By COLlive reporter
R’ Moshe Shor, a baal koreh at Bais Menachem Chabad of North Miami Beach, Florida, delivered an unusual but pointed announcement during Shacharis on Chol Hamoed Pesach, addressing a widely embraced practice.
In recent years, the recitation of “Ka’eleh” during leining has evolved into a familiar, spirited moment, with the minyan joining in before the baal koreh continues.
The practice, while lighthearted and engaging, has been a source of enjoyment for many mispallelim. Singer Joey Newcomb even has a song about it.
The custom itself is a relatively recent development. The phrase “Ka’eleh” appears repeatedly in kriyas haTorah, and in some communities it gradually became a musical cue. What began as a spontaneous, rhythmic response evolved into a short, catchy chant—simple enough for a crowd to pick up instantly.
Over time, particularly in yeshiva and camp settings, the tune spread and took on a niggun-like quality, eventually becoming a semi-regular feature of leining in certain shuls.
Before leining, however, Rabbi Shor clarified that the custom runs counter to halachic standards governing kriyas haTorah.
“Just a reminder,” he said, “there’s a din of trei koli lo mishtamei, and it’s an issur gadol to sing any part of leining at the same time. So just don’t do Ka’eleh.”
He went further, emphasizing the seriousness of the matter with a striking comparison: “In a certain way, it’s worse than chometz even—because it’s a farhesia deRabbanan, which in some senses is worse than a tzina de’Oraisa.”
The reference to trei koli lo mishtamei underscores the halachic principle that two simultaneous voices cannot be properly heard, thereby compromising the shul’s obligation to listen attentively to the Torah reading.
To date, rabbonim and baalei koreh have neither stopped nor attempted to stop this chant.
But, for 2 voices, the Baal koreh can pause for the crowd and then say it….
Why is this any better than 6 7 you may as well scream 6 7 during davening! Imagine everyone just saying six seven six seven you can’t daven properly like that! This must contest up right now!
Damn bro grow up
I feel that it’s rights so if that’s what I feel then it’s how I feel you can feel your own way don’t post your feelings i don’t need to read it quite frankly, I couldn’t care less this is all about how I feel am I posting a whole article about how I feel and how it’s right?
That shouldn’t even be necessary
A few yidden having a little simcha and simcha d’kedusha but that’s an issue for some…
That fact that nobody ever said anything shows it’s not a problem cause if it was a problem someone would post the article about it or say how a problem but we see that clearly it’s not a problem because no one post anything about her says it’s a problem
sometimes it takes time and certain great neshmas to mechaven to emes
Women of the wall and reform also are “yidden having a little simcha and simcha d’kedusha” by your logic, and we should disregard the blatant violation of halacha
is in saying that it’s “d’kedusha.” Assumes facts not in evidence.
Its not simcha dkudusha if its against halacha
Halachicaly problematic, as well as extremely immature and childish
Needed to be said! It’s a childish ביזיון that needs to end!
No, it’s not heavy ever done it before. It’s actually really fun to do and if whoever is a problem so I would’ve say something about the fact there was never an article or something never said anything about it. I chose not a problem. There was a problem I wanted to say something about
The Rebbe Rashab saus its a problem. Rabbi Shor just reminded everyone and brought this to light
Never heard this, or heard of it
Why is this compared to 67
?
Lubavitch is based on truth which is true adherence to halacha without compromise. No games.
Thank you Rabbi Shor for publicizing this and for saying things straight to the point in a way that it grabs people’s attention.
You have educated the masses and caused people to keep better halacha.
It’s not the way of Lubavitch afaik to compare silly practices to eating chometz on pesach
You are being immature. If it is worse than chometz in some sense, then Rabbi Shor can and ought to say so. This is called learning.
Rabbi Shor wrote his article because he cares,about us.
You guys are such a babies. Literally you have playing like it’s poker. You guys are crazy. Just saying why is there talking in synagogue? Why is there there? Smoothing during Korea and this is all you could complain about
never heard about 6 7. did hear about 80 90 which this baal kore is modeling
Need to step in and save our community! They were elected for this and should go to each shul to make sure they can enforce this
This has been going on for hndreds of years all over the world!
If someone doesn’t know what it is he certainly didn’t grow up in a frum community.
Really? What’s your source?
Those of us that do the kaelah, take the custom very seriously. I think it’s important to share the halochos of kaeleh: How loud must it be said? According to many sources – It must be said loud enough for 9 other people to hear it. What is the latest it can be said? Within three words of kaelah! Once the bal Koreh passes the koelah by three words, you missed the mitzva and must hear the koelah again. If it is said too early – you were not yotzeh, and koeleh must be repeated. If one is unsure if… Read more »
Good one. In the process, you’re mocking halacha and the Torah, but keep the joke going
Is one yotze krias hatora if he didn’t say Kaele?
(BTW Is it a chov on the individual or the tzibur?)
Can Kaele be said without a minyan? If 1 missed Kria, can / should he still say Kaele?
