Evolution of the Minhag
1. There is an accepted minhag in many Jewish communities to sell aliyos and mitzvos in shul. There are several halachos pertaining to this minhag. As we stand before the Yamim Noraim, a time of many Krios HaTorah and aliyos at lofty moments, we will strive to explain some of them, as they are very relevant these days.
2. Specific mitzvos. The earliest sources for this minhag show that the minhag was to sell specific mitzvos, e.g., hotza’ah v’hachnasa of the sefer Torah (או''ז ח''א סי' קט''ו, מהרי''ל הל' קריאת התורה אות א') and gelilah (ספר חסידים סי' תשס''ד, מרדכי בשם מהר''ם מרוטנבורג ב''ב חזקת הבתים תקכ''ג, טור או''ח סי' קמ''ז, מ''ב סק''ח ).
3. Aliyos. Over the years, this minhag expanded to include selling specific aliyos, e.g., Chosson Torah and Chosson Bereishis (ספר המנהגים סי' ס''ג, מהרי''ל מנהגים הל' סוכות, מהרי''ק שורש ט'). Later, it extended to other aliyos too, e.g., Shlishi, Revi’i, etc. (מהרש''ל בים של שלמה ב''ק פ''ח סי' ס', לבוש או''ח סי' קל''ו הובא במ''ב סק''ד ).
Reasons for Selling Mitzvos
4. Tzedaka, maintaining the shul. The poskim give multiple reasons for the minhag to sell aliyos (עי' בקונטרס מכירת המצוות בהלכה להגרא''י לבקוביץ שהביאם בטו''ט ), the main reason being to generate regular income for tzedaka for the poor and for shul maintenance or other communal needs (מהרש''ל יש''ש גיטין פ''ה, שו''ת מבי''ט ח''ג סי' ס', שו''ת נחלת שבעה סי' ד'). The Chofetz Chaim explains at length that the main advantage of buying aliyos in shul is to take a share in ensuring the shul’s expenses are covered; he writes that people are rewarded greatly for this (אהבת חסד ח''ב פט''ז בהג''ה ).
5. Prevents arguments. Another reason cited in sefarim that record minhagim is that it prevents arguments and fights that can arise between gabbaim and mispallelim regarding how the aliyos and kibbudim are divided. By selling the mitzvos, peace reigns in shul (יש''ש שם, שו''ת מהרם מינץ סי' ו, א''ר תרסט ). The problem is, we must make sure this does in fact prevent fights and that fights are not started specifically as a result of the selling of aliyos.
6. Love for mitzvos, honor for Torah. Another reason given is to show love for mitzvos. Spending substantial sums of money increases the honor for Torah (טור או''ח סי' קמ''ז, שו''ת מהרי''ק סי' ט').
7. Mitzva for pay. Another reason given is that there is no comparison between the level of one who does a mitzva for free and of one who pays for a mitzva. Thus, it is proper to pay for the mitzvos of aliyos to the Torah and other kibbudim (ע''פ זוה''ק פ' תרומה דף קכ''ו ע''א ). The Yesod v’Shoresh ha’Avoda writes (שער האית ו ן פ''ב ): It is proper for a person to strive to buy an aliya before Rosh Hashana to go up to the Torah on Rosh Hashana day. The main mitzva is specifically to buy it with money, not [to get it] for free, as mentioned in many places in the Zohar. This is true not only of Rosh Hashana, but throughout all the Yamim Noraim (מט''א הובא במ''ב סי' תקפ''ד סק''ח, חיי אדם כלל ס''ח סט''ז ).
