You may have noticed various practices regarding whether the sefer Torah should be opened or closed when reciting the bracha. Let us explore how these divergent views emerged:

Megillah 32a

Megillah 32a records a dispute between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda (translation from the William Davidson edition of the Talmud).

The Sages taught in a baraita: When a person reads from the Torah, he should open the scroll and see the place from where he will read, furl it so that it is closed and recite the blessing, and then he should again open the scroll and read. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda said: He should open the scroll, and see the place from where he will read, and—without closing it again—he should recite the blessing and read.

The Gemara explains the root of this debate. The Gemara asks: What is the reason for Rabbi Meir’s opinion that the blessing is not recited over an open scroll? The Gemara answers: in order that people should not say that the blessings are written in the Torah. And, Rabbi Yehuda is not concerned about this, as he claims there is no concern about people erring. People will realize the blessings are not actually part of the Torah’s text because they are recited by each person who reads.

The Gemara concludes: “Rabbi Zeira said that Rav Mattana said: ‘The halacha is that he should open the scroll, see the place from which he will read, and—without closing it again—he should recite the blessing and read.’”

Rambam Versus Tosafot

The Gemara seems to resolve this question clearly—the halacha follows Rabbi Yehuda that we recite the bracha with the sefer Torah open. Indeed, the Rambam (Hilchot Tefillah 12:5) and the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 139:4) rule accordingly.

However, Tosafot (Megillah 32a, s.v. Golelo) writes that even Rabbi Yehuda agrees that closing the Torah when reciting the bracha is preferable. Tosafot begins the Ashkenazic tradition of blending Rabbi Yehuda’s and Rabbi Meir’s opinions.

Three Ashkenazic Traditions

The Rama (Orach Chayim 139:4) sets forth a means to satisfy Rabbi Yehuda’s concern for undue delay and confusion created by closing the Torah after opening it to find the place (closing it makes the baal korei struggling a second time to find the place). The Rama recommends keeping the Torah open when reciting the bracha but turning one’s head away to avoid creating the impression that the brachot are written in the Torah.

However, the Taz (Orach Chayim 139:4) questions the Rama’s solution. He argues that turning away from the Torah upon which one recites a bracha is wrong. Turning away disconnects one from the Torah, upon which one recites a bracha. The Mishna Berura (139:18; following the Chayei Adam 31:12) prefers closing one’s eyes when reciting the bracha to avoid making people think that the brachot are written in the Torah. The problem with this suggestion is that only part of the synagogue attendees notice that his eyes are closed.

The Biur Halacha (139:4 s.v. v’ro’eh) records that some Ashkenazic communities customarily close the Torah after first looking at it, following Tosafot’s view. Anyone who has received an aliyah in Elizabeth, New Jersey, knows this is the local minhag (Rav Elazar Meyer Teitz confirmed this to me). The Biur Halacha concludes that each community should follow its minhag.

Sephardic Practice

Although one would expect Sephardic Jews to follow the Rambam and Shulchan Aruch’s view, Rav David Yosef (Halacha Berura 139:4) notes that Sephardic Jews customarily follow the Ari, zt”l, to cover the Torah with its cloth when reciting the bracha. In this way, he avoids making others think that the brachot are written in the Torah. If a Sephardic Torah lacks a cloth or if a Sephardic Jew receives an aliyah in an Ashkenazic minyan, he should follow the Rambam and Shulchan Aruch and recite the bracha with the Torah open—unless the community he visits has a firm minhag otherwise.

Bracha After the Reading

Tosafot notes that even Rabbi Yehuda agrees with Rabbi Meir that the Torah should be closed when reciting the bracha after the Torah reading. At that point, there is no concern about delaying the tzibbur—since the Torah is closed or covered between aliyot. The Shulchan Aruch codifies this ruling and none of the commentaries dissent.

Conclusion: Rav Soloveitchik’s Approach

Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik (cited in “Nefesh HaRav,” pages 137-138 and “Davening with the Rav,” page 115) recited the first bracha on the Torah reading facing his right (even though the Rama recommended facing left). An advantage of Rav Soloveitchik’s approach is that many do not know the bracha by heart and need to look to the right to recite the bracha. The benefit of following Rav Soloveitchik’s variation of the Rama is that it removes embarrassment from those who do not know the bracha by heart. We find numerous examples of standardizing practices to avoid shaming those who do not know (i.e., having a baal korei, so as not to embarrass those who receive an aliyah but cannot read that portion, Tosafot Megillah 21b, s.v. tanna). Perhaps, this should become the standard practice for Ashkenazic Jews as well.

Rabbi Jachter serves as the rav of Congregation Shaarei Orah, rebbe at Torah Academy of Bergen County and a get administrator with the Beth Din of Elizabeth. Rabbi Jachter’s 18 books may be purchased at Amazon and Judaica House.