21 Nov TALKING DURING KRIAS HATORAH

One can look at many
shuls during Krias
Hatorah and people can
be speaking, looking
in a sefer etc. One
of the biggest times
where talking takes
place in shul is during
Krias Hatorah. Is this
what Krias Hatorah is
supposed to be? The
problem lies in the fact that people are not
awake and experiencing Krias Hatorah they
are bored by the fact that they have to listen to
Krias Hatorah and may even fall asleep. We
need to discuss what is Krias Hatorah. Telling
people before Krias HaTorah that the custom
in this shul is that we don’t speak during Krias
HaTorah. Is wrong since not talking in shul is
not a custom it is the halachah.
Moshe Rabbeinu established a requirement
to lain on Monday, Thursday, Shabbos and
Yom Tov. Ezra established a requirement
that three people should get aliyos, and at
least ten pesukim should be read. Although
some poskim say the requirement to lain is
d’oraisa,[4] most poskim say it is d’rabbanan.
The poskim also discuss if krias hatorah is an
obligation on the tzibbur or on the individual.
Some say that on Monday and Thursday it is
an obligation on the tzibbur, and on Shabbos
it is an obligation on the individual.
The Zohar mentions at the time of Krias
Hatorah one should listen to the leining, and
one does not have permission to speak even
Divrei Torah, for sure not other words. One
should be present as one who does not have
a mouth. One should listen to the words as if
you are accepting the Torah at Har Sinai. The
Sefer Shulchan Hakriah (Yalkut Dovid)[10]
says that just as the Torah was given from the
top of a mountain, we should read the Torah
from an elevated bimah. The listeners should
be in a lower position, as Beni Yisael were
positioned at the foot of the mountain, with
the Ba’al Kriah acting as a Shliach of Hashem
above. The Oleh represents Bnei Yisrael since
he accepts the Torah and the gabbai takes
place of Moshe Rabbeinu, the intermediary
between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael. (In a Bais
Medrash, since the entire room is used for
limud Hatorah and it is therefore, considered
like the top of the mountain, an elevated
platform for the bimah is not necessary).
The custom of those who stand during Krias
Hatorah is a function of the Shechinah which
is present at the time of the leining.
We should think that when we make a
brachah on the Torah and we find even part
of a letter missing we do not use the sefer
Torah to lein from since it is pasul, and the
Torah needs to be complete like it was at the
time of the giving of the Torah on Har Sinai.
If we speak during leining we are in essence
ripping out the pasuk of the Torah which says
to make ones Beis Medrash holy, what a joke

the action of talking is.
The Ravyah mentions that for the sin of
talking during Krias Hatorah a Sefer Torah
will fall to the floor r”l.
The Chafetz Chaim mentions that speaking
during Krias Hatorah is a chilul Hashem since
one is showing Hashem is not here in the shul,
and other learn from you. The sin of Chilul
Hashem is so great that Teshuvah and Yom
Kippur do not attone for it.
Once the sefer Torah is opened (even before

the laining started) it is forbidden to talk-
even words of Torah. Talking is likewise

forbidden in between the aliyos. The reason is
because we are afraid the person will become
immersed in his conversation and miss part
of laining.
The Chafetz Chaim in Mekor Chaim mentions
many times people start a conversation before
Krias Hatorah begins and the Yetzer Hara
entices one to continue the conversation and
continue talking during Krias Hatorah and
many times it is important people who are
talking and this sin is seeable to all. One who
does so is disgraces Hashem in public. It is
forbidden to miss one word, or pasuk from
leining and it is a great sin to do so. If this
happens on Shabbos then the sin is much
greater.
The Nidchei Yisrael mentions that one should
look at the leining of the Torah as one received
a letter from the king to read to the entire
nation. Everyone who line up to make sure to
hear what is being read. All the more so when
it come to the kings of kings, Hashem. The
Torah is a letter written by Hashem and when
it is being read one should listen.
The Bobov Rebbe zt”l would mention that it
is better for a sefer Torah to be burned then
to be read in a shul when they speak during
leining.
The Siddur Yaavetz mentions one who does
not listen to Krias Hatorah even his tefillah
is an abomination, and it is a disgrace to
Hashem. Even to learn during Krias Hatorah
is forbidden.
Wouldn’t it be great for anyone who speaks
during Krias Hatorah for the Gabbai to not
allow him to get an Aliyah when he needs
one.
The Beer Heitiv mentions what will you
answer on the day of Judgement when you are
one who speaks during Krias Hatorah.
The Nidchei Yisrael says that many people
sin and do not listen to Krias Hatorah and
talking instead and besides for the great sin
they commit, they also transgress
the issue of fearing the place of Hashem. The
main reason why people are lax with this is
that they say why I should be any better than
my friend who is also talking? This reasoning
is comparable to someone who is walking
who knows the straight path to where he
has to go, but he sees from a distance others

