{"id":6449,"date":"2010-01-22T02:00:52","date_gmt":"2010-01-22T00:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=6449"},"modified":"2018-05-24T12:11:39","modified_gmt":"2018-05-24T09:11:39","slug":"02-22-02","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/02-22-02\/","title":{"rendered":"02 – The Torah Scroll"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Torah must be read from a kosher scroll. This means that it must be a Torah scroll written for the sake of Heaven, with ink on parchment, just as the first Torah scroll was written by Moshe Rabbeinu, according to the direct word of Hashem. Even a congregation which sets aside time for Torah study must assemble at least every three days to read from the original Torah scroll, just like the Torah which Hashem gave to Moshe on Mount Sinai. If there is no minyan<\/i> present, the mitzvah of reading the Torah cannot be fulfilled, since it is a matter of sanctity requiring ten Jews.<\/p>\n
If the Torah scroll is missing even one letter, the entire scroll is invalid, and it cannot be used to perform the mitzvah of Torah reading. This halachah emphasizes the extraordinary quality of the Torah. Its entirety is one complete Divine idea which is expressed by all of its narratives, mitzvot<\/i>, teachings, and letters together. If even one letter is lacking, a flaw exists in the absolute completeness of the Divine Torah.<\/p>\n
According to a number of Rishonim<\/i>, it is permissible, b\u2019dieved<\/i>, to read from an invalid Torah scroll (Rambam<\/i>\u2019s responsa to the sages of Narvona<\/i>; Mordechai<\/i>). Still, in practice, the opinion of the majority of poskim<\/i> is that the mitzvah of Torah reading can only be fulfilled with a kosher Torah scroll, and that is the halachah (Rashba<\/i>, Rosh<\/i>, and Rambam<\/i> in his halachot<\/i>; Shulchan Aruch<\/i> 143:3).<\/p>\n
If, in the middle of the reading, a faulty letter is discovered which renders the Torah scroll invalid, a different Torah scroll is taken out and the reader proceeds from where he stopped in the first. We do not continue reading from the first Torah since, according to the majority of poskim<\/i>, it is forbidden to read from an invalid scroll. On the other hand, we do not require the congregation to repeat the beginning of the Torah portion, since b\u2019dieved<\/i> we rely on the poskim<\/i> who maintain that the obligation of Torah reading can even be fulfilled with an invalid Torah scroll.[1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n If a defect is found in one of the letters, and there is doubt as to whether or not it invalidates the Torah scroll, the reading is still continued from that Torah. There are two reasons to act leniently in such a case. First, it is possible that the Torah scroll is actually kosher. Second, even if the Torah does possess something which renders it invalid, we have already learned that there are opinions which maintain that b\u2019dieved<\/i> it is permitted to read from an invalid Torah scroll. Still, the Torah must be repaired promptly after the reading.<\/p>\n