According to some Rishonim, the mitzvah to raise the Torah (hagbah) is mentioned in this week’s parsha. The pasuk (27:26) says: ארור אשר לא יקים את דברי התורה הזאת לעשות אותם – “Cursed be he who does not uphold the words of this Torah” (Devorim 27:26). The Ramban explains that this curse includes someone who when performing hagbah, doesn’t raise the sefer Torah in a way that everyone in the shul can see it properly. Consequently, I would like to take this week’s opportunity to discuss various halachos related to the mitzvah of hagbah. Should hagbah be done before kri’as haTorah or after? Why does Hilchos Hagbah feature in two different places in Shulchan Aruch? What is the correct way of performing hagbah? Which direction should one turn? How many columns should be opened? Who should be honored with hagboh? Where should the sefer Torah be tied? Can hagbah and gelilah [rolling of the sefer Torah] be given to father and son, or two brothers? Of this and more below.
The Earliest Description of Hagbah
The earliest extant description of the procedure of hagbahas haTorah is found in Masechtos Sofrim (14:11-14), as follows:
“One must raise the sefer Torah when reciting the words Shema Yisroel... and then raise it again upon reciting Echad Elokeinu Gadol Adoneinu Kadosh Shemo... Immediately, [the person performing the mitzvah] opens the sefer Torah to a width of three columns and lifts the sefer Torah — showing the writing to all the people standing to his right and his left. Then he moves the sefer Torah in a circular motion before him and behind him — because it is a mitzvah incumbent on all the men and women to see the text of the sefer Torah, to bow, and to say Vezos HaTorah asher sam Moshe lifnei Bnei Yisroel”.
When Is Hagbah Performed – The Divergent Customs
The mitzvah of hagbah is to raise the sefer Torah and show it, so that everyone in shul can see the writing of the sefer Torah. The prevalent, but not exclusive, tradition among Ashkenazim is that this mitzvah is performed after each sefer Torah is read, whereas the exclusive practice among edus hamizrach (Jews of Middle Eastern and Sephardic descent) is that this lifting is performed prior to reading from the Torah. Among the edus hamizrach, some open the sefer Torah and lift it up immediately upon removing it from the Aron Kodesh, whereas others first bring the sefer Torah to the bimah and then perform hagboh, prior to calling up the kohen for the first aliyah (Ben Ish Chai 2, Toldos 16). Some even perform hagboh both before and after the reading (See Kaf HaChaim 134:17) As a matter of curiosity, it is interesting to mention that some Chassidim and Perushim in Eretz Yisroel observe the practice of the Sephardim and perform hagbah before the Torah is read. When following this procedure, the magbiah [one who is honored with hagbah] doesn’t sit down with the sefer Torah after he has completed his job, but places it down on the bimah from which it is read.
What Are the Sources for the Divergent Customs?
As noted by the Beis Yosef and the Gra, the Masechtos Sofrim describes performing hagbah before kri’as haTorah. Nevertheless, the venerated practice of Bnei Ashkenaz is to do hagbah after we read the Torah (see Darkei Moshe 147:4; the practice is quoted at least as early as the Sefer HaItur, who lived over eight hundred years ago). This custom is based on the Gemara (Megillah 32a) that states, “After ten people read the Torah, the greatest of them should roll up the Torah,” which refers to hagboh and implies that it is performed after the Torah has been read. Similarly, a different passage of Gemara (Sotah 39b) mentions that the person reading the haftorah should be careful not to begin until the rolling of the Torah is complete. This implies that the hagboh and subsequent rolling closed of the Torah is performed immediately prior to the haftorah, and not before the Torah is read.
Two Places in Shulchan Aruch
This difference in practice resulted in an anomalous situation. Because the Tur was an Ashkenazi, he included the laws of hagbahas haTorah after the reading of the Torah, in siman 147 of Orach Chaim. On the other hand, the Shulchan Aruch, who follows Sephardic practice, mentions hagbahas haTorah before the rules of the reading of the Torah in siman 134:2, yet he also discusses the laws of hagbahas HaTorah where the Tur placed the halachah in siman 147. As a result, the halachos of hagbahas haTorah are located in two different places in Shulchan Aruch, some in siman 134, and some in siman 147, with the laws of keri’as haTorah sandwiched between.
