The Obligation of Kerias HaTorah
On Shabbos, Monday, and Thursday there is an obligation to read a portion of the Torah – from a kosher Sefer Torah – so that three days will not pass without Torah study.1 Although this obligation is ancient, dating back to the days of Moshe Rabbeinu, it is only considered to be a rabbinic mitzvah.2 Ezra Hasofer instituted that the Torah should be read on Shabbos during Minchah as well.3 Initially, there were various customs as to the length of the portion to be read every Shabbos,4 but eventually it became universally accepted to complete the entire Torah each year, beginning from Shabbos Bereishis and ending on Simchas Torah.5 At Minchah on Shabbos, and on Monday and Thursday, at least ten verses of that week’s Torah reading – divided into three parts – are read each time.6
Now, there are two fundamental schools of thought regarding the obligation of Kerias HaTorah. One of them7 holds that it is a personal obligation for every adult male.8 Therefore, each adult male must pay attention to every word being read, otherwise he will not fulfill his obligation. The second one9 maintains that it is an obligation for the congregation as a whole – meaning that, if ten or more men are together on Shabbos morning, Shabbos Minchah, or on Monday and Thursday, they must read from the weekly portion, but it is not a specific obligation upon each individual. Even according to this view, there still needs to be ten men who are paying attention carefully to every word.
Practically speaking, the answer to each of the following questions will depend on these two opinions:
Does a person have to follow each word recited by the ba’al korei without missing even one letter [which may even involve reading along to make sure nothing is missed],10 or may one be lax about this – even lechatchilah?
Can a person study Torah during Kerias HaTorah?
If someone misses a word or two of the parashah, must he make it up?
If ten or more men missed a word (or more) from the parashah, do they have to take out the Sefer Torah after davening and read the part they missed?
If one came late to shul but arrived in time for Kerias HaTorah, should he listen to the Torah reading first and then daven?
If someone finds himself having to choose between tefillah betzibur and Kerias HaTorah, which takes precedence?
The answer to these and other such questions mostly depends on which of the two views one follows.
According to the first opinion, one must give undivided attention to every word being read. Davening or learning during Kerias HaTorah would be prohibited and one would have to make up any missed words, even bedieved. Furthermore, the obligation to hear Kerias HaTorah would take precedence over one’s obligation to daven with a minyan.
According to the second opinion, the halachah in all these scenarios would be more lenient, for as long as the congregation fulfilled its obligation to read the Torah correctly, and as long as ten men paid attention to the reading, the individual’s obligation is of no concern.
Shulchan Aruch does not give a clear ruling concerning this dispute. In fact, while discussing if one may learn during Kerias HaTorah,11 he quotes both opinions without rendering a decision. Instead, he says that “it is proper for a meticulous person to pay attention to the words of the reader.” This indicates that, according to Shulchan Aruch, it is commendable to be stringent, but not absolutely required – and many other prominent poskim12 base their opinions on this. Mishnah Berurah,13 though, quotes several poskim who say that each individual, as a halachic requirement, must lechatchilah listen to every word of Kerias HaTorah.14 Rav Moshe Feinstein rules that, even bedieved, if a person missed hearing a word, he must find a way to make up what he missed.15 However, there are many other poskim who say that Kerias HaTorah is an obligation upon the community, not upon the individual.16
Several contemporary poskim suggest what appears to be a compromise: Lechatchilah, we follow the more stringent opinion, which says that each individual is obligated to listen to Kerias HaTorah. Therefore, each individual must pay undivided attention to each word that is recited. And indeed, in the situation described above – where one must choose between Kerias HaTorah and tefillah betzibur – some poskim rule that Kerias HaTorah takes precedence.17
Bedieved, we rely on the more lenient opinion which says that, as long as the congregation has fulfilled its obligation, the individual is covered.18 Therefore, if a person misses a word or two [or more], he is not obligated to go to another shul to make up for it. Additionally, if a person finds himself with a choice between Kerias HaTorah and not davening at all, davening takes precedence.19 Likewise, one should not interrupt his private Shemoneh Esrei to listen to Kerias HaTorah.20
1 Rambam, Tefillah 12:1.
2 Mishnah Berurah 282:2.
3 Bava Kama 82a.
4 See Megillah 29b with Emes L’Yaakov regarding the custom that had existed in Eretz Yisrael, where the Torah was completed once every three years, and regarding how the weekly readings were divided based on that three-year cycle.
