Question: Our family are going away for Shabbos and
will have a Minyan. Can we take a sefer Torah with us even though we’ll only lein
from it twice?
Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 135:14; 584:3)
writes that one mustn’t take a sefer Torah to prison so that one can hear leining even on Rosh Hashana and
Yom Kippur unless it’s for an important individual. The Mishna Berura (135:46)
explains that this wouldn’t be kavod for the sefer Torah. Nonetheless, the Mishna Berura writes that
this halacha specifically applies to an individual. One can take a sefer
Torah to a prison
or hospital if there is a minyan
there. The Kaf Hachaim (OC 135:74)
quotes the Zohar who takes a strict stance on this halacha though writes
that if a minyan accompany the sefer Torah, then it may be moved.
The Rema (OC 135:14) writes that one who
transports a sefer Torah
should prepare a place for it in advance. The Kaf Hachaim (OC 135:83) and
Mishna Berura (135:49) write that it is sufficient to prepare a suitable place
that day. R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos Vehanhagos 1:694) stresses that ideally it
should be kept in an aron hakodesh rather than on a table. Likewise, R’
Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer 9 OC 15:3) writes that while R’ Yaakov Emden (Mor
Uketziah 135) disapproved of taking a sefer Torah into shiva
houses, that was only because children run around. If they are looked after
respectfully in an aron hakodesh, however, then it is permitted.
The Aruch Hashulchan
(OC 135:32) writes that the minhag is to ensure that the sefer
Torah is leined from on at
least three occasions. Yet, many poskim question the mekor of
this minhag (See Yabia Omer 9 OC 15:5)
R’ Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 5:219)
writes that while he heard from R’ Moshe Feinstein that there is no mekor
for this minhag, it is commendable, and one shouldn’t move sifrei
Torah around when possible (See Tzitz Eliezer 17:12).
In conclusion, while many poskim
allow taking a sefer Torah away for a private minyan, it
should be stored in an aron
hakodesh and treated
respectfully.
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