Q. Dear Rabbi. In my shule there are twin brothers who are Kohanim. They are not really observant, but they are currently in their year of availus. Their father's yurtzheit is coming up on a Thursday and they both want to get an aliyah. Being as they are not so observant, they have a perception that an aliyah is far more prestigious than hagbah. Is there any way for two brothers who are Kohanim to both get aliyos on the same day if it is a weekday? What about if it is Rosh Chodesh?
Thank you.
A. An option would be, if there are enough people and an additional Sefer Torah, to make an additional minyan for the reading of the Torah in another room. You may also ask ten of the presents or even six (see Biur Halacha beginning of 141) to exit the shul before the reading, and then form a second minyan after the end of the current, for the compliance of kerias Hatorah for those who were not present the first time.
You may try to explain how important hagbaha is and that the one who performs the lifting of the Torah is rewarded more than all the aliyos together. You could also add hotza’as Sefer Torah, the taking out and replacing the sefer to the Aron, to the lifting of the Torah. He may appreciate two lesser (in his mind) honors more than a single aliya.
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is similar.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a
Important Numbers
