During the Torah service, extra people go up onto the bimah to help out. Who are they?
The gabbai im (the singular is gabbai) are the two people who help the Rabbi, Cantor and Torah readers on the bima during the Torah service. They must be thoroughly familiar with the order of services, and in addition they must have strong Hebrew skills. As the Torah service begins, the gabbai im set up the reading table and help congregants and guests find their places on the bima. During the Torah reading, they keep the service flowing smoothly by directing people as they play their various roles in the service. The gabbai who stands on the left side of the Torah reader helps the Torah reader and corrects any errors that are made. In the Torah scroll, the Hebrew words are written without vowels, musical notations or punctuation. Needless to say, that is difficult to read. To help out, the gabbai holds another copy of the Torah written with vowels, musical notations and punctuation right next to the Torah scroll. If necessary, the Torah reader can quickly glance over to the gabbai s c
