Torah Reading — Traditions, Practice, and the Commentaries
A deeper, plain‑English tour of the Torah service. What happens. Why it matters. How melodies, honors, and customs work. And how centuries of commentaries and study have sustained Jewish life.
1) The Torah service at a glance
Taking out the scroll
The ark is opened. The congregation stands. Verses of praise are chanted. The scroll is carried in a small procession.
Aliyot (honors)
The weekly portion is divided into segments. Community members are called up to bless before and after each segment.
Chanting the portion
A trained reader chants each verse using a melody system that encodes punctuation and emphasis.
Hagbahah & Gelilah
The scroll is lifted open for all to see (Hagbahah) and then bound and dressed (Gelilah).
Returning the scroll
The scroll is carried back to the ark with accompanying verses. The service continues with prayers and teaching.
Note: Details vary by community. The heart is constant—public learning and honor for the Torah.
2) Roles and honors
Reader (Baal Koreh)
Prepares the portion and chants it from the scroll.
Caller (Gabbai)
Calls up those honored with aliyot, tracks verses, and corrects the reader if needed.
Aliyah
The person honored recites blessings before and after a segment. On Shabbat morning there are seven aliyot, then maftir. Weekdays have three; festivals five; Rosh Chodesh and intermediate festival days four; Yom Kippur six.
Hagbahah / Gelilah
Lifting and dressing the scroll—distinct honors often shared.
Rabbi / Darshan
Teaches on the portion, linking ancient words to life today.
3) The scroll and the scribal tradition
Handwritten. A Torah scroll is handwritten on parchment by a trained scribe (sofer). The text contains about 304,805 letters. Any missing or broken letter can invalidate the scroll until repaired.
Materials. Parchment (klaf) from a kosher animal, special ink, and a quill. Many letters carry small decorative crowns (tagin) by tradition.
No vowels or punctuation. The scroll has only consonants. Readers rely on transmitted melody and memory.
Care and respect. Stored in the ark (Aron Kodesh) near the ever‑burning light (Ner Tamid). Touched with a pointer (yad) rather than fingers. Never placed directly on the floor.
Repair and dedication. Communities fund writing, repair, and dedication of scrolls. A new scroll’s completion is celebrated as a communal joy.
4) Melodies (cantillation / trope)
Hebrew verses are sung using a system of signs called ta'amei ha‑mikra (trope). The melody marks phrases, pauses, and emphasis—like musical punctuation.
- Different modes. Torah, Haftarah, and the Five Scrolls each have their own traditional tunes. Local styles differ across Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, and Yemenite communities.
- Purpose. Trope helps listeners follow the sense of the verse and helps the reader chant accurately from an unvowelized text.
- Learning. Many learn with a tikkun—a text showing the scroll layout on one side and vowels/trope on the other.
5) Reading cycles and special days
Annual vs. triennial
The most common practice completes the Torah each year in weekly portions. Some communities follow a triennial pattern, completing in about three years.
Special Shabbatot
Shekalim, Zachor, Parah, and HaChodesh frame the spring cycle. Additional changes occur on Shabbat Rosh Chodesh and festival Sabbaths.
Holidays & fasts
Festivals and fast days have their own readings. Where multiple scrolls are available, special readings may be taken from a second or third scroll.
Israel & Diaspora timing
Occasionally Israel and the Diaspora read different portions for a few weeks due to holiday calendars, then realign.
6) Haftarah and the Five Scrolls (Megillot)
After the Torah portion, a related selection from the Prophets—the Haftarah—is chanted with its own trope. Over the year, communities also read the Five Scrolls (Megillot): Song of Songs (Passover), Ruth (Shavuot), Lamentations (Tisha b’Av), Ecclesiastes (Sukkot), and Esther (Purim).
7) Customs across communities
- Hagbahah timing. Many Ashkenazi synagogues lift the scroll after the reading; many Sephardi communities lift before the reading so all see the text.
- Kissing the scroll. People touch the mantle or parchment band with a siddur or fringes and then kiss that object—never the scroll directly.
- Aliyah counts. Shabbat morning 7; Monday/Thursday 3; festivals 5; Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed 4; Yom Kippur 6.
- Local melodies. Moroccan nusah, Yemenite Baladi, Syrian, Iraqi, and others maintain distinct melodic traditions.
- Study customs. A classic practice is Shnayim Mikra v’Echad Targum—reviewing the weekly portion twice in Hebrew and once with a translation (often Onkelos).
