The king reads sitting — and if he reads standing, it is praiseworthy. He opens, looks and blesses like any reader in the synagogue; he reads from “These are the words” to the end of the Shema, skips to “And if you listen”, then to “You shall surely tithe”, and from there reads in order to the end of the blessings and curses, stopping at “besides the covenant made with them at Chorev”. He rolls the scroll, blesses after it, and adds seven blessings; reading and blessings in the holy tongue, even if speakers of other tongues are present.
Dimensions
- from “These are the words” to the end of the curses
- sitting, or standing
- seven blessings
Sources
- Sotah 7:8“וְהַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹמֵד וּמְקַבֵּל וְקוֹרֵא יוֹשֵׁב… וְקוֹרֵא מִתְּחִלַּת אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים עַד שְׁמַע, וּשְׁמַע, וְהָיָה אִם שָׁמֹעַ, עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר, כִּי תְכַלֶּה לַעְשֵׂר, וּפָרָשַׁת הַמֶּלֶךְ, וּבְרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת, עַד שֶׁגּוֹמֵר כָּל הַפָּרָשָׁה”
- Rambam, Hilchot Chagigah 3:3“וְקוֹרֵא כְּשֶׁהוּא יוֹשֵׁב וְאִם קָרָא מְעֻמָּד הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח… עַד סוֹף בְּרָכוֹת וּקְלָלוֹת עַד ״מִלְּבַד הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת אִתָּם בְּחֹרֵב״ וּפוֹסֵק”
- Rambam, Hilchot Chagigah 3:5“הַקְּרִיאָה וְהַבְּרָכוֹת בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ… אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם לוֹעֲזוֹת”
- Rambam, Hilchot Melachim 2:1“וְאֵין מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בְּשַׁרְבִיטוֹ. וְלֹא בְּכִתְרוֹ”
- Esther 8:15“בִּלְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת תְּכֵלֶת וָחוּר וַעֲטֶרֶת זָהָב גְּדוֹלָה וְתַכְרִיךְ בּוּץ וְאַרְגָּמָן”
Project decisionTour's choice: the king's crown, a gold circlet with six points; his robe of argaman, like the mantle of fine linen and argaman in which Mordecai leaves the king (Esther 8:15); his seat; his features.