QUESTION: The Gemara asks why the Kohen Gadol is permitted to skip from Parshas Acharei Mos (Vayikra 16-18) to the verses in Parshas Emor which discuss Yom Kippur (Vayikra 23:26-32). The Gemara in Megilah (24a) rules that the reader may not skip from one section to another during the public Torah reading. The Gemara answers that as long as the reader does not pause long enough for the Turgeman to finish reading the verses, and he skips only to a section which discusses the same subject matter as the first section, he is permitted to skip.

The Gemara then asks why the Kohen Gadol, after he reads the verses in Parshas Emor, closes the Sefer Torah and reads by heart the verses in Parshas Pinchas (Bamidbar 29:7-11) which discuss Yom Kippur. He should simply roll the Sefer Torah to Parshas Pinchas in Sefer Bamidbar and read from there. The Gemara answers that the Kohen Gadol may not roll the Sefer Torah to Parshas Pinchas because one may not roll the Sefer Torah in public.

What is the Gemara's question? The Gemara earlier assumes that it is obvious that one may not roll the Sefer Torah in public. Why, then, does the Gemara here ask that the Kohen Gadol should roll the Sefer Torah even if the time it takes to roll to the proper section is more than the time it takes the Turgeman to read the verses?

(a) The TOSFOS YESHANIM in Yoma (70a) in the name of RABEINU YOSEF answers that the Gemara here simply is explaining the statement it made earlier. The Gemara asks why is the reader not permitted to skip when it takes him more time to roll to another section than it takes the Turgeman to read the verses? The Gemara answers that one may not roll the Sefer Torah publicly because of the honor of the Tzibur, as it is disrespectful to make the congregation wait until the reading begins again. (Although the Gemara does not explicitly state this reason of "Kavod Tzibur," the same Gemara in Yoma adds "because of Kavod Tzibur." Apparently, this is the Girsa here as well according to the text of many Rishonim.)

This also appears to be the way the ME'IRI explains the Gemara.

(b) The TOSFOS HA'ROSH here rejects this explanation. According to Rabeinu Yosef, the Gemara should not ask why the Kohen Gadol does not roll the Sefer Torah, but why he is not permitted to roll it.

The Tosfos ha'Rosh explains instead that there are two different reasons for why the reader may not skip from one place to another during the Torah-reading. The first reason is that it is important for the people to concentrate and hear every word of the Torah as it is read. If, at the conclusion of the Turgeman's reading, the reader does not continue to read immediately, the listeners will assume that the reading is finished and they will not concentrate on the rest of the reading. (This is similar to the reason which Rashi gives for why the reader may not skip from one subject to another.) This reason applies only when the two Parshiyos are close enough to each other such that the reader does not need to roll the Sefer Torah in order to get from one to the other. Since the people listening do not see him roll the Sefer Torah, they assume that the reason he paused is because he is finished reading. (Similarly, this reason should apply when the sections are close enough that it is not noticeable when the reader rolls from one place to another.)

The second reason is the concern for "Torach Tzibur," the inconvenience caused to the Tzibur by the delay. This reason applies even when the reader rolls the Sefer Torah from one section to another. The Gemara earlier asks that the reader should not be permitted to skip from one section to another because doing so disrupts the concentration of the listeners. That reason does not apply, however, when the section to which the reader skips is far from the first section, because everyone sees the reader roll the Sefer Torah and they know that he has not finished reading. Accordingly, the Gemara asks that the Kohen Gadol should be permitted to roll the Sefer Torah to Parshas Pinchas. The Gemara answers that there is another reason why he may not roll the Sefer Torah -- the inconvenience to the Tzibur.

(The reason of "Torach Tzibur," however, applies only when the two sections are far from each other and it is necessary to roll the Sefer Torah for several minutes. If the sections are next to each other and the reader merely needs to find his place in the new section (which takes only a few seconds), the reason of "Torach Tzibur" does not apply. Rather, in such a case he may not skip to the other section because of the first reason -- the disruption of the concentration of the Tzibur.)