Can it be said baal pe or does it need to be מתוך הכתב?
Worse than chometz, no less! The practice is annoying and childish, but get a grip! There is no “farhesya derabanan”, and the baal kore can just wait a second.
If you are from among the dear yidden who engage in this behavior, kindly stay home and do it there. Some of us actually want to hear krias hatorah and be yotzei
Because of the Kaeleh movement so many people started looking forward for Shul which became into an interactive experience for people of all ages, what can be better.
…because of the organ in Shul, also many people started looking forward. But it was the beginning of Reform, was roundly condemned by all gedolei Yisroel, and brought us to the present time when many Jews don’t know a Kaddish from a Kiddush.
How dare Jews have fun
…there’s not even a word in classical Lashon Korean for “fun.” There’s happiness, simcha, sasson, etc. Not holelus.
Do you speak Korean
Those who daven in shuls on a daily or even weekly basis know that there are certain parts of kriah that have more of a “geshmakeh” tune e.g. end of certain krias, Kaeileh is one of them and only one of many parts that some people “sing along” with the Baal Koreh that’s the reality. As a matter of fact growing up the kaeileh sung along was much more naturally practiced before it became a meme etc… With all due respect to R’ Moshe Shur hes just another yid that Leins he’s no rav or posek and I’d say he’s… Read more »
Read the letter
There is a problem with people reading along with the baal koreh. This is an old problem, even the rebbe rashab wrote about it. The good baalei kriah anticipate this and wait for everyone to quiet down. And the bad ones try to plow on or read louder and pretend that it’s not happening and blame the crowd. A baal koreh is a shliach tzibbur and has to anticipate their needs. On the other hand someone in a shul that doesn’t do this should respect the community and not try to introduce this, and for sure not disturb the kriah.
Collive can now have its very own in-house krume sevaros column … No need to go to Vinnews for chumra editorials.
Is why there are girls in the men’s section in the kaehleh shul in the picture
those are the people that say kaehle
No doubt this article will have the opposite affect and people will start doing it
People saying things out loud is nothing new. In fact many parts of kriah are supposed to be said by the congregation. As long as the Baal Koreh repeats it after by himself, there is no issue. Obviously, this is not a Minhag that should be stated, but if it’s already happening, the Baal Koreh should just wait etc. Announcements like this will probably only encourage people to do this more.
…what does that say about the maturity level of these Shul-goers?
Chabad is ment to embrace these little quirks. The smile this simple semi-traditional call out brings to everyone in shul is enough to make the Baal koirah stop for a moment, let everyone say it and continue. Just because someone posted a video on COL does not mean this will stop happening. Embrace it, loosen up, live a little. Life is too short to worry about these things.
listen,if they want to say Ka’eleh, who cares? let them do what they want. it has nothing to with you!
There were those who were against booing for Haman for similar reasons. We figured it out. The bal koreh can wait for the olam and move on. No need to make a big fuss about this.
Koeleh keeps people engaged during kriah and there’s an easy solution to the halachic problem.
all i can say is that if i was present there, i’d have said ko’eileh in that minyan, v”dal
Big time
When I lain, I make a condition that if anyone does it, I will go on strike.
Ok you go on strike
The Bk can stop and pause for a moment.
In our shul the Baal Koreh takes a for the ENTIRE shul to say koeleh and then continues.
Minhag avoseinu beyadeinu. Minhag yisroel Torah hee. And keep throwing beans on tisha b’av and hopefully no one says you’re not allowed to make noise by haman during the Megilah
Perek 7 of Tanya. When you teach torah, sometimes doing it in a catchy entertaining way is more effective as it draws one’s attention and it will stick more.
Well job done!
Thank you Rabbi Shor
The “catchy entertaining way” described there in Tanya (quoting the Gemara) is _before_ learning. That same Gemara continues that the actual learning was with a sense of awe.
And what do you have to say about the psukin people read on fast days? and in the Megillah?
There’s no need to make a big deal out of something that isn’t justified. On the contrary, it makes people more attentive to the reading and waiting for the Koeleh! 😄
If we have to make a big deal and warn people not to talk in the middle of the davenen, in the middle of the chazoras hashatz, that is serious. To the point that the Alter Rebbe couldn’t contain himself and wrote “gevald!”
I wonder if this baal korei thinks that showing up on time and davening with the minyan is also shulchan uruch…
It’s the same folks who thinks it’s cool to dictate to Baalei Tefilos what to sing
You want to urge people not to do it- ot bothers you ?
okay you’re the Baal koreh your choice (personally don’t see the big Avla-is there really a letter from the Rebbe rashab?)
But don’t go proclaiming ( as representing a so called upstanding Chabad chossid)
to the entire world your extreme Am Aratzus re “trei kola” and worse than eating g chometz (kores) and some made up thing called farhesya derabanan…..
Btw – I bet this guys still a bochur……..
Guys, could you just grow up? Why scream random things in middle of קריאה? How old are you? How do you not feel stupid?