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DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION

Siman קמ״ד · Not skipping in the Torah and the laws of the haftara

שלא לדלג בתורה מענין לענין ודיני ההפטרה — one skips in a Navi but not in the Torah from one subject to another (except within a single subject); the laws of the haftara; one does not roll a sefer Torah before the congregation; one does not call a single person for two sifrei Torah
סימן קמ״ד · ד׳ סעיפים
שלא לדלג בתורה מענין לענין ודיני ההפטרה
🌱 Introductory level · Beginners
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This siman teaches the dilloug (skipping) in the reading: one skips in a Navi but does not skip in the Torah from one parasha to another — except within a single subject (such as אחרי מות ואך בעשור on Yom Kippur); the laws of the haftara (מנביא לנביא אין מדלגין, ובתרי עשר מדלגין); one does not roll a sefer Torah before the congregation; and one does not call a single person for two sifrei Torah (משום פגם). Hebrew text, fluent English translation and explanation of the ד׳ seifim, with a section of practical cases.

Topic: Not skipping in the Torah and the laws of the haftara — דילוג, הפטרה, גלילת ספר תורה, פגם
Source: שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן קמ״ד · ד׳ סעיפים

Compiled by: רב יוסף חיים סממה
DAAT · daattorah.com

Our Sages taught (מגילה כ״ד.): מדלגין בנביא ואין מדלגין בתורה — one skips in a Navi but does not skip in the Torah from one parasha to another, lest שמא תתבלבל דעת השומעים (the minds of the listeners be confused). The siman deals with the dilloug (skipping from one subject to another), the laws of the haftara, and two customs of the public reading. We study here at the level of principle; for personal conduct, one refers to the custom and to the ruling of the Rav.

📑 Study outline

A. The ד׳ seifim — skipping in the Torah and Navi (séif 1), the customs of the haftara (séif 2), rolling the sefer Torah (séif 3), two sifrei Torah and pegam (séif 4)
1. Practical case — skipping in the Torah: only within a single subject
2. Practical case — skipping in the Navi and the Trei Assar
3. Practical case — calling one person for two sifrei Torah: the pegam
+ Comprehension questions and going further

A. Not skipping in the Torah and the laws of the haftara — the ד׳ seifim

לְדַלֵּג — to skip from one passage to another during the public reading. Two domains: the Torah, where one does not skip from one parasha to another dealing with a different subject (שני עניינים), lest the minds of the listeners be confused; and the Navi (the haftara), where one skips more freely, even between two subjects, provided one does not tarry. Hence the laws of the haftara, the matter of גלילת ספר תורה and that of שני ספרי תורה.

Séif 1 — מדלגין בנביא ואין מדלגין בתורה: skipping in the Navi, not in the Torah

מדלגין בנביא ואין מדלגין בתורה מפרשה זו לפרשה אחרת. והני מילי בשני עניינים, דחיישינן שמא תתבלבל דעת השומעים; אבל בחד עניינא, כגון אחרי מות ואך בעשור שהכהן גדול קורא ביום הכפורים, מדלגין. והוא שלא יקרא על פה, שאסור לקרות שלא מן הכתב אפילו תיבה אחת. ובנביא מדלגין אפילו בשני עניינים, והוא שלא ישהא בדילוג בענין שיעמדו הציבור בשתיקה. והני מילי בנביא אחד, אבל מנביא לנביא אין מדלגין; ובתרי עשר מדלגין מנביא לנביא, ובלבד שלא ידלג מסוף הספר לתחלתו.
Séif 1: one skips in a Navi but does not skip in the Torah from one parasha to another. And this [applies] to two [distinct] subjects, for we fear lest the minds of the listeners be confused; but within a single subject — such as « אחרי מות » and « אך בעשור » that the Cohen Gadol reads on Yom Kippur — one skips. Provided he does not read by heart, for it is forbidden to read outside the written text even a single word. And in a Navi one skips even between two subjects, provided he does not tarry in the skip so that the congregation stands in silence. And this within one book; but from one Navi to another one does not skip; and in the תרי עשר one skips from one navi to another, provided he does not skip from the end of the book to its beginning.
Two domains. In the Torah, one does not skip from one subject to another (שני עניינים) — שמא תתבלבל דעת השומעים; but within a single subject (חד עניינא), such as the two Yom Kippur passages, one skips, provided he does not read by heart (דברים שבכתב אי אתה רשאי לאמרם על פה). In the Navi, one skips even between two subjects, provided he does not tarry; from one Navi to another one does not skip — except in the תרי עשר (the twelve minor prophets, counted as one book), and never from the end of the book to its beginning.