Practices differ by synagogue and movement. Ask a local rabbi or gabbai how honors and melodies are handled in your community.
8) How Torah reading sustained the Jews
When the Temple fell, the Torah rose at the center. Public reading and study moved the focus from place to people, making Judaism portable and resilient.
- Portable homeland. Wherever Jews lived, the scroll traveled with them. The weekly reading kept identity, law, and story alive in exile.
- Beit midrash culture. Study houses and chevruta (partner learning) shaped a living tradition—argument for the sake of heaven.
- Home and school. Parents and teachers linked life to the weekly portion, passing on memory and meaning.
- Unity in diversity. Different melodies, same text. The shared cycle knit far‑flung communities together.
9) The chain of commentary and must‑know publications
For two millennia, scholars and communities have written commentaries, codes, and guides that orbit the Torah. Here are essentials many communities study.
Classic Torah commentaries (Mefarshim)
| Work / Author | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki, 11th c.) | Foundational line‑by‑line commentary blending plain meaning with Midrash; first stop for most learners. |
| Rashbam (12th c.) | Focus on peshat—the straightforward sense of the verse. |
| Ibn Ezra (12th c.) | Grammatical and linguistic insights; careful attention to text and context. |
| Ramban / Nachmanides (13th c.) | Integrates legal, literary, and mystical perspectives; often engages Rashi. |
| Sforno (16th c.) | Ethical and philosophical readings in clear prose. |
| Abarbanel (15th c.) | Framed as questions and answers; historical awareness and big‑picture themes. |
| Or HaChaim (18th c., R. Chaim ibn Attar) | Spiritual insights beloved across communities. |
| Kli Yakar (17th c.) | Homiletic gems often used for sermons and study. |
| Malbim (19th c.) | Precise language analysis; harmonizes halakhah and narrative. |
| Netziv – Ha'amek Davar (19th c.) | Contextual, literary perspective from the Volozhin tradition. |
| Hirsch (19th c.) | Modern‑era insights linking Torah to civic and ethical life. |
Midrash and translations
| Work | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Midrash Rabbah | Classical collections of narrative and homiletic teachings on the Torah and Megillot. |
| Targum Onkelos | Authoritative Aramaic translation used for study alongside the Hebrew text. |
| Sefer HaChinuch | Explains the 613 commandments, organized by the weekly portions, with reasons and themes. |
Legal codes shaped by the Torah
| Work | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) | Systematic code of Jewish law drawn from the Torah and Talmud; clear organization. |
| Arba'ah Turim (the Tur) | Four‑part structure later used by the Shulchan Aruch. |
| Shulchan Aruch (R. Yosef Karo) with Rema glosses | Standard code synthesizing Sephardi and Ashkenazi rulings for daily practice. |
| Mishnah Berurah (Chafetz Chaim) | Influential commentary on the Orach Chaim section—prayer and synagogue life. |
Modern study editions and commentaries (English)
| Publication | Notes |
|---|---|
| JPS Torah Commentary (Jewish Publication Society) | Scholarly, literary, and archaeological insights with Hebrew text. |
| Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary | Text with multiple layers of commentary and essays from the Conservative movement. |
| Stone Edition Chumash (ArtScroll) | Traditional translation and notes with classic sources. |
| The Torah: A Modern Commentary (Plaut / Reform) | Historical‑critical notes, essays, and contemporary applications. |
| Nechama Leibowitz: Studies in the Weekly Parashah | Beloved pedagogical sheets that shaped modern parashah learning. |
| Mikraot Gedolot (Rabinic Bible) | Hebrew text surrounded by classic commentators—many modern editions and translations available. |
This list is a starting point, not a final word. Communities adopt study tools that fit their language, approach, and goals.
10) Glossary + FAQ
Ark (Aron Kodesh)
Cabinet where scrolls are kept. Usually near the ever‑burning light.
Aliyah
The honor of blessing before and after a reading segment.
Hagbahah / Gelilah
Lifting and dressing the scroll for the congregation to see.
Gabbai
Service helper who calls honors, tracks verses, and prompts corrections.
Haftarah
Selection from the Prophets related to the weekly portion or season.
Chevruta
Partner learning method that powers beit midrash culture.
FAQ
Do I need Hebrew? No. Translations and study guides help. Listening for themes is a great start.
Can visitors attend? In most synagogues yes. Ask about customs and timing.
Where can I start learning? Try a weekly parashah class or a study edition of the Torah with notes. Aim for a steady habit over time.