Multiple Parshiyos: Scroll Placement

Q. This Shabbos we will read from three Sifrei Torah: the first is used to read the weekly portion, from the second we read the Rosh Chodesh portion in Parshas Pinchas, and the third is used for Parshas Shekalim. What would happen if the sefer torah for Shekalim was accidentally placed on the Shulchan second? Do we remove , do we roll it to the reading for Rosh Chodesh, or do we read Shekalim before Rosh Chodesh?

A. If the mistake was realized before they recited the beracha on the Torah, then the Mishnah Berurah (Beiur Halacha 684) writes that the sefer torah is removed from the Shulchan and switched with the torah for Rosh Chodesh. However, according to the Aderes (Over Orach 684:3) who writes that the principle of “ain ma’avirin al ha’mitzvos” (we may not pass over one mitzvah to do another) is more compelling, it would seem that once the torah is placed on the Shulchan, one may not take it away to read from another torah even if a beracha was not yet said.

If the beracha on the torah was already said and they began to read Parshas Shekalim all agree that they may not stop. The reading for Rosh Chodesh is pushed off to third. In this case, Rav Efraim Zalman Margolis (Sha’arei Efraim 8:82) maintains that the Haftorah for Parshas Shekalim is not read. Instead, we must read the Haftorah for Rosh Chodesh, since this was the last Torah reading and the Haftorah must connect with the last Torah reading. This is the ruling of Mishnah Berurah (685:5) as well.

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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.