam2: it is not mentioned in The Ben Ish Chai unless it is in a different area besides krias HaTorah http://www.shechem.org/torah/benishhi/sheni/toldot.html .
The Sefer Hachaim says to point with the index finger,the pinky is brought by the Meam Loez Ki Tova.
The Ben Ish Chai does bring the opinion of the Shulchan Aruch which is to bow during hagbah,and the Ben Ish Chai adds that on shabbas one bows seven times kenged the aliyos.I have not seen many follow the practice of the Shulchan Aruch to bow during hagbah ,I wonder why this is so.
Sam4: I think R’ Schachter once said it’s in the Ben Ish Chai. I thought I saw it also. If I remember where and/or can have someone ask him I’ll check.
Sam4: You are right, by the way. He’s pretty detailed. The lack of the pointing is glaring (though he does mention that it’s L’harot L’kahal). I’ll try to find where R’ Schachter said it. He might have also quoted R’ Sheinberg on this.
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1674&st=&pgnum=239
He says the index finger, though.
If I remember correctly, the only place it’s brought down is in the MEAM LOEZ on PARSHAS KI SAVO.
Look at the Hebrew Mo’em Lo’ez Parshea Ki Tzilo; I saw it in there.
See also Lev Chaim, Orach Chaim (167:6)
Some (myself included) also drape the pinky with one of the tzitzit and when the tik is being closed up, they kiss the tzitzit and pinky.
RD, I provided a link to that Lev Chaim earlier.
DY,
Please be mochel me. I didn’t see that before.
No problem :). I wssn’t the least bit upset, I was just pointing out the link, where it can be seen inside.
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