Q&A: Leaving the synagogue in the middle of the Torah reading
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Leaving the synagogue in the middle of the Torah reading
Question
Is it permitted to leave the synagogue to use the restroom while the congregation is in the middle of the Torah reading, and what is the ruling during the reading for a groom on the Sabbath before his wedding, when it is customary to read the same aliyah many times?
Answer
Yes. Leaving in such a case is not considered “those who forsake the Torah will be consumed,” since one is leaving for some purpose and not in order to abandon the Torah. All the more so, it is permitted. It seems to me, by simple reasoning, that there is no prohibition when this is a non-obligatory reading.