Sifrei Torah for Rosh Chodesh and Shekalim

Q. Because this Shabbos is Parshas Mishpatim, Rosh Chodesh, and Parshas Shekalim, we will take out three Sifrei Torah. Why do we not just take out one sefer Torah and roll it to the appropriate places?

A. We take out three Sifrei Torah because the gemarah states in Yoma 70a, “We do not roll a Sefer Torah in public because of the honor of the congregation.” It would be disrespectful to make the congregation wait while the Torah is rolled. By using three sifrei Torah, we can prepare the proper place in advance.

The Aruch Hashulchan (OC 144:6) writes that for this reason the gabai must make certain that the Sefer Torah is rolled to the proper place before davening every Shabbos, so as not to inconvenience the congregation.

What should be done if the congregation has only one Torah? Because there is no other choice, Shulchan Aruch (OC 144:3) states that in such instances we forgo the honor of the congregation and roll the Torah to its proper place.

The Magen Avraham (OC 144:7) questions this halacha. The first Mishna in the seventh chapter of Yoma relates that on Yom Kippur the Kohein Gadol would read aloud from a Sefer Torah the parasha of Acharai Mos. When finished, he would roll up the sefer Torah and recite from memory the section in Parashas Pinchus relevant to Yom Kippur. The Gemarah (Yoma 70a) questions why doesn’t the Kohein Gadol roll the sefer Torah forward and read Parashas Pinchus from the Sefer Torah? The Talmud responds that it It is disrespectful to make the congregation wait while the Torah is being rolled. The Magen Avraham asks, why is it that nowadays, if we only have one Torah, we are permitted to roll the Torah in the middle of kriyas ha’torah, yet in the Beis Hamikdash, they would not roll the Torah. Instead, the Kohein Gadol would read the next section by heart.

The Magen Avraham responds that in a shul there is a relatively small group in attendance, and we assume they are mochel (forgo their honor) in order to hear the reading of the parasha from a sefer Torah. On the other hand, when the Kohein Gadol read the Torah in the Beis Hamikdash on Yom Kippur the entire Jewish community was present, and we have no right to assume they are all mochel.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.