15

When reading Torah in the morning, we daven shemoneh esrei of shacharit and then afterwards read the Torah.

When reading Torah in the afternoon (Shabbos/fast days), we read Torah first and then daven shemoneh esrei afterwards.

Why the difference in ordering?

Kazi bácsi
  • 7,609
  • 4
  • 23
  • 51
Jeremy
  • 8,884
  • 30
  • 61

1 Answers1

11

This question was asked on kipa.co.il.

The answer given by R. Ronen Lebovitz was:

וזאת משום שבשחרית יש לסמוך את קריאת שמע לעמידה, ולכן קריאת התורה באה רק לאחר העמידה. טעם נוסף הוא שהתפילות תוקנו כנגד קורבנות התמיד. בשחרית לא היה דבר הקודם לתמיד של שחר, ואילו במנחה לא היה נעשה דבר לאחר תמיד של בין הערביים, ולכן אין קוראים בתורה לפני תפילת השחר, ולא אחרי תפילת המנחה

This is because at shacharit one needs to have keriat shema immediately followed by amidah, therefore the keriat hatorah only comes after amidah. A further reason is that our [amidah] prayers were established to correspond to the daily offerings. At shacharit time, nothing came before the daily morning offering, whereas at minchah time, nothing was done after the daily afternoon offering. Therefore we do not read the Torah before shacharit [amidah], nor after minchah [amidah].

Joel K
  • 43,068
  • 4
  • 62
  • 166
  • As I mentioned in the comments to the question, I don't understand the first answer. Just do it after yishtabach. – Heshy May 06 '18 at 21:48
  • 1
    I think an important piece is missing from the explanation. Do we assume that specifically the Amidah is what is the substitute for the sacrifices? I think that's what's going on, but the answer doesn't specify this. Perhaps, you want to clarify that aspect, esp. for many readers who don't know this/ – DanF May 07 '18 at 15:51
  • "Sidepoint" - In Shacharit, why do we have Tachanun between the Amidah and reading? Assuming my previous comment, why not place Torah reading immediately after Amidah? – DanF May 07 '18 at 15:54
  • 1
    @DanF I’ve edited to clarify in line with your first comment. In terms of your second comment, tachanun is seen is as being an addendum to amidah (e.g. see Rambam here) so it wouldn’t make much sense to interpose keriat hatorah between them. – Joel K May 08 '18 at 15:22
  • @DanF as a further proof on the Tachanun point, there is the Gemara in Bava Metzia about Rabbi Eliezer praying for the death of Rabban Gamliel and its effectiveness based on connecting Shmona Esrei & Tachanun – Ze'ev misses Monica Jun 01 '21 at 15:02
  • @Heshy https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1281&st=&pgnum=68 shema is deorayta – Double AA Dec 28 '21 at 19:53
  • @Heshy we cant interrupt betweeen yishtabach and shma – B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem Mar 06 '22 at 20:04
  • @Yaakov you can for communal needs, which this would seem to qualify as – Double AA Mar 11 '22 at 01:34
  • @DoubleAA it says in the instructions to tehillas hashem siddur by the alter erbbe not to read along during that time in an aliya, could be others have diff customs but without a source i wouldnt assume – B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem Mar 11 '22 at 02:29
  • @Yaakov5777 The source is Shulchan Arukh OC 54:3 – Double AA Mar 11 '22 at 02:35
  • @DoubleAA "e.g., to levy charitable donations for someone who comes and asks for alms. Similarly, if a sheliach tzibbur did not have a tallis and/or tefillin and they were brought to him between Yishtabach and Kaddish, he may put them on, with their respective blessing[s]. If, however, they were brought to him before Yishtabach, he should recite the blessing[s] over them before Yishtabach, as stated in sec. 53[:3].9 " no mention of reading along, thats an assumption https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3285920/jewish/Shulchan-Aruch-Chapter-54-Laws-Relating-to-Blessing-Yishtabach.htm – B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem Mar 11 '22 at 03:51