QUESTION: The Mishnah explains that during the ceremony of "Hakhel," the king reads selected sections from Sefer Devarim. In order to move from one section to the other, the king rolls the Sefer Torah. RASHI points out that some of these skips are long skips and go backwards, from the end of Devarim towards the beginning (such as when he reads the Parshah of the Berachos u'Kelalos (Devarim 27) and then skips back to Parshas ha'Melech (Devarim 17). (According to Rashi's Girsa, the Gemara says that the king reads the Parshah of the Berachos u'Kelalos before he reads Parshas ha'Melech; see RASHASH.)

Rashi asks that the Gemara earlier states that the reader may not skip from section to section when it takes him more time to roll to the new section than it takes the Turgeman to read the verses. Why, then, is the king permitted to skip from one section to another? Rashi answers that the king reads without a Turgeman.

Rashi's answer is difficult to understand. There are two reasons for why the reader may not skip from section to section when it takes him more time than it takes the Turgeman to read the verses: it is either because of "Torach Tzibur" or because the listeners will think that he has finished and their concentration will be disrupted (see previous Insight). When there is no Turgeman, these reasons certainly should prohibit the reader from skipping from section to section, even a short distance! (TOSFOS YOM TOV)

(a) The MAHARSHA explains that Rashi maintains that the Chachamim instituted the rules of when one may skip and when one may not skip only when there is a Turgeman. When there is a Turgeman, the reader may skip from one section to another.

According to the Maharsha's explanation, why did the Chachamim differentiate between one who reads with a Turgeman and one who reads without a Turgeman?

Perhaps Rashi understands that the reason why the reader may not skip from section to section is, as the ROSH explains, that the listeners will think that the reader has finished and will not concentrate on the rest of the reading. Rashi maintains that when there is no Turgeman, the people know that the reader has not finished by the tone of his voice at the end of the verse. The reader indicates the end of the reading by the inflection of his voice. However, when there is a Turgeman, the Turgeman himself will think that the reader has finished when he sees that the reader is no longer looking in the same section. The Turgeman will change his tone in order to indicate the end of the section. As a result of the Turgeman's change of tone, the listeners will think that the reader has finished and they will not concentrate on the rest of the reading. Therefore, when the king reads without a Turgeman, he may skip from one section to another because no one will think that the king has finished reading since he makes no change in the tone of his voice.

(Apparently, Rashi would permit skipping only in the case of a reader who never has a Turgeman, such as a king. When an ordinary reader happens to read without a Turgeman, the rules of skipping still apply because of "Lo Plug." See RASHASH.)

(b) RAV ELAZAR MOSHE HA'LEVI HOROWITZ suggests an entirely different understanding for the words of Rashi. The skip from "Shema" to "v'Hayah Im Shamo'a" (Devarim 6 to Devarim 11) and the skip from "v'Hayah Im Shamo'a" to "Aser Te'aser" (Devarim 11 to Devarim 14) are relatively short skips. The king certainly is able to turn to the next section before the Turgeman finishes reciting the verses. Similarly, the skip from "Ki Sechaleh" to the Berachos u'Kelalos (Devarim 26 to Devarim 27) is a short skip. The only long skips are the skip from "Aser Te'aser" to "Ki Sechaleh" (Devarim 14 to Devarim 26) and the skip from the Berachos u'Kelalos back to Parshas ha'Melech (Devarim 27 to Devarim 17). Rashi's question is that there is a simple way to solve the problem of skipping long distances: the king should simply read Parshas ha'Melech between "Aser Te'aser" and "Ki Sechaleh" (thus skipping only from 14 to 17 and from 17 to 26). In this manner, there will be no skips that take longer than the time the Turgeman needs to finish reading.

Rashi answers that reading Parshas ha'Melech after "Aser Te'aser" will not help to minimize the skip distance, because the king does not read with a Turgeman. Consequently, even a small skip causes a distraction, like a large skip. Since he must skip in either case, the king reads Parshas ha'Melech at the end in order not to interrupt between the sections which discuss Ma'aser ("Aser Te'aser" and "Ki Sechaleh"). (Why is the king permitted to skip from section to section in the first place? See (c) below.)

