DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
"Delivered to Over 6000 Registered Recipients Each Day"

      
(File size: 494 KB)
Simhat Torah- Is It Permissible For 2 Kohanim or 2 Leviim To Have A Back To Back Aliyah at the Torah

Generally speaking, Halacha forbids calling two Kohanim to the Torah for consecutive Aliyot.  If a Kohen is called for an Aliya to the Torah after another Kohen, people may cast aspersions as to the validity of the first Kohen, suspecting that his status as a Kohen has been called into question, thus requiring that another Kohen be called.  The same applies to Levi'im: two Levi'im may not be called to the Torah for successive Aliyot, as this may give rise to some suspicions concerning the status of the first Levi.

 

Chacham Ovadia Yosef, in Chazon Ovadia (Hilchot Sukkot), establishes an important qualification to this rule.  Namely, two Kohanim may be called consecutively to the Torah if there is some interruption in between the two Aliyot.  For example, a Kohen may be called for Maftir even if a Kohen had been called for the final Aliya just beforhand.  Since the Kaddish is recited before Maftir, thus causing an interruption between the two Aliyot, a second Kohen may be called for Maftir.  Likewise, when a new Torah scroll is opened for an Aliya, it may be given to a Kohen even though a Kohen had received the previous Aliya.  Closing one Sefer Torah and opening the other serves to separate one Aliya from the next, and they therefore may be given to two Kohanim.

 

It thus emerges that on Simhat Torah, three Kohanim may be called to the Torah consecutively for the Aliyot of Chatan Torah, Chatan Bereishit, and Maftir.  These three Aliyot involve readings from three different Sifrei Torah, and hence calling Kohanim for all three does not violate the prohibition against calling Kohanim for consecutive Aliyot.

 

Summary: A congregation may not call two Kohanim or two Leviim for consecutive Aliyot, unless the two Aliyot are interrupted by a Kaddish or the second Aliya is read from a new Sefer Torah.

 

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
The Proper Text for the Conclusion of the Beracha of “Al Ha’mihya”
The Proper Beracha to Recite Over Tehina, Humus and Halava
Which Beracha Comes First – “Ha’etz” or “Ha’adama”?
Must a Person Recite a New Beracha if He Had Decided to Finish His Meal and Then Decides to Continue Eating?
“Tibulo Be’mashke” – Common Examples of Wet Foods That Require Netilat Yadayim
The Berachot to Recite Over Artichokes, Humus, Falafel Balls, Popcorn, Potato Chips, and Cornflakes
Must One Have in Mind All the Foods He Ate While Reciting Beracha Aharona
The Beracha Over Bananas, Strawberries, Papayas, Cashews and Avocados
If One is Uncertain Whether He Recited Birkat Ha’mazon
What is the Proper Beracha on M'Labass (Sugar-Coated Almonds)?
Situations Where Cooking a Vegetable Changes Its Beracha
Does One Recite the Beracha of “Hatob Vehametib” On the Occasion of the Birth of a Boy?
Can a Person Who Ate Non-Kosher Food be Counted Toward a Zimun?
The Proper Berachot to Recite Over Covered Peanuts
The Proper Pronunciation of the Word “Peri” in Berachot, and of the Word “Ki’r’uteh” in Kaddish
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found