Mistakes Found During

Keriyas HaTorah
Part I
By Rabbi Joshua Flug

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I. Introduction-This series is a follow up to R. Sobolofsky's webinar on the same topic. The
purpose of the shiur outline is to provide some additional mareh mekomos and discuss
some of the topics that he didn't have time to discuss. The first part will focus on what
one should do in a situation where a mistake is found in the middle of keriyas HaTorah.
The second part will discuss some of the common mistakes that are encountered.
II. What is the standard for a sefer Torah regarding Keriyas HaTorah?
a. The Gemara states that that if even the tip of the yud is missing from a tefillin or
mezuzos, they are invalid. {}
i. Ramban (1194-1270) quotes Ba'alei HaTosafos who are of the opinion that
one may read from a sefer Torah that contains errors. Ramban questions their
opinion for a number of reasons, including the fact that if tefillin and mezuzos
are invalid when containing the slightest error, the same should apply to a
sefer Torah. {}
ii. Rabbeinu Nissim (1320-1380) defends the opinion of the Ba'alei HaTosafos
and explains that the invalidity of tefllin and mezuzos when a letter is missing
also applies to a sefer Torah in terms of whether one fulfills the mitzvah of
writing/owning a sefer Torah. However, the mitzvah of keriyas HaTorah
doesn't require a sefer Torah that is of the same standard. {}
iii. Rashbash (c. 1400-1467) counters Ran's claim by arguing: {}
1. The whole purpose of the mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah is to use it.
2. Tefillin and Mezuzos are never used for reading and therefore, if they
require all letters to be valid, that standard should certainly apply to a
sefer Torah.
b. The Gemara states that one may not read from a chumash (i.e. a parchment containing
only one of the five chumashim) for keriyas HaTorah because of kavod hatzibbur. {}
i. Rambam (1138-1204) in a teshuva, deduces from the Gemara that the only
issue is kavod hatzibbur. The fact that the chumash is not a valid sefer Torah
is not an issue. Therefore, one may read from a sefer Torah that contains an
error. {}
1. R. Aharon HaKohen M'Lunil (13th-14th century) quotes a different
version of the teshuva that states that Rif (1013-1103) and Ri Migash
(1077-1141) followed this approach. {}
2. He also quotes that Chachmei Narvona that if we didn't have a lower
standard for keriyas HaTorah, we wouldn't have keriyas HaTorah at all
and it is better to forgo certain aspects rather than forgo keriyas
HaTorah.
ii. Rashba (1235-1310) {} and Rabbeinu Asher (c. 1250-1327) {} rule that if a
sefer Torah is invalid, everything that was read until then was invalid and
 therefore, when one takes out a new sefer Torah, one must recite new
berachos. Ostensibly, they are of the opinion that one must also return to the
beginning of the keriyah.
1. R. Aharon HaKohen quotes a teshuva of Rashba that directly
addresses Rambam's opinion and question it based on a number of
considerations, including the fact that Rambam, in Mishneh Torah,
lists twenty different things that would invalidate a sefer Torah and the
list includes many of the errors that one would normally encounter
with a sefer Torah. {}
iii. R. Yosef Karo (1488-1575) defends the position of Rambam:
1. In Kesef Mishneh, he present the opinion of his rebbe, R. Ya'akov
BeRav (Mahari Bei Rav, 1474-1546) that the requirements that
Rambam lists for a sefer Torah in Mishneh Torah refers to what one
should do l'chatchilah. However, if one does not have a valid sefer
Torah, it is permissible to read from an invalid sefer Torah. Therefore,
if a mistake is found in a sefer Torah, we treat what was done until
now as b'dieved and it is valid. However, if there is another sefer
Torah available, one should take out the valid sefer Torah and finish
keriyas HaTorah from that sefer. {}
2. R. Karo himself in Bedek HaBayis offers another resolution to
Rambam's opinion. Rambam in Mishneh Torah was referring to a
valid sefer Torah to fulfill the mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah.
Rambam's teshuva refers to the mitzvah of keriyas HaTorah. {}
3. In Beis Yosef, R. Karo presents a hybrid of the first two answers. He
resolves the discrepancy of Rambam's position by distinguishing
between the mitzvah of writing a sefer Torah and the mitzvah of
keriyas HaTorah. Yet, we still distinguish between l'chatchilah and
b'dieved because there are other poskim who disagree with Rambam
and therefore, l'chatchilah, we should show deference to their opinion.
{}
iv. Mordechai (1250-1298) quotes Ra'aviah (d. 1225) that if there is a p'sul in the
sefer Torah and three psukim were already read and they are at a place where
it is permissible to stop, the oleh recites a beracha acharona and a new oleh
comes up and recites new berachos on the second sefer Torah. If they have
not read three psukim or they are not at a place where it is permissible to stop,
one continues reading from the invalid sefer Torah until reaching a point
where there oleh can recite a beracha acharona. {}
v. Maharil (c. 1365-1427) quotes R. Yitzchak ben Moshe of Vienna (Ohr Zarua,
1200-1270) that one should not take out another sefer Torah because there is
no guarantee that the second will be better than the first. {}
III. The Codification of this Discussion
a. Shulchan Aruch codifies the opinion of Mahari Bei Rav that one should take out a
new Torah and continue from where the mistake was found. A new beracha rishona
is not recited on the new sefer Torah. {}
b. Rama has a compromise position between Mahari Bei Rav and Ra'aviah. He follows
Mahari Bei Rav in that one cannot read from an invalid sefer Torah once the mistake
is discovered. He follows Mordechai in that if three psukim were already read from
the aliyah and they are at a place where it is permissible to stop, a beracha acharona is
recited by the current oleh and a new oleh is called for the new sefer Torah.
However, Rama does not accept reading from the invalid Torah if the criteria for a
beracha acharona are not met.
c. There is a dispute as to what Shulchan Aruch's opinion is regarding beracha acharona:
i. R. Shabsai Kohen (Shach 1621-1662) is of the opinion that Shulchan agrees
with Rama that if the mistake is found in a place where it is permissible to
stop, a beracha acharona is recited. Shulchan Aruch is only discussing a case
where it is not permissible to recite a beracha acharona. {}
ii. R. David HaLevi Segal (Taz c.1586-1667) is of the opinion that according to
Shulchan Aruch, one never recites a beracha acharona. {}
d. R. Efraim Z. Margulies (1762-1828) contends that one should follow Mahari Bei Rav
(as per Taz) and not recite a beracha acharona. However, one should recite a new
beracha rishona on the new sefer Torah. {}
i. R. Yisrael M. Kagan (1838-1933) posits that this is also the opinion of The
Vilna Gaon (1720-1797). This is a function of treating the original sefer
Torah as invalid from here on in. Therefore, one cannot recite a beracha
acharona and one cannot consider the original beracha rishona valid either. {}
e. Mishna Berurah, in Bei'ur Halacha notes that despite the divergent opinions ranging
from starting from the beginning to continuing with the invalid Torah, if there is no
minhag kavua, one should follow the opinions of Shulchan Aruch and Rama. {}
i. Mishna Berurah does say that if possible, one should try to call seven aliyos
with the new Torah (if it occurs on Shabbos). {}
f. What happens if there is no valid sefer Torah available?
i. R. Avraham Gombiner (c.1633-1683) writes that one can finish the seven
aliyos with the invalid sefer Torah. {}
ii. R. Yechezkel Landa (1713-1793) writes that one should not recite extra
berachos unnecessarily. Rather, the entire Torah reading should be completed
with the current oleh and he recites the beracha at the end. {}
iii. R. Margulies offers a compromise position. He suggests that one should fall
back to the way they use to do aliyos originally where the first oleh recites the
beracha rishona and the last oleh recites the beracha acharona. Applying it to
our situation, you would continue reading while calling up new aliyos who
don't recite a beracha. At the end of keriyas HaTorah, the oleh who was
present for the mistake will recite the beracha acharona. {}
‫‪ .4‬שו"ת הרשב"ש ס' רלב‬ ‫‪ .1‬מנחות כט‪.‬‬