Why Do Ashkenazim Do Hagbah Afterwards?
Logically, it would seem that we should display the text of the sefer Torah prior to reading the Torah, so that people observe the section that is about to be read, as, indeed, the Sephardim do. Why do Ashkenazim delay displaying the words of the Torah until after the reading is concluded?
The poskim present the following basis for what seems to be an anomalous practice: In earlier generations, there were unlettered people who mistakenly assumed that it was more important to see the words of the Torah during the hagbah than it was to hear the reading of the Torah. As a result, many of these people would leave shul immediately after hagboh and miss the reading. Therefore, the practice was introduced to postpone the hagboh until after the reading was concluded — which now caused these people to stay in shul and hear the reading of the Torah (Shiyarei Keneses Hagedolah 134:2, quoted by Kaf HaChaim 134:17).
Are There Any Other Ramifications to This Dispute?
Indeed, there is another interesting ramification that results from the Ashkenazic practice of delaying hagbah until after the reading is concluded. Should one notice a pesul in the sefer Torah that does not require taking out another sefer Torah, but precludes reading from this sefer Torah until it is repaired, one should not recite the words Vezos HaTorah and Toras Hashem temimah when being magbiah the sefer Torah (Kaf HaChaim 134:17, quoting Shu’t Adnei Paz #13). Something, which is only relevant for Ashkenazim.
How Many Columns Should Be Opened?
The aforementioned Masechtas Sofrim requires that the magbiah open the sefer Torah three columns wide. The poskim dispute whether the magbiah may open the sefer Torah more than three columns. In other words, does the Masechtas Sofrim mean that one should open the sefer Torah exactly three columns, or does it mean that one should open it at least three columns, so that everyone can see the words of the Torah, but that someone may open it wider, should he choose?
The Magen Avraham (134:3) suggests that one should open it exactly three columns, although he provides no reason why one should not open the sefer Torah more, whereas the Mishnah Berurah says that it depends on the strength of the magbiah — implying that if he can open it more, it is even better. It is possible that the Magen Avraham was concerned that opening the sefer Torah wider might cause people to show off their prowess and cause the important mitzvah of hagbahas haTorah to become a source of inappropriate pride — the exact opposite of the humility people should have when performing mitzvos.
Lift and Roll!?
Most people when performing the mitzvah of hagbah roll open the sefer Torah to the requisite width and then lift it, whereas others unroll it while they are lifting it. Which of these approaches is preferred?
The Sha’ar Efrayim discusses this issue, and implies that there is no preference between the two approaches, whereas the standard wording of Masechtas Sofrim is that one should unroll the sefer Torah first.
Along the Stitching
A sefer Torah is written on sections of parchment that are stitched together. The person who is performing hagbah should make sure that the stitching is in front of him before he lifts the Torah, so that if the sefer Torah tears from the stress of the lifting, the stitching, which is easy to repair, will tear and not, chas vesholam, the parchment itself (Megillah 32a, as explained by the Tur)
Does the Sefer Torah Need to Be Open to The Correct Place?
Does it matter if when rolling the sefer Torah for hagbah and trying to arrange that the stitching is in front of him, the sefer Torah ends up showing a different parsha to the one being read?
From the poskim it’s clear that me’ikar hadin it’s ok.
In Which Direction is the Torah Held?
The usual Ashkenazic practice is that the magbiah holds the sefer Torah with its writing facing him. Some congregations have the practice that, on Simchas Torah, the sefer Torah is lifted in the reverse way, so that the writing is away from the magbiah. Most people think that this is a “shtick” as part of the Simchas Torah celebration, but this is not halachically accurate.
The Bach (147) contends that the original approach was to hold the sefer Torah with the writing visible to the people — as we do on Simchas Torah. This is because when the magbiah lifts the sefer Torah the way we usually do, his body blocks the view, and for this reason, the Maharam and other great Torah leaders held the Torah with its text away from them when they performed hagbah. Presumably, the reason this practice was abandoned is because it is much more difficult to do hagboh this way, and there is concern that someone might, chas vesholam, drop the sefer Torah while doing it. Nevertheless, in places where the custom is to perform hagbah this way on Simchas Torah, the reason is to show that on this joyous occasion we want to perform hagboh in the optimal way.
