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    In Judaism every custom has a history and a specific rationale. In certain areas of Jewish practice, customs differ depending on the country or more specifically, the culture of origin. This can be seen most dramatically when visiting representative synagogues from the three major cultural traditions in Judaism: the Ashkenazic, the Chassidic and the Sephardic. While the basic formula of the prayer service is the same in each tradition, certain practices are performed differently. One interesting example of this can be seen in the manner in which hagbah and gelilah, is conducted in the three types of shuls.

    As you know, hagbah and gelilah is the practice of lifting, raising and wrapping the Torah scroll when it is publicly read in the synagogue. There are three different customs as to how and when hagbah and gelilah is done. The Sephardic custom is to honor one person with both the hagbah, specifically, the lifting of the Torah scroll for all to see, which he performs before it is read, as well as the gelilah, the wrapping or closing of the Sefer Torah after it’s read. The Ashkenazic custom is that both hagbah and gelilah are done after the reading of the Torah has been completed. In this tradition, the Torah is lifted by one person, the hagbah, for all to see and then a second person, the gelilah, is honored with the wrapping of the Torah. The third custom, practiced by the Lubavitch Chassidim, is to honor one person with both hagbah and gelilah. In this tradition, both parts are performed after the Torah reading is completed. In one action, the individual lifts the Torah for all to see and then immediately puts it down and wraps it up. Let’s examine how these different customs came about.

    In reference to hagbah and gelilah there are two separate mitzvot. The first is the mitzvah to show the Torah and its writing to the congregation. The Ramban explains the pasuk in Devarim that states, “Cursed is the one that does not uplift the words of this Torah” as referring to the chazzan who does not lift the Torah for the congregation to see. The second is the mitzvah of gelilah, which is the rolling up of the Torah scroll after it is read. The Gemara tells us that when ten people get together to read the Torah, the most prominent of them rolls up the Sefer Torah and receives a reward equal to all of the rest of them combined.

    Rabbi Yosef Caro writes in the Shulchan Aruch that the Torah should be lifted for all to see before the Torah reading. The Sephardim, who generally follow the rulings of Rabbi Yosef Caro, conduct themselves in this manner. The person who receives this honor also does gelilah, the wrapping of the Torah. He does this by closing the casing of the Sephardic Torah scroll after it has been placed upright on the bimah. Rabbi Moshe Isserles, known as the Rema argues that the hagbah and gelilah should be done after the Torah reading. One reason for this was the fear that people might get the wrong impression and think that the most important thing was to see the Torah and its words. In order to discourage people from thinking that they had thus fulfilled their mitzvah and subsequently leaving early, hagbah and gelilah were moved to after the completion of the Torah reading. This is the custom of the Ashkenazim.

    However, there remains one difficulty; the Gemara tells us that the person who is honored with gelilah should be the greatest person present. The common Ashkenazic practice is not in accord with this, i.e. gelilah can, and often is, given to a boy under the age of Bar Mitzvah. The Mishnah Berurah explains that the Gemara is really speaking about our hagbah, as it is logical that the one who lifts the Torah for all to see should be the most honored. The Aruch Hashulchan, differs with this explanation and takes the Gemara quite literally: gelilah means to roll and wrap. He therefore explains, that the custom of the Lubavitch Chassidim to honor one person who lifts the Torah and then puts it down and wraps it up, fulfills this Gemara most accurately. This honored person gets to fulfill both mitzvoth: lifting and wrapping.

    Hence, we have three variations on the mitzvah of hagbah and gelilah representing the three major cultural traditions in Judaism. We have seen the genesis of each and have seen how each is consistent within its interpretation of the Halacha. Together they provide yet another example of the richness and flexibility of our heritage which allows for different cultural expressions while at the same time unites us all with the common denominator of the Halacha.