Selling Aliyos over Kohen's Priority; Defective Sefer Torah

From: Rabbi Moshe Sofer

To: Rabbi Hersh Telke

Description

Two questions: whether a community can sell aliyos in a way that overrides a Kohen's halachic precedence, and whether reading from a defective Sefer Torah—including maftir—was proper. The Chasam Sofer declines to rule on the first without hearing both sides, distinguishing the Maharik's limited precedent from a new permanent custom. On the second, he accepts the Rema's leniency for the main reading but argues maftir should not have been read from the defective scroll, as it risks berachah levatalah.

Source: Shu"t Chasam Sofer OC §24

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