5 Rambam, Hilchos Tefillah 13:1. See Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim IV:23 and 40-5, who explains that once this became universally accepted, it then becomes a full-fledged obligation.
6 Shulchan Aruch 135:2 and 137:1. Generally, the reading is until sheini.
7 Shibbolei Haleket 39, quoted in Beiur Halachah 146:2 (ד"ה ויש). This also appears to be the view of Magen Avraham 146:5, quoting Shelah (see Hagahos Yesh Nochlin 5) and Mateh Moshe. See also Ma’aseh Rav 131.
8 While some authorities maintain that women are also required to hear Kerias HaTorah, the accepted custom is that listening to the Torah reading is not a woman’s obligation; Mishnah Berurah 282:12; Aruch Hashulchan 282:11. See Halichos Bas Yisrael 2, footnote 77*. See also Chut Shani (Hilchos Kerias HaTorah 2) who differentiates between the reading on Shabbos and readings during the week.
9 Among Rishonim see Ramban (Milchamos Hashem) and Ran, Megillah 3a (Rif folio). Among poskim see Ginas Veradim 2:21; Imrei Yosher 2:171; Binyan Shlomo 35; Levushei Mordechai 2:99 Chazon Ish (Sefer Hazikaron, Hilchos Kerias HaTorah) and others. See also Yabia Omer 4: Yoreh Deah 31-3 and 7: Orach Chaim 9. [Rav Chaim Soleveitchik is cited (Halichos Shlomo, Tefillah, miluim, pg. 350) as differentiating between Kerias HaTorah of Shabbos which is an obligation on each individual, and between Kerias HatTorah on Monday and Thursday which is a communal obligation. For further discussion of Rav Soleveitchik’s position, see Birkas Shmuel (Yevamos 21) and Chiddushiei HaGrach Hachdash Al HaShas (Bav Kama 6b, fn 83).]
10 Mishnah Berurah 146:15.
11 144:2.
12 Sha’arei Ephraim 4:12 clearly rules in accordance with this view. This may also be the ruling of Siddur Derech Hachaim (Hanhagas Hakahal Bish’as Keriah 5), Chayei Adam 31:2, and Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 23:8 who do not object to reading along with the ba’al korei.
13 146:15. Aruch Hashulchan 146:6 and Kaf Hachayim 146:10, 14 agree with this view.
14 There are conflicting indications as to what, exactly, is the view of Mishnah Berurah on this issue; see Beiur Halachah 135:14 (ד"ה אין); 143:1 (ד"ה בפחות); 146:2 (ד"ה ויש). It should be noted that Beiur Halachah (ibid.) maintains that the position of Shulchan Aruch is that Kerias HaTorah is an obligation on each individual. [Perhaps, Mishnah Berurah himself maintains a third approach. There is an obligation on an individual when he is a part of a congregation. This may also be the opinion of the Vilna Gaon; see Peulas Sachir on Ma’aseh Rav 175.]
15 Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim IV:23 and 40:4:5. According to this opinion, if ten or more men missed a section of the Torah reading, then they should take out the Sefer Torah after davening and read that section over.
16 As cited in footnote 12. See also Eimek Berachah (Kerias HaTorah 3).
17 Halichos Shlomo, Tefillah 12:2 (see also miluim, pg. 350); Ashrei Ha’ish, Orach Chaim I, 25:17. See dissenting opinion in Minchas Yitzchak VII:6.
18 Rav S. Z. Auerbach (quoted in Siach Halachah 6:8 and Halichos Shlomo, Tefillah 12:1 with Devar Halachah 5; see also Minchas Shlomo II, 4:15); Ashrei Ha’ish, Orach Chaim I, 25:15.
19 Ashrei Ha’ish, Orach Chaim I, 25:18.
20 Halichos Shlomo, Tefillah 12:4. Additionally, as the Kerias HaTorah is not always the same in Eretz Yisrael as it is outside of Eretz Yisrael, one may sometimes miss an entire parashah due to travel. The second opinion would apply, so he does not need to make up what he missed; Halichos Shlomo, Tefillah 12:6. See Ishei Yisrael 38:29 for a dissenting opinion.