How to Spin?
The Shevet HaLevi (9:26) writes: When doing hagbah, there is no mitzvah to turn and face all directions, rather, the mitzvah is simply to show the writing of the sefer Torah to everyone present. If the entire tzibbur would come close to the sefer Torah during hagbah there would be no need to spin it around at all. However, most people don’t come close, therefore, we turn it around.
When turning around, the Be’er Sheva (on Maseches Sotah) writes, one should make a complete spin. East, South, West, and North, making sure to always turn to the right, like we find כל פינות שאתה פונה פנה לימין – “all turnings one makes, should be to the right”.
From the aforementioned Masechtos Sofrim, however, which says, “Showing the writing to all the people standing to his right and his left. Then he moves the sefer Torah in a circular motion before him and behind him”, it seems that one doesn’t make a complete circle. Rather, first he shows it those on the right, then he shows it the people on the left, and only then does he show those in front and behind him.
The poskim point out, that when we say the magbiah should first show the sefer Torah to those on the right, that was in olden days when the writing of the sefer Torah faced the tzibbur. Nowadays, however, where the writing faces towards the magbiah, he should first show the writing to those standing on the left, and then to those standing on the right. As he certainly needs to turn in a rightwards direction.
What Happened to Bowing?
The aforementioned Masechtos Sofrim mentions that the tzibbur should bow when seeing the sefer Torah. The Divrei Yatziv (1:76) writes at length and tries to answer up the widespread minhag of not doing so today. He suggests, that perhaps only in the olden days when the writing of the sefer Torah faced the tzibbur was there a need to bow, however, now that the writing faces the magbiah there is no need. However, strictly speaking, one should bow.
“Reading” the Torah
When the sefer Torah is raised, each person in shul should try to actually read the letters of the sefer Torah. This causes a bright, spiritual light of the Torah to reach him (Arizal, quoted by the Magen Avraham 134:3). Some have the practice of looking for a word in the sefer Torah that begins with the same letter as their name (Ben Ish Chai, Year 2, Toldos 16).
In most Sephardic communities, someone points to the beginning of the day’s reading while the sefer Torah is held aloft for all to see. Some congregations consider this a great honor that is given to the rav or another talmid chocham (Kaf HaChaim 134:13). This may be the origin of the custom that some people have of pointing at the sefer Torah during hagbah (See, however, Yalkut Me’am Lo’ez, Parshas Ki Savo, 27:26).
To make sure that everyone sees the text of the sefer Torah, some Sephardic congregations have the magbiah carry the open sefer Torah around the shul to display its holy words to every attendee (Kaf HaChaim 134:13).
Reciting Vezos HaTorah
When the sefer Torah is elevated, everyone should bow and recite the pasuk “Vezos HaTorah asher sam Moshe lifnei Bnei Yisroel” (Masechtas Sofrim 14:14). In fact, the Chida cites sources who hold that since Chazal mention saying Vezos HaTorah, it has the status of a davar shebekedushah and can be said even if one is in the middle of birchos keri’as shema (Kenesses Hagedolah, quoted by Birkei Yosef 134:4). Subsequently, the Chida wrote a lengthy Teshuvah in which he concluded that reciting Vezos HaTorah does not have the status of a davar shebekedushah, and therefore should not be said in a place where it interrupts one’s davening (Shu”t Chaim She’al 1:68).
Vezos HaTorah should be said only while facing the words of the sefer Torah (Be’er Heiteiv 134:6, quoting several earlier sources). If one began reciting Vezos HaTorah while facing the writing of the sefer Torah, one may complete the pasuk after the text of the sefer Torah has been rotated away from one’s view (Sha’ar Efrayim).
In many siddurim, after the sentence “Vezos HaTorah asher sam Moshe lifnei Bnei Yisroel”, five words are added: “Al pi Hashem beyad Moshe” (Bamidbar 9:23), as if this is the continuation of the pasuk. Many poskim question adding the words “Al pi Hashem beyad Moshe”, since these words are from a different passage of the Torah (Aruch HaShulchan 134:3). Others are concerned for a different reason, because these last five words are not an entire pasuk and they question the practice of reciting partial pasukim of the Torah. Indeed, many old siddurim do not quote this addition, and many poskim contend that it should be omitted.
