Standing in Honor of the Torah Scroll
Q: When I am studying in the Beit Midrash (study hall) and a Torah scroll is taken out and placed on the bimah in order to roll it, am I required to stand?
A: When the Torah scroll is being carried, and also when it is lifted up, everyone who sees it must stand until the scroll is placed in its place in the ark, or on the bimah. All the more so, if before Torah scholars there is a Torah commandment to stand in order to honor the Torah they have learned, as it says, “You shall rise before the aged and honor the presence of the elder" (Leviticus 19:32), then certainly before the Torah scroll itself there is a commandment to stand (Kiddushin 33b).
Even someone who is engaged in Torah study must stand before a Torah scroll. Even if he does not see the Torah scroll, if he hears the sound of the bells on the Torah scroll and understands that it is being carried, he must stand (Shulchan Aruch and Rema, Yoreh De’ah 282:2; Pitchei Teshuvah 3).
However, the obligation to stand before the Torah scroll when it is being carried applies only when the Torah scroll is in the same domain-for example, when one is in the synagogue, and the Torah scroll is being brought from the ark to the bimah. Likewise, someone sitting outside who sees that the Torah scroll is being carried outside must stand. But someone sitting outside the synagogue, or in a nearby room, who sees through the window or doorway that the Torah scroll is being carried-since he is in a different domain-does not need to stand (Beit Yosef and Rema 282:2).
After the Torah scroll has been placed in its place-in the ark, on the bimah, or in the lap of a person who is sitting on a chair-one does not need to stand, because the scroll is in the place designated for it at that time (Beit Yosef and Rema 242:18; Mishnah Berurah 146:17).
Standing When the Ark Is Opened
Q: Is it obligatory to stand when the ark is opened?
A: When the ark is opened during the recitation of special prayers, strictly speaking, there is no obligation to stand. First, because the Torah scroll is in its proper place. Second, because it is inside the ark, which constitutes a separate domain. Nevertheless, it has become customary to enhance the mitzvah of honoring the Torah and to stand, since the ark is normally closed, and when it is open, it is fitting to honor the Torah that is revealed to the public (Turei Zahav, Yoreh De’ah 242:13).
However, someone who is weak and finds it difficult to stand, may sit; he should make an effort to stand only when the Torah scroll is carried from the ark to the bimah and from the bimah to the ark, and at the time of the lifting of the Torah. He should also try to stand when people stand with the Torah scroll during the prayer for the welfare of the State.
Standing Before an Invalid Torah Scroll
When a defect is found in a Torah scroll, one should try to repair it as soon as possible. In the meantime, a sign is made on the scroll so that people will know it is invalid-for example, by fastening the belt over the mantle as is the custom among Ashkenazim, or by tying a cloth at the top of the scroll as is the custom among Sephardim.
Some halakhic authorities say that the laws of honoring a Torah scroll do not apply to an invalid scroll, and if it is carried one does not need to stand before it (Teshuvah Me’ahavah 1:105; Aruch HaShulchan 282:4). Others hold that in general, it should be honored like a valid scroll (Noda BiYehudah, first edition, Yoreh De’ah 71; Chatam Sofer, Yoreh De’ah 2:279), and therefore one should stand before it (Masoret Moshe 4:274; Halichot Shlomo, Tefillah 12:44). It is proper to be stringent.
Sitting with One’s Back Toward the Torah Scroll
Q: My seat in the synagogue is between the bimah and the ark, so during the Torah reading I end up sitting with my back toward the Torah scroll. Turning the chair around is impossible because it is fixed. Is it permitted to sit like this?
A: Out of honor for the Torah scroll, a person should not turn his back toward it, just as the High Priest, when he exited the Holy of Holies, did not turn his back, but left while facing the sanctuary. Likewise, the priests and Levites, when they finished their service in the Temple and departed to their homes, walked backward with their faces toward the sanctuary. Also, a student leaving the presence of his primary teacher should not turn his back and walk away, but should leave while facing his teacher (Yoma 53a; Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 282:1).
If the Torah scroll is placed in a location higher than ten handbreadths-and all the more so, when it is inside an ark-since it is in a different domain, it is permitted when necessary to turn one’s back toward it. Therefore, during the Torah reading it is permitted to sit with one’s back toward the Torah scroll, since the bimah is higher than ten handbreadths. It was proper to arrange the chairs facing the ark, because most of the time the Torah scroll is inside the ark, and the fixed seating places should generally face it.
