Aliyot to the Torah
After the Torah has been placed on the bimah, the gabbai calls a Kohen to the Torah by saying the following. If there is no Kohen, the gabbai calls a Levite or Israelite to the Torah instead.
Hebrew
וְתִגְלֶה וְתֵרָאֶה מַלְכוּתוֹ עָלֵינוּ בְּזְמַן קָרוֹב,
וִיחוֹן פְּלֵטָתֵנוּ וּפְלֵטַת עַמּוֹ בֵּית
יִשְׂרָאֵל לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים וּלְרָצוֹן וְנֹאמַר
אָמֵן. הַכֹּל הָבוּ גֹדֶל לֵאלֹהֵינוּ וּתְנוּ כָבוֹד
לַתּוֹרָה. כֹּהֵן קְרַב, יַעֲמֹד (פלוני בן פלוני)
הַכֹּהֵן. בָּרוּךְ שֶׁנָּתַן תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל
בִּקְדֻשָּׁתוֹ:
Sephardi
Ve-tigaleh ve-teira'eh malchuto aleinu bi-zman karov,
vi-chon peletatenu u-fleitat amo beit
Yisrael le-chen u-le-chesed u-le-rachamim ul-ratzon venomar
Amen. Hakol havu godel leilohenu u-tenu kavod
latorah. Kohen kerav, ya'amod (ploni ben ploni)
hakohen. Baruch shenatan Torah le'amo Yisrael
bikdushato:
English
<b>May His rulership as king over us be revealed and made visible very soon. May He graciously give those of us who remain alive and everyone among His nation, the House of Israel,</b> who remains alive after being persecuted in exile, <b>graciousness, kindness, mercy, and good will, and let us say Amen. Let</b> us <b>all give glory to our God, and give honor to the Torah. Let the Kohen approach the Torah. Come up,</b> (name) <b>the son of</b> (father's name) <b>the Kohen. Blessed is God, Who, in His holiness, gave the Torah to the Children of Israel, His people.</b>
The congregation and gabbai say:
Hebrew
וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם,
חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם:
Sephardi
V'atem ha-devekim ba-Adonai Eloheichem,
chayim kulchem hayom:
English
<b>You,</b> the Children of Israel, <b>who are attached to the Lord, your God, are all alive today.</b>
The oleh (the person who is called up to the Torah) should approach the Torah directly and without delay, in order to show his love and enthusiasm for the Torah.
Blessings Over the Torah
The reader shows the oleh the words that are to be read in the Torah. The oleh touches the words with the corner of his tallit or with the Torah's belt, and kisses it. He then closes the Torah and says the following blessing, while holding the handles of the Torah and turning his head to the right, so as not to appear to be reading from the Torah. For transliteration, see page 945.
Hebrew
בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ:
Sephardi
Barechu et Adonai hamevorach:
English
Let us now <b>bless the Lord, Who is blessed:</b>
The congregation and the oleh say together:
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד:
Sephardi
Baruch Adonai hamevorach le'olam va'ed:
English
<b>Blessed is the Lord, Who is blessed, forever and ever.</b>
The oleh continues:
Blessings on the Torah
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ
הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר בָּנוּ
מִכָּל הָעַמִּים, וְנָתַן לָנוּ אֶת תּוֹרָתוֹ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה:
Sephardi
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech
ha-olam, asher bachar banu
mikol ha-amim, venatan lanu et Torato.
Baruch Atah Adonai, noten hatorah:
English
<b>Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who chose us from among all the</b> other <b>nations and gave us His Torah,</b> His most precious possession. <b>Blessed are You, Lord, Who gives</b> us <b>the Torah</b> each day anew.
The reader reads from the Torah, and the oleh reads quietly along with him. It is customary for the rest of the congregation to follow the reading in their siddur (or chumash).
When the reading is completed, the oleh touches the last and first words that were read with the corner of his tallit or with the Torah's belt, and kisses it. He then closes the Torah and says the following blessing, while holding the handles of the Torah and turning his head to the right, so as not to appear to be reading from the Torah.
Hebrew
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ
הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָנוּ תּוֹרַת
אֱמֶת, וְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם נָטַע בְּתוֹכֵנוּ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ, נוֹתֵן הַתּוֹרָה:
Sephardi
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech
ha-olam, asher natan lanu Torat
emet, ve-chayyei olam nata betokhenu.
Baruch Atah Adonai, noten hatorah:
English
<b>Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who has given us the Torah of truth and has planted everlasting life within us. Blessed are You, Lord, Who gives the Torah.</b>
The oleh remains standing near the Torah until the end of the following aliyah (or, if his was the last aliyah, until after the raising of the Torah). When the oleh returns to his place, he should not use the shortest route, showing his love for the Torah and his reluctance to leave it.
Raising the Torah
The one who raises the Torah opens it so that at least three columns are visible, touches them with his tallit or with the Torah's belt, which he kisses, and then raises the Torah, turning to the right and left for all to see. The congregation stands, looks at the Torah, and says aloud:
The greatness of the Torah
Hebrew
וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֹשֶׁה
לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:
Sephardi
Vezot hatorah asher sam Moshe
lifnei b'nei Yisrael:
English
<b>This is the Torah that Moses placed before the Children of Israel.</b>
For transliteration, see page 945.
Hebrew
עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ, וְתֹמְכֶיהָ
מְאֻשָּׁר: דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי נֹעַם, וְכָל
נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם: אֹרֶךְ יָמִים בִּימִינָהּ,
בִּשְׂמֹאלָהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד: יְיָ חָפֵץ לְמַעַן
צִדְקוֹ, יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה וְיַאְדִּיר:
Sephardi
Etz chayim hi la-machazikim bah, ve-tomchehah
me'ushar: derachehah darkei no'am, vechol
netivotehah shalom: orech yamim bi-yminehah,
bi-smolehah osher v'chavod: Adonai chafetz lema'an
tzidko, yagdil Torah v'ya'dir:
English
The Torah <b>is a tree of life for those who hold on to it, and those who support</b> Torah learning <b>are fortunate. The Torah's ways are pleasant ways, and all of its paths are peaceful.</b> The Torah's way of life is good for our body and our soul. <b>Long life is at the</b> Torah's <b>right.</b> If we learn Torah for the correct reason—because it is a commandment—it will give us long life in addition to wealth and honor. <b>Wealth and honor are at its left.</b> Even if we learn Torah for other reasons, and not only because it is a commandment, it will still give us wealth and honor. <b>The Lord wanted, for the sake of increasing the Jewish Nation's righteousness, that the Torah be made great and glorious.</b>
The Torah is lowered back onto the bimah and closed. The person holding the Torah is seated, and the Torah is then wrapped and covered.
The chazzan begins Half Kaddish while the Torah is still being wrapped and covered, saying it slowly so that it is concluded after the Torah has been returned to the Ark.