Reading of the Shira and the Ten Commandments
It is our custom to call the Chacham or Dayan or Rabbi for the Shira and the Ten Commandments, both in Shemot as well as in Devarim[1]. The Chazzan reads, but the Rabbi takes over, and reads the Shira and the Ten Commandments himself.
As the third and the seventh aliyah are considered the most honorable, we call the rabbi as third or as seventh. Of course, if he is a Coheen or a Levi, we must call him first respectively, second. However, the normal partitioning, as indicated in Piza[2], doesn’t place the Shira and the Ten Commandments in the third or seven’s aliya. Therefore, when there is a rabbi in the Synagogue, we change the partitioning, as indicated below. The aliya with an * is the one where the Shira or the Ten Commandments are placed.
Shira: Beshalach
|
|
Normal partitioning (no Rabbi) |
Portioning with Rabbi |
Portioning with Rabbi Cohen |
Portioning with Rabbi Levi |
|
Cohen |
13:17-14:8 |
13:17-14:8 |
13:17-15:26 * |
13:17-??? |
|
Levi |
14:9-14:14 |
14:9-14:14 |
15:27-??? |
???-15:26 * |
|
Third |
14:15-14:25 |
14:15-15:26 * |
||
|
Fourth |
14:26-15:26* |
15:27-16:10 |
||
|
Fifths |
15:27-16:10 |
16:11-16:21 |
||
|
Samuch (sixth) |
16:11-16:36 |
16:22-16:36 |
||
|
Mashlim (seventh) |
17:1-End |
17:1-End |
End |
End |
Recording שירה (MRP, some slight Philadelphia influences)
Ten Commandments: Jitro
|
|
Normal partitioning |
Portioning with Rabbi |
Portioning with Rabbi Cohen |
Portioning with Rabbi Levi |
|
Cohen |
18:1-18:12 |
18:1-18:12 |
18:1-18:12 |
18:1-18:12 |
|
Levi |
18:13-18:23 |
18:13-18:23 |
18:13-18:23 |
18:13-18:23 |
|
Third |
18:24-18:27 |
18:24-18:27 |
18:24-18:27 |
18:24-18:27 |
|
Fourth |
19:1-19:6 |
19:1-19:6 |
19:1-19:6 |
19:1-19:6 |
|
Fifths |
19:7-19:19 |
19:7-19:13 |
19:7-19:13 |
19:7-19:13 |
|
Samuch (sixth) |
19:20-20:14 * |
19:14-19:19 |
19:14-19:19 |
19:14-19:19 |
|
Mashlim (seventh) |
20:15-End |
19:20-End * |
19:20-End * |
19:20-End * |
|
Maftir |
20:21-End |
20:21-End |
20:21-End |
20:21-End |
Recording עשרת הדברות (MRP, some slight Philadelphia influences)
In case the Rabbi is a Cohen he is called with the addition: אף על פי שהוא כהן and when he is a Levi: אף על פי שהוא לוי
Ten Commandments: Va’etchanan
|
|
Normal partitioning |
Portioning with Rabbi |
Portioning with Rabbi Cohen (??) |
Portioning with Rabbi Levi (??) |
|
Cohen |
3:23-4:4 |
3:23-4:4 |
3:23-5:27 * |
3:23-4:4 |
|
Levi |
4:5-4:40 |
4:5-4:49 |
5:28-6:3 |
4:5-5:27 * |
|
Third |
4:41-4:49 |
5:1-5:27 * |
6:4-6:9 | 5:28-6:3 |
|
Fourth |
5:1-5:18 * |
5:28-6:3 |
6:10-6:19 | 6:4- |
|
Fifths |
5:19-6:3 |
6:4-6:19 |
6:20-6:25 | |
|
Samuch (six’s) |
6:4-6:25 |
6:20-6:25 |
7:1-7:6 | |
|
Mashlim (seventh) |
7:1-End |
7:1-End |
7:7-End |
-End |
Recording עשרת הדברות (MRP, some slight Philadelphia influences)
Remarks
· Question
marks (??) in the table indicate that we have no tradition how the
partitioning should be. This situation didn’t occur for many generations and
as far as we know, is not documented in detail.
However, this situation will also occur if there a Rabbi, but no cohen, as then
the Rabbi will be called first. This situation has recently become realistic;
therefore I (JBS) defined a possible division with, and approved by, Rabbi
Serfaty, brought here. Mind that we have no historical evidence. If that will
come up, the proposal must be changed accordingly.
· On the 7th of Pesach and on the 1st day of Shavu’ot, the Shira and the Ten Commandments are in the Mashlim, so no change of partitioning is needed. Only in case the Rabbi is Cohen or Levi he is called with addition: אף על פי שהוא כהן ,אף על פי שהוא לוי.
· On a Ta’anit Tsibur Mincha, the Chacham is called as 3rd. The Chazzan reads till ‘Va’avor’, where that Chacham takes over and reads till ‘venake’. The chazzan then finishes. We have no traditions what to do in case the Chacham is a Cohen or Levi.
· At a Meldadura, the regular partitioning is followed.
[1] As we stand up when the rabbi is called to the Torah, this minhag has probably been introduced to bypass the halachic discussion as whether to stand up during these portions or not.
[2] Piza is our reference for the parashiot. Printed in Amsterdam in 1779