Turning One’s Back Toward the Ark
Q: Is it permitted to turn one’s back toward the ark?
A: Since the Torah scrolls are inside the ark, which is considered its own domain, it is permitted. Thus wrote Maimonides (Laws of Torah Scrolls 10:10): “One should not turn his back to a Torah scroll unless it is ten handbreadths higher than he." The same ruling appears in the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 282:1). All the more so when the scroll is inside the ark, because in addition to usually being more than ten handbreadths high, the ark itself-being at least one cubit by one cubit by three cubits-constitutes its own domain (Pri Megadim, Mishbetzot Zahav, Orach Chaim end of 141), especially when it is closed. Therefore, it is permitted to turn one’s back toward the ark while walking toward the exit of the synagogue (Shulchan Aruch YD 282:1; Turei Zahav 1).
Nevertheless, beyond the precise law regarding the Torah scroll, it is customary to show honor to the ark. Therefore, even when it is closed, people standing close to it are careful not to turn their backs toward it, since near the ark honor or disrespect is more noticeable. But when necessary, it is permitted to stand with one’s back toward the ark, just as the priests who bless the people or a rabbi delivering a lecture stand facing the congregation with their backs toward the ark. Similarly, the priests in the Temple, when blessing the people with the priestly blessing, stood facing the people with their backs to the sanctuary, out of honor for the public (Sotah 40a).
It is a fine custom for rabbis to kiss the curtain of the ark before beginning to speak to the congregation, as a kind of request for permission to address the audience, and a request for forgiveness for having to turn their backs toward the ark.
Bringing a Torah Scroll for a Bar Mitzvah Minyan
Q: Our son has a bar mitzvah, and we are organizing a family minyan in which he will read the weekly Torah portion. We asked the gabbai to take a Torah scroll, but he said there might be a problem with bringing a Torah scroll for a private minyan and asked us to consult a rabbi about the halakha.
A: Out of honor for the Torah scroll, one should go to the synagogue to read from it, rather than bringing it to a private home to read there. Even for someone who, due to circumstances beyond his control, cannot come to the synagogue-such as a sick person or a prisoner-the Torah scroll is not brought. However, it may be brought for a great Torah scholar who cannot come due to circumstances beyond his control (Jerusalem Talmud Yoma 7:1; Beit Yosef and Rema there).
It is also permitted to bring it for a minyan that cannot pray in a synagogue (Biur Halacha there, “Ein"). Likewise, it is permitted to bring the Torah scroll from a synagogue to a family minyan celebrating a bar mitzvah. Therefore, it is permitted to bring a Torah scroll to a minyan of soldiers training in the field.
Transporting a Torah Scroll by a Woman
Q: I work at our local religious council, and we are organizing a holiday minyan in one of the schools, and a Torah scroll must be brought there. Since I am a woman, is there a problem if I bring the Torah scroll from a synagogue that has many scrolls to the place of the minyan, or should I find a man to do it?
A: A woman is permitted to carry the Torah scroll. The only prohibition of touching a Torah scroll-for both men and women-applies to the parchment itself. But it is permitted to touch the wooden rollers of the scroll (the “trees of life"), and also the mantle or the case in which the scroll is kept; this is how it is carried. Even women during their menstrual period are permitted to carry the Torah, kiss it, and read from it (Shulchan Aruch YD 282:9).
When carrying a Torah scroll, one must be careful about its honor. The person carrying it should hold it upright in his arms against his heart in a respectful manner. He should not place it like a burden on his head or shoulder, or in a backpack behind his back (Shulchan Aruch YD 282:3).
When transporting a Torah scroll in a car, one should try to have another passenger accompany the driver who will hold the Torah scroll in his lap so that no one turns his back toward it. If there is no additional passenger, the Torah scroll should be placed respectfully and securely on one of the seats. If necessary, it may be placed in a suitcase or wrapped in a tallit in the trunk (Aruch HaShulchan YD 282:6).
Sending a Torah Scroll by Airplane
When it is necessary to send a Torah scroll in a package on an airplane or ship, some have the custom to open the stitching of one sheet so that its validity is temporarily annulled, and thus there will be less offense to its honor during the jolting of travel (Kaf HaChaim, Orach Chaim 135:74). On the other hand, some say that one should not undo the sheets because doing so lowers the sanctity of the Torah scroll and harms its honor; rather, it should be placed in a suitcase in a respectful and protected manner (Imrei Yosher II:171:2). Each person may choose his approach.
This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.