Rosh Chodesh - Four Aliyos

OU Kosher

Q. Why do we call up four aliyos on Rosh Chodesh?

A. The Gemara (Megillah 22b) offers two explanations why there are four aliyos on Rosh Chodesh, one more aliya than on a regular Monday or Thursday:

  1. We add an aliya because a korban musaf is brought on Rosh Chodesh. Rav Ovadya Yosef zt”l explained that Rosh Chodesh has greater kedusha because the korban musaf is sacrificed on that day, and it is therefore appropriate to have an additional aliya. (Yechaveh Da’as 1:85)
  2. Chazal instituted a short Torah reading of only three aliyos on Monday and Thursday (as opposed to Shabbos when there are seven aliyos) because Monday and Thursday are workdays and people must hurry to work to earn a living. Chazal added one additional aliya on Rosh Chodesh because people have more time available to read the Torah. The Gemara requires elucidation. There are no work restrictions on Rosh Chodesh. Why then is there more time on Rosh Chodesh? Rashi and Tosfos (Megillah 22b) explain that it is customary for women to refrain from doing melacha on Rosh Chodesh, and therefore more time is available. Rav Yaakov Emden (in the Mor Uktzia) and Rav Yosef Chaim Azulai (in the Birkai Yosef) are troubled: The mitzvah of reading the Torah is primarily on men. How is it relevant that women have a minhag to refrain from working on Rosh Chodesh? For this reason, other commentaries offer alternate explanations of the Gemara, and the explanation of Rashi and Tosfos requires further study. (To be continued)

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