From the Rav’s Desk – Q&A on Eily, Kerias Hatorah and Kugel

Was Eily the Kohen Gadol a descendent from Pinchas & which family of Aaron merited the High priesthood, Elazar or Itamar?

Eily Hakohen was a descendent of Itamar, the brother of Elazar, the father of Pinchas.[1] Initially, the High priesthood was given to Elazar and his descendent Pinchas who served as the high priest all the way through the end of the era of the Shoftim.[2] As a result of the terrible Civil War that occurred in the era of Pilegesh Bigiva, as well as due to that Pinchas refused to remove the vow from Yiftach, Hashem revoked the High priesthood from him and gave it to his student Eily Hakohen, who was a descendent from his [i.e. Pinchas] uncle Itamar, the son of Aaron the brother of Elazar.[3] The high priesthood remained with the descendants of Eily, and Itamar, until the first Temple era when it was taken from Avyasar and given back to Tzadok who was a descendent of Pinchas. This was a result of the sin of the sons of Eily, and was one of the punishments given that the High priesthood would and from his family.[4]

[1] Rashi 2:30 in  name of Midrash Shmuel; Divrei Hayamim 24:3 that Achimelech was from Itamar, and Achimelech was from Eily [See Shmuel 1 14:2

[2] See Shoftim Chapter 20 “Pinchas, the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron Hakohen, was the priest who served before the Aron in those times”

[3] Rashi Shmuel 1 2:30; Tana Dvei Eliyahu Raba 11

[4] Rashi 2:30

The law if the Baal Korei added a word:[1]

If the Baal Korei added a word, then if it does not change the meaning of the verse, he is not required to repeat it. If, however, the meaning of the verse is changed, then he is to repeat that verse from the beginning. If he repeated the same word twice, he is not required to repeat the verse.

[1] Piskeiy Teshuvos 142:3

Is the Sefer Torah still Kosher?

A repeated letter or word:[1] If a word [or letter[2]] in the Sefer Torah was repeated, then the Sefer Torah is invalid, and it is customary to remove a new Sefer Torah.  

What to do?

Mistake found in area permitted to end Aliyah-End Aliyah:  According to the accepted Ashkenazi custom, if they already read three verses in that Aliya, and are not within three verses from the start or end of a Parsha Setuma/Pesucha, then the Olah is to immediately say the after blessing on the Pasul Sefer Torah. 

Mistake found in area forbidden to end Aliyah-Continue Aliyah: According to the accepted custom amongst Ashkenazim, Chassidim, and Sephardim, if they did not yet read three verses, or are within three verse of the start or end of a Parsha  Pesucha/Setuma [or are within a paragraph that the custom is not to stop in middle of, such as Shiras Hayam, Aseres Hadibros, curses, Haazinu, etc. ], then a Kosher Sefer Torah is to be removed and one is to read from the beginning of the verse that they are holding by and then say the after blessing.

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[1] Shaareiy Efraim 6:8; M”B 143:25; Ketzos Hashulchan 87:3; See Chayeh Adam 31:35 regarding if the added letter is at end of word

[2] M”B ibid; See above, however, regarding Chaseiros and Yiseiros that do not change the pronunciation

May one wrap in tin foil a Kugel which is inside a tin and place it on the Blech before Shabbos?[1]

No, due to the prohibition of Hatmana Shemosif Hevel. [One should be stringent even if his intent is not at all to insulate the food as a result.[2]] What one may do instead is simply cover the top of the Kugel with a sheet of tinfoil and make sure that the tinfoil does not cover maturity of the sides of the tin.

[1] See even regarding actual food wrapped in tinfoil and all the more so would this apply here where the actual tin is wrapped in tinfoil: Igros Moshe 4:74 Hatmana 3; Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach brought in Shabbos Kehalacha ibid; See Mahdurah Basra 259; Pnei Shabbos 12; Maor Hashabbos 1:9; Koveitz Mibeis Levi 6:36; Shabbos Kehalacha Vol. 2 page 41; Piskeiy Teshuvos 258:4

[2] See Igros Moshe ibid from which it can be learned that even in this situation it is prohibited by actual food, and certainly by an actual pot