In my son Harav Mordechai's community, Marlboro New Jersey, they have a custom of the Rov asking five questions before Krias Hatorah. The purpose of this exercise is to encourage careful attention to Krias HaTorah.
These questions are of a very specific nature.
They are not puzzles or riddles, but they should require intelligence and attention.
The answer must be available to anyone who pays serious attention to the reading. They can not require knowing anything beyond the literal meaning of the words, not Rashi, not Targum, nothing but the words. They can not be things that everyone who has gone to a cheder automatically knows. So they have to be challenging; we do not want the yeshivishe people to roll their eyes, or, if they do, that they should regret it. Best case - the yeshivish crowd and the less educated will be on an equal footing.
Of course, it is good to have a couple of giveaways. But the main focus is on the challenges.
Then, before Hagbah, the Rov gets up and goes through the questions, and the mispallelim raise their hands if they have the answer.
In Marlboro, they open the mechitza for asking and answering the questions, and I would say it's around five to four men over women answering. (If Lois is there, the ratio gets skewed.)
I have another website dedicated to these questions, but I decided to post them here as well, beginning this week, Parshas Yisro.
The questions I post here are new. They are not from the Marlboro community. As always, I appreciate suggestions for a good question, and the post will evolve accordingly. If I do not post your question, it's ok. I love you anyway.
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