CCAR RESPONSA
American Reform Responsa
38. Who Shall Read from the Torah?
(Vol. XXXIV, 1924, pp. 71-74)QUESTION: Shall the person called to the Torah recite only the Benediction? Will you please explain to me when and how the custom originated that the person who is called up to the Torah merely recites the Benediction before and after the section from the Torah is read, while the reading itself is done by the Chazan? Was it due to a decrease in the knowledge of Hebrew among the people? I recall that in one of the classes in Talmud I took with you we read a Talmudic saying to the effect that consideration for the ignorant caused the Rabbis to institute the practice that when a person who was inexperienced in reading had to recite some passages from the Torah, an expert reader would do it in his stead. But I regret to say I no longer remember where the passage is found.ANSWER: In the Mishna Bikurim 3.6 there is reported the institution that an expert should recite with the farmer, who brings the first fruit offering, the section from Deut. 26:5-10, which is the duty of the farmer to recite on this occasion. It is also stated there in the Mishna that formerly the farmer, who was himself able to read, would recite this section from the Torah by himself, and only those farmers who were unable to read refrained from bringing the offering, not wishing to display their ignorance in public. The authorities therefore instituted the custom that an expert reader should recite the passage with every farmer, even with those who could read it by themselves. The ignorant could therefore bring his offering without running the risk of having to show his ignorance. But there is, to my knowledge, no express statement found in the Talmud that a similar practice has been instituted in connection with the regular readings from the Torah in the synagogue on Sabbaths, holidays, fast days, or Monday and Thursday. The Mishna (Megila 4.1-2), prescribing the number of people who would participate in the reading on weekdays, holidays, and Sabbaths, presupposes that these people would divide among themselves the section to be read on that day and each one would read his part without any assistance from the official reader. Nowhere is it stated that an expert reader would assist the individual who took part in the reading or read his portion for him. As a matter of fact, there was no need for instituting such a practice. In the case of the farmer bringing his first fruit offering, it was his duty to recite the passage from Deuteronomy, and when he was unable to do so, one had to help him in the performing of his duty. But in the case of the public reading in the synagogue, the main duty was that the section from the Torah be read to the public. This duty could be– and actually was–performed by those who were able to read, and there was no need to call up only such as were able to read (comp. Or Zarua II, Hilchot Shabbat 42, p. 19, and Shibolei Haleket, chapter 36). There are, however, indications–though no express report–which would justify one in assuming that already in Talmudic times (in some localities at least) the custom was introduced that an expert reader would read the entire section for the Sabbath or holiday, or assist the ignorant in reading their portion. For, as can well be imagined, it must have happened in some small communities that there were not in the entire congregation seven persons expert in reading who could divide among themselves the section to be read on the Sabbath. In such a case, one man who knew how to read would have to read the entire weekly section or a large part of it. This would especially be the case in communities outside of Palestine, where the people were not so familiar with the Hebrew language. It is instead reported in Yer. Megila IV.75a, that the people speaking a language other than Hebrew did not follow the rule prescribed in the Mishna that seven people should read the section for the Sabbath, but one person would read the entire section: “Veha-aliyot lo nahagu ken ela echad kore et kol haparasha.” Evidently this was done for the simple reason that there were among them few persons who could read Hebrew (comp. also Tosefta, Megila IV.13). But even in Palestine it must have happened in some very small communities that there was but one man in the congregation who could read, and he had to read the entire section (comp. Tosefta, ibid., 4.12). It seems, however, that the people even in smaller communities– and possibly even outside of Palestine–were anxious to retain the Mishnaic custom of seven people getting up to read from the Torah on a Saturday. And the only way this custom could be retained in those congregations in which there were not seven persons able to read, was to have the Chazan or an expert reader assist those who were not expert in reading the portion assigned to them. Such a practice probably caused the Talmudic discussion of the question whether two persons may read