‫‪ .2‬רמב"ן מגילה יז‪.‬‬

‫‪ .3‬ר"ן מגילה ה‪:‬‬

‫‪ .5‬גיטין ס‪.‬‬
‫‪ .7‬אורחות חיים הל' קריאת התורה ס' ה‬ ‫‪ .6‬תשובות הרמב"ם פאר הדור ס' ט‬

‫‪ .8‬שו"ת הרשב"א א‪:‬רכז‬

‫‪ .9‬שו"ת הרא"ש ג‪:‬ח‬

 ‫‪ .12‬כסף משנה שם‬ ‫‪ .10‬אורחות חיים הל' קריאת התורה ס' ה‬

‫‪ .11‬רמב"ם הל' ספר תורה י‪:‬א‬

‫‪ .13‬בדק הבית יו"ד ס' רעט‬

‫‪ .14‬בית יוסף יו"ד ס' רעט‬

‫‪ .15‬מרדכי מגילה ס' תשצד‬

 ‫‪ .20‬שערי אפרים ה‪:‬ג‬ ‫‪ .16‬שו"ת מהרי"ל החדשות ס' כג‬

‫‪ .17‬שלחן ערוך או"ח קמג‪:‬ד‬

‫‪ .18‬שלחן ערוך יו"ד קעט‪:‬ב וש"ך ס"ק ג‬

‫‪ .21‬ביאור הלכה קמג‪:‬ד ד"ה אם נמצא‬

‫‪ .22‬ביאור הלכה קמג‪:‬ד ד"ה אם נמצא‬

‫‪ .19‬ט"ז או"ח קמג‪:‬א‬

 ‫‪ .23‬משנה ברורה קמג‪:‬טז‬

‫‪ .24‬מגן אברהם קמג‪:‬ח‬

‫‪ .25‬דגול מרבבה למג"א קמג‪:‬ח‬

‫‪ .26‬שערי אפרים ו‪:‬סא‬