Siman 146

We say in Berakhot (8b): What is the meaning of that which is written, "and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed" – this refers to one who leaves a sefer Torah while it is open and departs. That is to say: it is not only necessary to state that during the reading it is forbidden, but even between verse and verse at the time when the translator translates according to the custom in their days – it is also forbidden, for the sefer Torah is open and he will read from it immediately. However, between person and person, when it is not open but rather they roll it or spread a cloth over it as I wrote in siman 139 – then it is permitted to depart if he needs to depart for a great need (Magen Avraham, subsection 1) or a complete constraint (Eliyah Rabbah in the name of the Agudah and Seder HaYom). And it is explained that in the middle of the reading, even in such a case, it is forbidden. And even though for a constraint the Merciful One exempts him, nevertheless, as long as he is able to constrain himself – he is obligated to constrain himself and not depart. And there is a doubt if he needs to relieve himself and is transgressing "do not make yourselves detestable": is his law like the middle of Pesukei D'Zimrah or Kiryat Shema and its blessings and he should depart, or is his law like the Tefillah where he finishes his Tefillah? And it appears to my humble opinion that his law is like the Tefillah, for the honor of the Torah is as great as the honor of the Shekhinah, and like their statement of blessed memory: Would that they had forsaken Me but kept My Torah. And he must wait until the one called up finishes, if it is only within his power to delay himself.

We say in Sotah (39a): Once the sefer Torah is opened, it is forbidden to speak even regarding a matter of halacha, as it is stated in Nehemiah (8:5) when Ezra opened the sefer Torah to read from it before the children of Israel, it is written: "and when he opened it, all the people stood." And "standing" refers only to silence, as it is stated in Job (32:16): "for they stood and answered no more." And it is further written there in Nehemiah: "and the Levites caused the people to understand, and the people stood in their place," meaning: they were silent. And even to issue a ruling on some question is forbidden. The Rif ruled thus in the first chapter of Berakhot (Magen Avraham, subsection 4). And there is one who wrote that a temporary ruling is permitted (Darkhei Moshe in the name of Rabbeinu Yerucham). And it seems to me that the rabbi should see according to the nature of the question: if it is urgent, he should answer, and if not, he should hint to the questioner to wait. And so we practice, for sometimes a question arises regarding an error found in the sefer Torah during some portion where it is necessary to answer immediately, or a question regarding a matter of illness—it is obvious that one must answer immediately. But for ordinary questions, the questioner can wait until "between one person and the next."

And know that regarding that which the Gemara said, "Once the sefer Torah is opened, it is forbidden to speak"—the intention is from the time they begin to read. And so wrote the Rambam in chapter twelve. And there is one who wishes to say that from the moment it is opened, even before its reading, it is forbidden (see Magen Avraham, subsection 3). But it is not so, for Rashi there explicitly explained: since he began to read, see there. And so ruled the great authorities (Ma'adanei Yom Tov and Eliyah Rabbah, subsection 3). And know that our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote that it is forbidden to converse even between one person and the next. And there are those who permit it between one person and the next, and especially nowadays when they prolong the "Mi Shebeirach" (Bach and Magen Avraham). And in truth, even the intention of our teacher, the Beit Yosef, is for the reason that one might be drawn after it (Eliyah Rabbah), and therefore a brief matter is permitted. And in all this, there is no difference whether one has already read "twice the Scripture and once the Targum" or not (Beit Yosef).

And know that in Berakhot there we say: Rava Sheshet would turn his face away and study. He said: We are with ours, and they are with theirs. And our teachers raised a difficulty from Sotah there, that it is forbidden to occupy oneself during the reading of the Torah, even with a matter of halacha. And the Bahag in the laws of public needs answered. This is his wording: And these words apply when there are ten who are listening to the Sefer Torah. But if there are not ten who are listening – no. Thus far his words. And in the case of Rava Sheshet there were ten besides him. And the Rif in the fourth chapter of Megillah brought this, and wrote another answer: That Rava Sheshet is different because his Torah is his craft, see there. And our teachers the authors of the Tosafot answered that it is forbidden in a loud voice, so as not to confuse the listeners. And Rava Sheshet studied in a whisper, see there. And the Rambam in the twelfth chapter of Tefillah, law 9, wrote that one whose Torah is his craft – it is permitted to study during the reading of the Torah, see there. And this is like the Rif. And the Tur brought all the answers.

The students of our teacher, Yonah, wrote in Berakhot there that Rav Sheshet is different, for he was blind and exempt from the reading of the Torah, as matters that are written may not be recited by heart. But for any other person—it is forbidden. And in the name of their teacher they wrote that one who prepares himself before the reading to study, and turns his face to show that he is removing himself from the reading of the Torah and desires to study—it is permitted, see there. Our teacher, the Beit Yosef, in section 2 brought all the opinions in the name of "some say." And in my humble opinion, it appears that all our teachers do not disagree, for certainly if there do not remain ten who will hear the reading of the Torah—in any case it is forbidden. And so too in a loud voice—in any case it is forbidden, and only in a whisper. And one whose Torah is his profession, and prepares himself for this before the reading—it is permitted. And certainly for us in any case it is forbidden, so that the ignorant shall not learn from him to be lenient regarding the reading of the Torah, unless it is one who already heard the reading of the Torah and sits to the side to study, for everyone sees that this person has already heard the reading of the Torah.

And aside from this, the phrase "we with ours, and they with theirs" has not been clarified for us according to all these excuses. In my youth, I heard that one of the great ones explained that Rav Sheshet would turn his face away and study at the time the translator translated the verse. And he said "we with ours" – for we do not need the translation, "and they with theirs" – those who do not know the explanation need the translator. But during the time of the reading – it is forbidden. And in our days, we have not seen nor heard that even the greatest in Torah would study during the time of the reading of the Torah unless he had already heard it, as I have written.

Our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote that to read "twice the Scripture and once the translation" during the reading of the Torah is permitted, since one is occupied with that same matter. And there are those who are stringent not to assist the reader from a chumash. And there is one who wrote that it is proper to read in a whisper with the shaliach tzibbur, for in this way it is better to focus (Magen Avraham, subsection 5). Furthermore, our teacher, the Beit Yosef, wrote that all this is not relevant to parashat "Zachor" and parashat Parah, which are required in a group of ten by Torah law, where one must focus and hear them from the mouth of the reader. And the correct view is that in all the parashiot it is fitting for one who is meticulous in his actions (so it should be said), to focus his mind and hear them from the mouth of the reader. And it is forbidden to speak when the maftir reads from the Prophet until he completes it, just as with the Sefer Torah. Thus far his words.

Our teachers, the authors of the Shulchan Aruch, wrote in section 4: One is not required to stand while the Torah is being read. There are those who are stringent and stand, and thus did the Maharam. Thus far his words, and we have already written regarding this in siman 141, section 2, see there. And one is not required to stand before the Sefer Torah except at the time it is moving. But when it is resting on the bimah, even those standing there are not required to stand (Magen Avraham, subsection 6). And between one person and the next, it is simple that it is permitted to sit (ibid.). However, at the time the reader says "Barchu" and they respond "Baruch..." – they must stand, for regarding any matter of kedushah one must stand on their feet (Taz, end of subsection 1).