together from the Torah. One baraita (quoted in B. Megila 21b and Yer. Megila IV.l, 77d) declares that it is forbidden for two persons to read together, and the reason given in the Yerushalmi (l.c.) is that two voices together cannot be distinctly heard: “Mipenei she-ein shenei kolot nichnasin be-ozen achat.” But another baraita (quoted in Yerushalmi, l.c.) makes a distinction between the reading from the Torah and the reading from the Prophets, declaring that from the latter, two may not read together, but from the former it is permissible for two to read together: “Shenayim korin baTorah, ve-ein shenayim korin benavi.” Evidently, the reason for this distinction was because the section from the Prophets was assigned to one person only, and they would rather call up one who is an expert in reading to read the same. But in the case of the Torah, the section to be read was divided among seven persons, so they had to permit two reading together; that is, in case one or more of the seven persons could not read well, an expert could assist him in reading. They must have met the objection that two voices cannot well be heard together by the arrangement that the Chazan or the expert who assisted in the reading would lower his voice while the person who was honored to be called up to read would raise his voice so that he could well be heard distinctly. According to Rashi (B. Shabbat 12b, s.v. “rashei parashiyot”), the custom of the Chazan assisting the reader was prevalent, at least in Babylon, already in Talmudic times. Possibly this was one of the differences between the Babylonians and Palestinians (see Chiluf Minhagim, no. 47, and Mueller’s comments), though from the fact that the Yerushalmi quotes the baraita that two may read together and from Tractate Soferim XI.4 it would seem that even in Palestine this custom was not unknown. But in Gaonic times this custom was already established in Babylon. Amram, p. 29a, expressly declares it permissible for the Chazan to assist the one who is to read a portion from the Torah (“Aval hechazan mutar lesayea et hakore”). Likewise Chai Gaon in a responsum (collection Sha-arei Teshuva, no. 59) permits the Chazan to render assistance to the one who is called up to read, but expressly forbids the practice of the Chazan reading for the one who is called up: “Umidivrei rabavuta kuleho mashma disevira leho shelo yikra hechazan avur hakore.” From another Gaonic responsum (Ginzberg, Geonica II, p. 102, lines 28-29) it is also evident that the practice of the Chazan reading for those who are called up to the Torah was not favored. But from the very fact that Chai Gaon declares that the authorities forbid the Chazan to do the reading for those who are called up to read, one might conclude that some people in his time would occasionally follow the practice of letting the Chazan do the reading for the one who was called up, if the latter was ignorant. In fact, Tractate Soferim 11.9 could be interpreted to allude to such a practice. At any rate, one can easily see how, out of the custom to let the Chazan assist the one who was to read, developed the practice of letting the Chazan do the entire reading and having those who were called merely recite the benediction. For assistance might be understood differently by different people: some people, when asking another person to assist them in any work which they have to do, really mean that the other person should do their work for them. After the custom was established of honoring people inexperienced in reading by calling them up to the Torah and relying upon the Chazan to assist them in reading their portion, it became necessary to extend this honor also to those people whose inexperience in reading amounted to total ignorance, relying upon the Chazan to do the reading for them. This custom is mentioned by R. Jacob Tam in Tosafot to B.B. 15a, s.v. “shemona pesukim,” and in Eshkol II, p. 67. The latter explains that the reason for the custom is not to put to shame those who are unable to read. It should be added, though, that the custom was not universally accepted. In some countries the older practice continued that the person called up to the Torah recite the Benedictions and read the portion assigned to him (see Sh. A., Orach Chayim 139.1).Jacob Z. LauterbachNOTES:1. We consider it improper for the Torah to be read by a pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah child during a Shabbat or festival or weekday service conducted by and for adults, with the traditional exceptions (i.e., Simchat Torah or the Tochacha in Parashat “Ki Tavo”). This would also apply to the Torah berachot. 2. We make no distinction between men and women either in the reading of the Torah or in the recitation of the berachot.Responsa Committee (1980)See also:S.B. Freehof, “Blind Person with Dog at Services,” Current Reform Responsa, pp. 74ff; “Women Called to Torah,” Reform Responsa, pp. 40ff.
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