going on the path which is full of snakes
and scorpions. He not only tells them not
to go on that path but he joins in with them
on their path to a dangerous place. So too in
our case, we all know the right path of Torah
and mitzvos, the path Jews have followed for
thousands of years, and what we are supposed
to do, so instead of doing it we choose to go
on the wrong path and talk during leining!
Actions During Leining
Others say it is permitted to learn quietly
during laining if one’s job is Torah.[28]
However, this is not the minhag today
because there is no one who qualifies for this
condition.
Although, one may be maaver sedra during
laining, doing do is not recommended.
One who sees someone who is doing an issur,
can tell him to stop even during laining.
A person can answer a question in between
aliyahs.In addition, one may tell over to
someone a peshat in the parsha if one will not
continue to say it during the laining.
The Magen Avraham says that since we make
a mi ‘sh’be’rach in between the aliyos then
one can be lenient and talk. However, it is not
clear what the Magen Avraham means. Some
say he means it is permitted to talk even words
of chol. However, most poskim disagree with
this and therefore, one is forbidden to talk
divrei chol during laining and in between
aliyos.
One who refrains from hearing leining his
tefillah is considered an abomination as well.
There is no greater chilul Hashem than this.
Talking During Leining
Many people not only talk in between the
aliyahs, but also during the aliyah. These
people often speak things which are forbidden
to speak, and are definitely forbidden in a bais
medrash. The poskim say regarding one who
talks during leining: “what will he answer on
the Day of Judgment.?” The Shlah[42] says
talking while the Bal Koreh is leining is a
grave sin.
The Yaavetz mentions in his siddur, if one does
not listen to leining then even his davening is
an abomination. Even learning during leining
is not allowed, and what greater learning is
there than Krias Hatorah.
Harav Zilberstein shlit”a said if one wants to
make sure no sefer Torah falls on the floor in
a Shul, one must make sure there is no talking
from the beginning of leining until the end.
The Bais Yisroel did not let anyone who
spoke in middle of leining into his house.
The Biur Halachah mentions talking during
leining and not paying attention to the leining
is a disgrace to Hashem and your tefillah is an
abomination as well.
If one will talk during leining he may leave
in between the aliyahs and talk outside. One
who feels he must talk between aliyos to

avoid talking during leining may talk a short
word or two in between aliyos.[48] One can
be lenient and learn by himself in between
aliyos. One who learns in between the aliyos
must still be careful to listen to the barchu and
brachos of each oleh.
A Rav should not give a speech to his
congregants in between the aliyos. Some say
if it is an appeal it is permitted.
Many poskim say that the tzibbur should not
read along while the laining is taking place,
and instead they should listen carefully to the
ba’al koreh. One who will not have time to be
maaver sedra may read along with the ba’al
koreh.
Going out of the shul in order to speak during
leining should not be done either.
It is interesting that many people dance and
are joyous when a new sefer Torah is being
donated to the shul, but they do not realize
that this is not the main honor being shown
to the Torah. The main honor shown to the
sefer Torah is when it is being leined from and
there is no talking.
The Satmar Rebbe zt”l – Disgrace to
the Torah
The Satmar Rebbe zt”l says, the Zohar
mentions that everything is dependent on
mazal- luck even a Sefer Torah in the aron
kodesh. Which means on the surface which
sefer Torah will be lucky enough to be pulled
out of the aron kodesh and leined from.
However, it says even the sefer Torah which
is in the aron kodesh which means the ones
which left behind. When the aron kodesh
is opened and the sefer torah is being taken
out to be read each one is in a way hoping to
be taken out. After the sefer Torah the ones
remaining are jealous since they did not merit
to have the Torah be read from them and
people make brachos on them. However, after
a small moment when the leining begins and
the people in the shul are talking idle speech
and people are not listening to the leining this
is a big disgrace to the sefer Torah, and the
sefer Torah which was taken out is disgraced.
Now it is better for those sifrei Torah who
stay behind and did not come out to be leining
from and ultimately be disgraced. This is
what it means even the Sifrei Torah which
remain in the aron kodesh need mazel so that
they are not disgraced.