Question: May you add aliyos on Yom Kippur that falls out on Shabbos?
Short Answer: You should not add aliyos, unless you will raise a significant amount of money for tz’dakah by selling the added aliyos.
Explanation:
I. Adding Aliyos
The Mishnah (Megillah 21a) states that we don’t add aliyos on Chol HaMoed or Rosh Chodesh. However, the Mishnah then adds a rule. Any day that has Musaf, but is not a Yom Tov, gets four aliyos. Yom Tov gets five aliyos. Yom Kippur gets six aliyos. Shabbos gets seven aliyos. The Mishnah concludes that we do not have fewer aliyos but we can have more aliyos.
How is this last line interpreted? Is the Mishnah holding that only Shabbos can have extra aliyos or is it holding that even Yom Tov and Yom Kippur may have extra aliyos?
Rashi (ibid) implies that even Yom Tov and Yom Kippur may add aliyos. He explains the reason why you cannot add aliyos on Chol HaMoed and Rosh Chodesh because there would be bitul m’lachah, implying that on any day that work is forbidden, such as Yom Tov or Yom Kippur, adding aliyos is permitted. This is also the opinion of the Rambam (Hilchos T’filah 12:16).
The Ran (Megillah, 12b) cites this Rashi, but also cites a dissenting opinion who holds that you may only add aliyos on Shabbos, but not on Yom Tov or Yom Kippur. We limit it to Shabbos because we don’t want to equate other holidays with Shabbos.
The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 282:1) simply cites the halachah permitting additional aliyos in the context of Shabbos. The Rama (ibid) cites both opinions about Yom Tov, noting that our minhag is to refrain from adding aliyos on Yom Tov (except for Simchas Torah).
II. Yom Tov and Shabbos
Nevertheless, the Mishnah B’rurah (Orach Chayim 282:6) holds that when Yom Tov falls out on Shabbos, all opinions permit adding extra aliyos. Just because it is also Yom Tov does not mean that we lose the opportunity to add aliyos!
However, the Mishnah B’rurah (ibid), citing the Magen Avraham, adds that when Yom Kippur falls out on Shabbos, you should not add extra aliyos because the aliyos are specifically broken up in a way that each aliyah ends with “kaparah.” This opinion is cited in the Chasam Sofer (1:170) as well.
III. Any Exceptions?
There are a few exceptions to this rule.
First, the Mishnah B’rurah (Orach Chayim 621:3) cites the P’ri M’gadim who holds that if the extra aliyah will be sold for a large amount for tz’dakah, there is room to be lenient. Note though that the Matei Ephraim (621) disagrees with this leniency.
Second, the Aruch HaShulchan (Orach Chayim 282:7) writes that it is certainly better to not add aliyos on Yom Kippur that falls out on Shabbos. Nevertheless, one should not protest when baalei-batim push for extra aliyos so they can get an aliyah because it is more important to avoid machlokes. See also Aruch HaShulchan (621:1).
Third, the Levush (cited in Divrei B’nayahu, 22:44) notes that in Prague, the minhag was to add extra aliyos on Yom Kippur when it falls on Shabbos. The reason is that they would in general add aliyos on Shabbos. Thus, if they did not add aliyos on Yom Kippur when it falls on Shabbos, it would be degrading to Shabbos.
Fourth, the Nit’ei Gavriel (Yom Kippur, 55:7) cites the minhag in Pressburg to give doctors an aliyah on Yom Kippur because they have a tremendous power to rule that a choleh can eat on Yom Kippur. The Divrei B’nayahu (ibid) interprets this Nit’ei Gavriel as referring to the extra aliyos you may add on Yom Kippur that falls out on Shabbos.
IV. Final Thoughts
What is this machlokes – whether you should add aliyos on Yom Kippur that falls out on Shabbos – based upon? It appears that the opinion that holds you should not add is based upon the importance of highlighting “kaparah” in the leining, i.e., the leining is meant to emphasize the need to do kaparah. But what about the other opinion, the minhag in some places to add aliyos on Yom Kippur that falls out on Shabbos?
This author suggests that perhaps this opinion de-emphasizes the role of kaparah in the leining. The leining is not to inspire t’shuvah but rather for another purpose. What is this purpose?
The Mishnah B’rurah (Orach Chayim 621:2) cites a Zohar that “anyone who is pained or cries over the loss of the two sons of Aharon [which we lein about (“acharei mos”) on Yom Kippur], will have his sins forgiven and his children will not die in his life.” The Mishnah B’rurah explains, based on the Matei Ephraim, that this is supposed to inspire t’shuvah. However, the Yismach Moshe (cited in M’tzuveh V’oseh, Vol. 1, p. 246) understands the Zohar a bit differently. We obviously have no pain for the death of the sons of Aharon who died thousands of years ago. Rather, it teaches us that we should daven that our current leaders guide us (and that we don’t need their death for t’shuvah). Accordingly, this author thinks that perhaps the Yismach Moshe viewed the leining as de-emphasizing kaparah but rather focusing on longevity of tzadikim. Thus, you may add aliyos and not worry about “messing up” the kaparah aspect of the current breakdown of aliyos.
Rabbi Ephraim Glatt, Esq. is the Associate Rabbi at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, and he is a Partner at McGrail & Bensinger LLP, specializing in commercial litigation. Questions? Comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
