HALACHICALLY SPEAKING
Compiled by Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits
Reviewed by Rabbi Benzion Schiffenbauer Shlita
All Piskei Horav Yisroel Belsky Shlita are reviewed by Horav Yisroel Belsky Shlita

Moshe Rabbeinu established a requirement to lain on Monday, Thursday, Shabbos and Yom Tov.(1) Ezra established a requirement that three people should get aliyos, and at least ten pesukim should be read.(2) Although some poskim say the requirement to lain is d’oraisa,(3) most poskim say it is d’rabbanan.(4) The poskim also discuss if krias hatorah is an obligation on the tzibbur (5) or on the individual.(6) Some say that on Monday and Thursday it is an obligation on the tzibbur, and on Shabbos it is an obligation on the individual.(7) The minhag is that women do not have an obligation to listen to kiras hatorah.(8) Furthermore, according to some poskim, young children also do not have an obligation to listen to krias hatorah (9) (obviously, they should not be allowed to run around the shul and make it impossible for the adults to hear the laining).

Footnotes
(1) Rambam Hilchos Tefilla 12:1. (2) Refer to Mesechtas Bava Kama 82a, Tosfas Berochos 13a “b’loshon,” Magen Avraham beg. of 135, Machtzis Ha’shekel, Mishnah Berurah 135:2, Aruch Ha’shulchan 135:2, see Rivevos Ephraim 4:77:65. (3) Bach 685. (4) Tosfas Mesechtas Berochos “b’loshon,” Pri Megadim Eishel Avraham 135, Elya Rabbah 139:2, Pri Chadash 139:8, Birchei Yosef 47:8, Aruch Ha’shulchan 282:1, Melamed L’huel 8:page 6, Yechaveh Da’as 1:85, see Shulchan Aruch 146:2 where he says parshas zachor and para are d’orasisa as opposed to other lainings. (5) Refer to Levush 146:3, Chai Adom 31:11, Biur Halacha 135:14 “ein,” Aruch Ha’shulchan 69:14, Teshuvos V’hanhugos 1:148, Yabea Omer 7:9, Orchos Rabbeinu 3:215:page 44, Minchas Shlomo 2:4:15, Tzitz Eliezer 18:5. Many times a mashgiach will go to a country to overlook a production where there is no minyan (or krias hatorah) refer to Kovetz Ohr Yisroel 46:pages 75-88 and Divrei Shalom 1:68 if it is permitted. Refer to Halichos Shlomo Tefilla 1:5:4, Shevet Ha’Levi 6:21:3, and Tefilla K’hilchoso 8:9 if one is permitted to do so for leisure or parnasa. See Madanei Yom Tov 1:pages 215-216. (6) Horav Yisroel Belsky Shlita, see Biur Halacha 146 “v’yeish,” Igros Moshe O.C. 4:40:4, Lev Avraham 1:26, Rivevos Ephraim 4:77:1, Har Tzvi 1:66, Halichos Shlomo Tefilla 12:1, see ibid Meluyim 17:pages 350-351, Likras Shabbos 2:page 112:footnote 3, Vayivorech Dovid 1:27. Many say that one should do whatever it takes not to miss out on any words of the laining (Refer to Halichos Shlomo Tefilla 12:3, Yabea Omer 8:14, see Otzros Yosef 7:2:3). One should try to get an aliyah once a month (Siddur Yaavetz page 320:20, Ben Ish Chai Tolods 2:20, Zera Yaakov 5:page 103). Whether the mitzvah of laining is the reading or listening see Madanei Yom Tov 1:pages 213-214. (7) Vayivorech Dovid ibid. (8) Refer to Mishnah Berurah 282:12, Aruch Ha’shulchan 282:11, Maharsham 1:158, Be’er Moshe 8:85:2, Nishmas Shabbos 2:263, see Magen Avraham 282:6. (9) Vayivorech Dovid ibid. Refer to Nishmas Shabbos 2:264.

Copyright 2010 Halachically Speaking

Halachically Speaking is a bi-weekly publication compiled by Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits, a former chaver kollel of Yeshiva Torah Voda’ath and a musmach of Horav Yisroel Belsky, shlit”a. Rabbi Lebovits currently works as a Rabbinical Administrator for Kof-K Kosher Superivison.

For a FREE weekly email subscription to Halachically Speaking, please send your
email address to [email protected]

Halachically Speaking is sent to email subscribers around the globe. Your generous sponsorship will enable us to expand the scope of this project. For more information on sponsorship opportunities please call: 718.744.4360.

Please note that these articles are back issues only.

Click HERE to read the archives.

(YWN Desk – NYC)