Correcting the Ba’al Korei – Part 1
Question: When does a ba’al korei need to be corrected for a mistake?
Discussion: The ba’al korei must read every single word of the weekly parashah. Even if just one word was omitted, the verse along with two other verses must be repeated.88 This is true even if the missing word did not in any way alter the meaning of the verse.89
The ba’al korei should read each word clearly, with the proper accentuation (mil’eil and mil’ra), vocalization (nikud), cantillation (trop), and articulation (without slurring words together). He must prepare thoroughly90 so that the reading will “flow out of his mouth.” The reading itself should not be hurried, lest he swallow a word or a letter.91
The ba’al korei must be careful to read every word from inside the Sefer Torah, and not recite any words by heart. But as long as he sees each word, it does not matter if he was looking at each word when actually reciting it (for example, he can look at a word, and then recite it while looking ahead at the next word).92
Correcting Mistakes
It is important for the ba’al korei to read carefully so that he makes no mistakes – not even small, insignificant ones. But if he did make a mistake, there is a difference of opinion among the Rishonim if he must be stopped and corrected. Tur93 rules that, as long as the word was recited, even if it was seriously mispronounced, it does not matter and the reading is valid – there is no requirement to go back and correct the mistake, and indeed it may be prohibited to do so since it will needlessly embarrass the ba’al korei who will appear incompetent or ill-prepared. Rambam,94 however, disagrees; he says that even the smallest mistake should be immediately corrected.
Shulchan Aruch seems to make a compromise between the two views. He says that the ba’al korei should be publicly corrected for a “major” mistake, but not for a “minor” mistake. Nevertheless, for a “minor” mistake, the ba’al korei should be privately rebuked for his lack of preparation or his lack of attention to detail.95
Now, what is a “major” mistake, and what is a “minor” one? Rema maintains that if the mistake alters the meaning of the word, it is considered “major.” If it only affects the trop or the nikud, then it is considered “minor.” Later authorities debate what exactly Rema meant, as there are various opinions as to what constitutes an “altered meaning.” In the final analysis there are three groups of mistakes: major, minor, and moderate.
Major Mistakes Include:
When a word is completely misread, e.g., bereishis is read berushies or barshyias, etc.
When the nikud of a word is pronounced in a manner which alters the translation of the word. For example, if the word chalev (with a kamatz, meaning “milk”) is read as chelev (with a tzeirei, meaning “fat”), or the word ya’aseh (he should do) is read yei’aseh (it should be done).
When the trop is so wrong that the reader combines two words (or phrases) which should be separate, or separates two words (or phrases) which should be combined. The trop, besides being a musical note, also indicates the punctuation of the verse, as the Torah has no punctuation marks. For example, one could read all of the consonants and vowels of the first verse in the Torah correctly and still mangle the trop so that the verse would read: In the beginning he created, Hashem the, Heaven and earth.96
According to some opinions, when the mil’eil or mil’ra is read completely wrong (meaning, the word is accented on the wrong syllable), to the degree that it alters the meaning of the word – e.g., the word ba’áh (mil’ra) means “she is coming” (present tense), while the same word accented bá’ah (mil’eil) means “she came” (past tense).97 But several contemporary poskim say that this type of mistake is considered minor. In their view, the exact meaning of the word is determined by the context in which it is written, and the meaning is not altered by the improper accent.98
As stated earlier, Shulchan Aruch and most poskim99 rule that major mistakes should be rectified immediately. The ba’al korei, therefore, should be stopped in mid-sentence – even if he said the Name of Hashem100 – and told to correct his pronunciation.101 Even if the mistake is not realized until after the aliyah is over, or after the entire weekly portion is finished (but before the final blessing of the final aliyah is recited),102 the mistake must be corrected.103
This ruling of Shulchan Aruch is the accepted practice in most congregations. However, some poskim104 disagree with Shulchan Aruch and rule in accordance with Tur – that once a mistake was made, even if the meaning of the word was altered, it need not be corrected.105
88 Shulchan Aruch 137:3 and 282:7 with Mishnah Berurah.
89 Beiur Halachah 142:1 (ד"ה אבל).
90 Even a ba’al korei who is familiar with the weekly parashah must review it beforehand, Mishnah Berurah 142:6. Preferably it should be reviewed at least twice, Aruch Hashulchan 139:2.
91 Mishnah Berurah 142:6.
92 Halichos Shlomo, Tefillah 12:8. See Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim III:19, who debates this issue.
93 Orach Chaim 142. Tur quotes this view in the name of Ba’al Hamanhig and, according to most opinions, this is Tur’s view as well.
94 Hilchos Tefillah 12:6.
95 Rema 142:1. While Rema does not specify the details of how the ba’al korei is rebuked, Tur and Beis Yosef imply that the rebuke should not be done publicly, so as to not embarrass the ba’al korei.
96 Mishnah Berurah 142:4. An example of this is the verse (Bereishis 1:27) בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ – “in the image of Hashem, He created him.” The words בצלם אלהים are connected since the word בצלם has a mercha. If the ba’al korei incorrectly says the word בצלם with a tipcha ( בְּצֶ֖לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ), the verse would now read “in the image, Hashem created him.” Since this error in the trop changes the meaning of the verse, the ba’al korei must go back and read it correctly. See Chiddushei Basra (end of Pesachim) for other examples.
97 As explained by Rashi, Bereishis 29:6. See Aruch Hashulchan 690:20 (concerning Megillas Esther), who mentions this example.
98 Rav Y. Y. Kanievsky (Karyana D’igerta II:325 (5771 ed.); Rav Y. Kamenetsky (oral ruling, quoted in Emes L’Yaakov 142:1); Rav S. Z. Auerbach (Halichos Shlomo. Tefillah 12:24); Rav C. Kanievsky, Ohel Chanoch, pg. 226. See Dikdukei Shai, pgs. 160-165, for an explanation of this view. Also note that all the major poskim who discuss the laws of correcting a ba’al korei do not mention this type of mistake – the wrong accent which changes the meaning of the word – as a type of mistake that must be corrected.
99 Chayei Adam 31:31; Mishnah Berurah 142:4 and Beiur Halachah (ד"ה אין); Aruch Hashulchan 142:3-4; Kaf Hachaim 142:2.
100 Chayei Adam 5:2; Sha’arei Rachamim on Sha’arei Ephraim 3:18. See, however, Tzitz Eliezer 12:40 and Halichos Shlomo, Tefillah 12, Orchos Halachah 79, who rule that if one mentioned the Name of Hashem the custom is to finish the verse.
101 Preferably, he should start again from the beginning of the pasuk or – at the very least – from the beginning of the phrase (within the pasuk); see Mishnah Berurah 64:5 and Tehillah LeDavid 64:1 (concerning Kerias Shema). See also Igros Moshe V, 20:32 (concerning zeicher and zecher).
102 Chayei Adam 31:31 and Beiur Halachah 142:1 (ד"ה מחזירין).
103 Preferably, the reading of the following aliyah should commence from the verse that the word was misread. See Mishnah Berurah 142:2, Sha’ar Hatziyun 3, and Beiur Halachah (ד"ה מחזירין).
104 Bach 142.
105 While this view is not the accepted practice, the poskim rely on it if the mistake was realized after the final blessing on the Torah was recited, Eliyahu Rabbah 142:2; Da’as Torah 142:1. See also Beiur Halachah 142:1, ד"ה מחזירין, and Aruch Hashulchan 690:20.