Séif 2 — the laws of the haftara: the customs of the chatan and Rosh Chodesh

נוהגין בשבת שיש בו חתן לומר אחר הפטרת השבוע שנים או שלשה פסוקים מהפטרת שוש אשיש. וכשחל ראש חודש בשבת וביום א׳, אחר שמפטירין ההפטרה בשבת אומרים פסוק ראשון ופסוק אחרון מהפטרת מחר חודש, ואין למחות בידם.
Séif 2: it is the custom, on a Shabbat when there is a חתן (bridegroom), to say after the haftara of the week two or three verses of the haftara « שוש אשיש ». And when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat and on Sunday, after reading the haftara of the Shabbat one says the first and the last verse of the haftara « מחר חודש », and one does not object to them [this custom].
Two customs around the haftara. On the Shabbat of a chatan, one adds a few verses of שוש אשיש (Yeshayahou 61-62, which evokes the joy of bride and groom). And when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbat followed by a Sunday also Rosh Chodesh, one adds the first and last verse of מחר חודש (I Shmuel 20). The Choulhan Aroukh concludes ואין למחות בידם: one does not contest these customs.

Séif 3 — גלילת ספר תורה: rolling the sefer Torah

אין גוללין ספר תורה בציבור מפני כבוד הציבור. ואם אין להם אלא ספר תורה אחד והם צריכים לקרות בשני עניינים, גוללים, וידחה כבוד הציבור.
Séif 3: one does not roll a sefer Torah before the congregation [to move to another place], out of respect for the congregation [who would have to wait]. But if they have only one sefer Torah and they need to read in two subjects [different], one rolls, and the respect for the congregation yields.
Making the public wait while one rolls the sefer Torah to another passage impairs the כבוד הציבור (the respect due to the congregation). One therefore prefers to prepare a second sefer already rolled. But if there is only one sefer and one must read two subjects (e.g. the parasha and the festival passage), one rolls — the respect for the congregation yields to necessity.

Séif 4 — שני ספרי תורה: not calling one person for two sifrei Torah

אין קורין לאדם אחד בשני ספרי תורה משום פגמו של ראשון. אבל שלשה גברי בשלשה ספרים, כגון ראש חודש טבת שחל להיות בשבת, ליכא משום פגם.
Séif 4: one does not call a single person [to the Torah] for two sifrei Torah, because of the פגם (discredit) of the first [that is, it appears as disparaging and casting a defect on the first sefer]. But three people for three sifrei Torah — such as Rosh Chodesh Tevet falling on Shabbat — there is no פגם.
If one and the same person were called successively to two sifrei Torah, it would suggest that the first sefer had been set aside because it was פסול (defective) — this is the פגם ראשון. One therefore distributes the aliyot among several people. But three people for three sifrei Torah — as on Rosh Chodesh Tevet falling on Shabbat (Chanukah: parasha, Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah) — ליכא משום פגם, for each sefer has its own reader.
The siman in one sentence: one skips in a Navi but not in the Torah from subject to subject (except within a single subject, and never by heart); in the Navi one skips even between two subjects, מנביא לנביא אין מדלגין except in the תרי עשר; two customs of the haftara (chatan, Rosh Chodesh); one does not roll the sefer Torah before the congregation except by necessity; and one does not call a person for two sifrei Torah (משום פגם), but three for three — ליכא פגם.

Practical cases

Case 1 — Skipping in the Torah

Situation: the reader wishes to move from one passage of the Torah to another further on. May he?
Conduct: in the Torah one does not skip from one subject to another (שני עניינים), lest the minds of the listeners be confused. But within a single subject (חד עניינא) — such as the two Yom Kippur passages — one skips, provided he does not read by heart. For the practical application, one follows one's Rav.

Case 2 — Skipping in the haftara (the Navi)

Situation: in the haftara, the reader wishes to skip verses, or even move to another navi. Is it permitted?
Conduct: within a single book of Navi one skips even between two subjects, provided he does not tarry so that the congregation stands in silence. From one navi to another one does not skip — except in the תרי עשר, and never from the end of the book to its beginning. For the details, one follows one's Rav.

Case 3 — Calling one person for two sifrei Torah

Situation: on a day when two sifrei Torah are read, may the same person be called to both?
Conduct: no — אין קורין לאדם אחד בשני ספרי תורה משום פגמו של ראשון: it would appear as casting a defect on the first sefer. But when there are three sifrei Torah for three people (such as Rosh Chodesh Tevet on Shabbat), ליכא משום פגם. For borderline cases, one follows one's Rav.

Comprehension questions

Check your understanding:
  1. Why does one not skip in the Torah from one subject to another, and what is the concern (séif 1)?
  2. When may one skip in the Torah, and on what condition (séif 1)?
  3. What is the din for skipping in a Navi, and what of the תרי עשר (séif 1)?
  4. Why does one not roll the sefer Torah before the congregation, and when does one do so anyway (séif 3)?
  5. What is the פגם ראשון and when need one not fear it (séif 4)?

Going further

If you wish to deepen this siman:
Continue to the next simanSiman 145 →
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DAAT · רב יוסף חיים סממה

סימן קמ״ד · ד׳ סעיפים · Level 1 — Introduction
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