Q&A: Division into Aliyot in the Torah Reading
Division into Aliyot in the Torah Reading
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Is the division into first, second, third aliyah in the Torah reading binding, and where does it come from?
If we want to divide the aliyot differently, because in our congregation the person called up to the Torah reads his own aliyah, and we call up many boys so they can practice reading, and we set the aliyot a week in advance—and sometimes there are long aliyot and the boy avoids preparing— is there any problem with that?
Answer
This is a custom, and the divisions can be made however you want. In fact, this is done when there are many people with obligations, or a desire to honor many people at celebrations and the like. (For some reason, the custom is to add only to the seventh aliyah, but there is no necessity for that.) Each aliyah must contain at least three verses, and it is preferable not to stop in "problematic" places (curses and the like). Also, it is proper to take the congregation into account, because these additions involve burdening the congregation.
It is also forbidden to stop fewer than three verses before the end of an open or closed section, and likewise fewer than three verses after the beginning of an open or closed section.