The One Who Does Hagbah Receives Reward Equivalent to All of Them
The Gemara in Megillah (32a) teaches: עשרה שקראו בתורה הגדול שבהם גולל ספר תורה והגוללו נוטל שכר כולן – “Ten people who read the Torah, the greatest of them should roll the Torah. The one who does this receives reward equivalent to all of them”.
In the times of the Gemara, when hagboh was done before kri’as haTorah, the minhag was that the one who performed hagbah, also rolled it closed afterwards, and about him it was said, נוטל שכר כולן, he gets reward equivalent to all of them. However, nowadays, when we do hagbah (Ashkenazim) afterwards, and one person lifts the sefer Torah and another rolls it closed, the Mishnah Berurah writes that the “reward equivalent to all of them” refers to the magbiah, as he is the main one, as he holds the sefer Torah in a position to be able to roll it closed.
It’s said in the name of the Chazon Ish, that nowadays the Gemara is going on both the magbiah and the gollel. The Aruch HaShulchan struggles to understand our minhag of giving hagbah to an important person, and gelilah to a young child, as from the Gemara: והגוללו נוטל שכר כולן – “the one who does gelilah gets reward equivalent to all of them”, it seems that this is the main thing. He writes: In Chassidishe Botei Midroshim they perform hagbah, then place it on the bimah, and then roll it themselves, and only then do they take it and sit down, and a simple person comes and covers it. This is so that the magbiah can also be the golel. The Ashkenazi minhag is wondersome. Perhaps, the magbiah who shows the sefer Torah to everyone, and they stand in its honor, is a more important job.
May Young Children Perform Gelilah?
The Mishnah Berurah (147 s.k. 7) writes: “Although the mitzvah of gelilah is a great mitzvah, the custom is that we even give it to children who are old enough to understand the idea of a davar shebekedushah [an item being holy], in order to train them in mitzvos.”
The Old and Weak
The Mishnah Berurah also writes: “The gabbah shouldn’t give hagbah to someone who has shaky hands, or to someone weak and fragile, when the gabbah knows that he will have to quickly sit down, and not hold it up properly. Besides for the gabbah, the old/weak person himself should refuse to do hagbah.”
Where to Wrap the Sefer Torah
The Mishneh Halachos (1:121) writes: There is a special inyan [aspect] of wrapping the sefer Torah when doing gelilah on the top third.
The Shu”t Maharshda (מהרשד ״ה) in Orach Chaim (14) brings from the Gaon of Shinov, that just like a mezuzah should be fixed on the top third of a doorpost, similarly, the sefer Torah should be wrapped from the top third. However, the Maharshag (Vol. 2, siman 4) says, there is no reason to be particular about this.
May Father and Son Perform Hagbah and Gelilah Together?
The Mishneh Halachos (3:20) discusses if it’s ok to give hagbah to a father and gelilah to a son, or to give both hagbah and gelilah to two brothers. He writes: Since the reason not to is based on ayin horah. If both the magbiah and gollel are called up (like some places have the minhag to), then just like we don’t give the father and son or two brothers one aliyah after the other, similarly, they shouldn’t both be called up. If, however, the shul they are in doesn’t call it up, then there is nothing to worry about.
The Importance of Performing Hagbah Correctly
We mentioned above the Ramban, on the pasuk: ארור אשר לא יקים את דברי התורה הזאת לעשות אותם – “Cursed be he who does not uphold the words of this Torah”, who learns that this curse includes someone who when performing hagbah, does not raise the sefer Torah in a way that everyone in the shul can see it properly. Apparently, there were places that did not perform the mitzvah of hagbah at all out of concern that someone will be cursed for not performing hagbah properly (Birkei Yosef, Shiyurei Berachah 134:2; Kaf HaChaim 134:15; Encyclopedia Talmudis, quoting Orchos Chaim).
Although I certainly do not advocate eliminating the mitzvah of hagbah, a person who knows that he cannot perform the mitzvah correctly should defer the honor, and the gabbai should offer the honor only to someone who fulfills the mitzvah properly.
(This week’s sheet is based on halachah write-ups written by yedidaynu, R’ Mattisyohu Zilberger shlita, Mechaber of Matan Nachliel and R’ Yirmiyohu Kaganoff shlita)
