Standing for the 10 Commandments
Standing for the 10 Commandments
By Nathaniel Zerbib
In the annual cycle, the Ten Commandments are read publicly on three occasions: in the Torah portions of Yitro and Va'etchanan, and on the festival of Shavuot. For centuries, many communities — including those of North Africa — have maintained the custom of standing during this reading. Recently, this practice has been questioned by some who claim it is erroneous and should be abolished. What is the source of this position? Is it universally accepted?
The Talmudic Source
In tractate Berakhot (12a), the Talmud mentions the practice of the Kohanim in the Temple to read the Ten Commandments and the Shema at dawn, and notes that this custom was abolished because of the minim (early Christians) who claimed that only the Ten Commandments were divinely transmitted and that the rest of the Torah was false, thereby misleading the common people.
R' Shemuel Aboab, in his responsa Devar Shemuel (ch. 276), explains that this concern does not apply to standing during the reading of the Ten Commandments, since the reason is clear to all: it is a commemoration of the historical event of the Giving of the Torah, during which the people stood as a sign of respect and acceptance of the divine yoke.
Halakhic Authorities
R' Yehuda Ayash (1688–1760, among the greatest rabbis and decisors of Algeria) adds that there is only cause for concern when an unusual reading is involved; by contrast, the regular Torah reading where only the manner of performance differs poses no problem (Mateh Yehuda 1:6). Similarly, the Hida writes that in communities where the congregation stands during this reading, it is forbidden for anyone to remain seated lest they appear to be denigrating the event (Tov Ayin 11).
At the beginning of the last century, several responsa of the Rambam were discovered and published by A.H. Fraiman in 1924. Among them is a question posed by the leaders of a certain community who had originally stood during the reading of the Ten Commandments, but had been convinced to stop by a prominent rabbi passing through. Their new community rabbi wished to reinstate this minhag, claiming that the Baghdad community followed this practice. The Rambam replied that they should not listen to him, so as not to create a distinction between different passages of the Torah.
The Contemporary Debate
Although the Rambam's ruling was adopted by most of the Middle East, the communities of North Africa did not follow it. Indeed, no trace of this ruling is found in the Rishonim, the Shulchan Aruch, or its contemporaries.
Rav Ovadia Yosef zt"l (Yechave Da'at, I:29) ruled like the Rambam, while R' Ovadia Hadaya (a native of Aleppo, Syria, and teacher of Rav Mordechai Eliyahu) reinforced the custom of standing, arguing that the Rambam does not mention this prohibition in the Mishneh Torah, his principal and definitive halakhic work (Yaskil Avdi OH I:7-1). Similarly, R' Shalom Messas argued that today the concern regarding the minim is no longer relevant, and that standing actually generates a deep sense of respect for the Torah in general (Shemesh Umagen I, OH-57).
In Summary
Standing during the reading of the Ten Commandments is an ancient custom practiced by many communities throughout the world, and it should be preserved. However, care must be taken to maintain peace and harmony within the community.
This article was first published on Constantine-Minhagim.com.