Chapter 23: 4-7
Reading the Torah
4. One may not hold the Torah scroll itself with bare hands. Rather, one
should hold it by its staves or with one's hands wrapped in the tallis.
Others follow the stringency of not holding its staves with bare hands and
wrap their hands in the tallis in the tallis before holding them.
5. The person called to the Torah and the reader must stand while the Torah
is being read. They are even forbidden to lean against a support. Rather,
they must stand in awe. Just as the Torah was given in an atmosphere of
awe, so, too, we must treat it with reverence. Nevertheless, a weak person
may lean slightly on a support.
6. The entire congregation should stand while the person receiving the
aliyah recites Borchu and the congregation responds Boruch Ado-noi
ham'voroch l'olom vo'ed. However, while he recites the blessing asher
bochar bonu..., while the Torah is being read, and while he recites the
final blessing, the congregation is not obligated to stand.
Those who observe the mitzvos precisely follow the stringency of standing.
It is proper to follow this practice. However, between one aliyah and the
next, there is no need to stand.
7. If the person reading the Torah himself receives an aliyah, another
person should stand next to him. Just as the Torah was given using an
intermediary (Moses, our teacher), we should relate to it with an
intermediary.*
* {Generally, it is customary for a person to stand at either side of the
Torah platform. Thus, there are at least three people on the platform: the
reader, one person to his right, and one to his left (Mishnoh Beruroh 141:16).}
