When people read or roll a Torah, I have always seen the table covered either with a cloth or a tallit. Is it necessary to cover the table? Why? If not, and this is a minhag, what is its source?
Could the reason be because of what is said in Talmud Bavli Megillah 32. ? -
"Rabbi Parnach Rabbi Yohanan said that one who handles a Torah bare (without a cloth) is buried bare ... Abaye explains this as meaning "bare" without this mitzvah."
This is referring to handling a bare Torah. Would that include laying it on a bare table?
Answer
While not strictly necessary, it is done in order to avoid making the table a tashmish kedusha. A tashmish kedusha may not be discarded and must be buried (genizah) (OC 154:3, YD 282:12). Placing a cloth over the table ensures that the table (even if the table was designated for this use, such as the bimah in shul), will only be a tashmish d'tashmish, and permitted to be discarded (Megillah 26b), while the cloth (if designated for this use) will become a tashmish kedusha (see Rashi Megillah 26b, Taz YD 282:9). However, if the cloth (or tallis) is only used temporarily, then the cloth was never designated to be a tashmish kedusha, and is therefore permitted to be discarded (See Beis Yosef YD 282).
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