The RAMBAM's text of the Mishnah omits the words "Parshas ha'Melech" (see Perush ha'Mishnayos, Kapach edition). According to his Girsa, the king reads "until he finishes all of them," and not "until he finishes the Parshah." The Rambam explains that the king reads until "Shema," skips to "v'Hayah Im Shamo'a," and then skips to "Aser Te'aser," and from there he reads continuously until the end of the Berachos u'Kelalos (Devarim 11 to 27).

According to the Rambam, the king indeed skips only two short skips which certainly take less time than it takes for a Turgeman to finish. (This is similar to the way the king should read the Torah according to Rashi's question, as Rav Elazar Moshe ha'Levi Horowitz explains.) (See HE'OROS B'MASECHES SOTAH for another approach to understanding Rashi.)

(c) The ME'IRI disagrees with Rashi and suggests that since the only reason to prohibit skipping from one section to another is because it is disrespectful to the Tzibur (see answer (a) of previous Insight), this concern does not apply when the king reads. The honor of the king is more important than the honor of the Tzibur. (The TOSFOS YOM TOV suggests that the king may skip from one section to another for the same reason.)

OPINIONS: The Mishnah teaches that Birkos Kohen Gadol and Parshas ha'Melech must be recited in Lashon ha'Kodesh. (Although the Mishnah mentions only the Berachah of the Kohen Gadol and the Parshah of the king, both the king and the Kohen Gadol read Parshiyos and then recite Berachos, and thus presumably each one must recite both the Parshah and the Berachos in Lashon ha'Kodesh. See TOSFOS YOM TOV. The reason why the Mishnah mentions only the Kohen Gadol's Berachah and only the king's Parshah is that the primary part of the ceremony of the Kohen Gadol is the Berachos, while the reading of the Parshiyos simply relates the Avodah of the day. In contrast, the primary part of the king's ceremony is the reading of the Parshah (the Torah requires that he teach the Torah to the people), and the Berachah that he recites is only secondary to the reading.)

The Mishnah gives no source for the requirement that these readings must be in Lashon ha'Kodesh. What is the Mishnah's source?

(a) The TOSFOS YOM TOV suggests that the Berachos may be recited in any language. It is only the reading of the Parshah, of both the Kohen Gadol and of the king, which must be read in Lashon ha'Kodesh. He asserts that the reason is obvious: since the Kohen Gadol and king must read from the Sefer Torah, they obviously must read it in its original language. If they would be permitted to read in any other language, their reading would be considered reading by heart, and verses in the Torah may not be read by heart.

This reason is difficult to understand. The Kohen Gadol does read part of his reading by heart. Why, then, may he not read those Parshiyos in any language? (TOSFOS CHADASHIM on Mishnayos)

(b) The TOSFOS HA'ROSH and the RAMBAM write that the Parshas ha'Melech must be in Lashon ha'Kodesh because the Torah states that he must read "Es ha'Torah ha'Zos" (Devarim 31:11). The Tosfos ha'Rosh adds that the requirement that the Kohen Gadol read in Lashon ha'Kodesh is only a Takanah d'Rabanan, which the Rabanan instituted because of the unique sanctity of the day and place. (See also TIFERES YISRAEL.)

(c) The ME'IRI writes the opposite logic. He writes that the requirement for the Kohen Gadol to read in Lashon ha'Kodesh is derived from the requirement to recite Birkas Kohanim in Lashon ha'Kodesh (which itself is learned from a verse earlier on 38a), since it is something incumbent upon the Kohen Gadol to read just like Birkas Kohanim.

The reason why the king recites the Parshah and the Berachos in Lashon ha'Kodesh is that his reading is similar to the Parshah and the Berachah of the Kohen Gadol. The Me'iri apparently means that it is only a Takanah d'Rabanan which requires that the Parshas ha'Melech be read in Lashon ha'Kodesh.