מוֹעֲדֵי ה‘ אֲשֶׁר תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ אֵלֶּה אֵלֶּה מוֹעֲדֵי ה› מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר הֵם מוֹעֲדָי... תִּקְרְאוּ אֹתָם בְּמוֹעֲדָם )כג:ב,ד(
These are the appointed festivals of Hashem, which you shall proclaim as holy convocations, these are My appointed festivals... These are the appointed festivals of Hashem, holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at their appointed times )23:2–4(.
Commentators say this pasuk hints at the profound power of Kerias haTorah, teaching that “the reading awakens the time,” meaning that such readings and Torah study spiritually activate the essence of what is being read. Thus, Chazal taught (Menachos 110a) that “one who studies the laws of a burnt-offering is considered as if he offered a burnt-offering.”
In our parashah too, reading about the mo’adim and regalim arouses their holiness. In some communities, during this holy Shabbos, they recited the stanza Bo’i Beshalom [in Lecha Dodi] differently, saying “berinah, besimchah, uvetzahalah,” akin to what is said on the Shabbos of Yamim Tovim, because the Kerias haTorah evokes the sanctity and joy of the Chagim on the Shabbos.
Thus, the pasuk teaches: The festivals of Hashem, which you shall read (תִּ קְ רְ אוּ) as holy convocations, these are My appointed festivals—by reading about them in Kerias haTorah, their essence and sanctity are awakened.
The continuation of the pasuk emphasizes the idea again: These are the appointed festivals of Hashem, holy convocations, which you shall read at their appointed times—signifying that by reading them and studying about them in their appointed times, we reinforce their power and essence.
This last idea is echoed in the Gemara (Megillah 32b), which derives from the pasuk (Vayikra 23:44), ‘ אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵלוַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶת מֹעֲדֵי ה - Moshe spoke of the appointed festivals of Hashem to Bnei Yisrael, that Moshe mandated that we read about each chag when it comes in Kerias haTorah. And the Gemara adds, “Moshe established for Yisrael that they should inquire and teach the matters of the day, the halachos of Pesach on Pesach, the halachos of Shavuos on Shavuos, the halachos of Sukkos on Sukkos.”
In a small village near the famed city of Volozhin, the local baal koreh (Torah reader) passed away, leaving the community without anyone to fulfill this vital role. The village, home to a small Jewish community with only one shul, urgently needed a skilled Torah reader.
The shul’s gabba’im searched tirelessly for a suitable candidate to take on this esteemed responsibility, but to no avail. Desperate, they approached each community member individually, hoping to find someone capable of reading the Torah.
In their search, they discovered a respected villager, a devout and upright man who had previously served as a baal koreh in another town and was well-versed in the nuances of Torah reading. However, to their dismay, the man declined the role, citing the difficulty of preparing the Torah readings as his reason.
The gabba’im pleaded with him, explaining the great necessity of his service to the community. Yet, he refused, stating that the labor-intensive preparation was too taxing for him.
The holy Zohar indeed states (Parashas Vayakhel, vol. 2, 206b) that it is forbidden for a baal koreh to read the Torah without prior preparation. As it states there: “Whoever ascends to read from the Torah should prepare those words beforehand in his home; if not, he should not read from the Torah. From where do we learn this? From where do we know this? For the pasuk says of the time before the Torah was heard by the holy nation, (Iyov 28:27), הּ ר חֲק-ם ג הּ ו ינ הּ הֱכ ר סַפּ י הּ ו א ז ר א - Then He saw and recounted it, he prepared it and also examined it. And afterward, it says (ibid. 28:28), - ה כְמ יא ח י ה דֹנ-ת אֲ א ן יִר ם ה ד לָֽא |ר יֹּאמ וAnd He said to man, behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, etc.
Faced with no alternative, the gabba’im and the community leaders brought their dilemma to the great Rav Chaim of Volozhin zt”l, known for his dedication to the needs of both the community and individuals. They asked if he could intervene and persuade the reluctant candidate to accept the role of baal koreh.
Rav Chaim agreed. When the man next came to Volozhin and entered shul for Maariv, Rav...
