It is customary to ensure that three people are standing at the Teba during the reading of the Torah. In addition to the person who received the Aliya, and the reader, a third person should stand by the Torah. Usually, the third person is the Mesader – the one who calls people for Aliyot. Some people mistakenly think that the Mesader stands there only for pragmatic purposes, such as to assist the Ba’al Koreh (reader), or because he is calling the people for Aliyot. In truth, however, tradition requires that the Mesader – or somebody else – stand together with the one receiving the Aliya and the Ba’al Koreh so there will be three people present near the Torah at the time of the reading.
The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) explains that three people stand at the Sefer Torah during the reading to replicate the original giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The Ba’al Koreh, who communicates the words of the Torah, is symbolic of Moshe Rabbenu, who transmitted the Torah to the Jewish People a Sinai, and the person who receives the Aliya, the representative of the congregation, symbolizes the Jewish People listening to Moshe speak. The Mesader, the Mishna Berura explains, symbolizes the Almighty, as he is the one who calls people to the Torah, just like G-d invited Am Yisrael to come receive the Torah at Sinai.
This explanation of the Mishna Berura forces us to reconsider how we look upon the Mesader. While people intuitively recognize the stature of the person receiving the Aliya, and of the Ba’al Koreh, few people are aware of the very significant role played by the Mesader. His job is not merely technical; he is representative of G-d Himself, inviting the congregation to receive the Torah. The Mesader is managing the events, and thus He fills the role of G-d, as it were, in the process of the Torah’s transmission in the synagogue. (The Mishna Berura also gives another explanation for the requirement of three people at the Torah, namely, to represent the three patriarchs.)
In this context, the Mishna Berura cites the Sha’areh Efrayim (Rav Efrayim Zalman Margoliyot, 1760-1828) as emphasizing the importance of the role of Mesader. He writes that this position should be given only to a respected member of the community, who will not be suspected of personal bias in deciding whom to call for Aliyot, of choosing specifically his friends or people who give him honor. Furthermore, the Mishna Berura adds, the congregation should not question or challenge the Mesader’s decisions, and if it appears to them that he has done something wrong, they should judge him favorably rather than immediately accuse him of impropriety. And if he did make the mistake of calling somebody unsuitable for an Aliya, they should understand that he made a mistake in judgment, and not react angrily. A G-d-fearing person, the Mishna Berura says, reacts to such mistakes with tolerance, and not with anger. The Mesader, for his part, must likewise be tolerant and patient with the congregation, and should not quit his position as soon as he is wrongly accused or humiliated. If he does, the Mishna Berura writes, then he places his own honor before the honor of Hashem, as now there will be nobody available to arrange the Aliyot.
Summary: It is customary for there to be three people standing near the Sefer Torah during the Torah reading. Generally, these three people are the reader, the one receiving the Aliya, and the Mesader. It is important for congregations to appoint a Mesader who is well-respected in the community, and the congregation should not suspect the Mesader of impropriety every time they feel he made a wrong choice when calling somebody for an Aliya. The Mesader should be patient with the congregation, and should not quit his post just because people complain or become angry.
