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A baal keriah (Hebrew: בַּעַל קְרִיאָה, 'master of the reading'), colloquially called the baal korei (Hebrew: בַּעַל קוֹרֵא, 'master-reader'), is a member of a Jewish congregation who reads from the Sefer Torah during the service. As there are no niqqud, punctuation, or cantillation marks (called trop in Yiddish) in a Sefer Torah, and these are required features of the reading, the baal keriah must memorize them beforehand.[1][2]
- ^ Chabad.org: How to Get Called Up to the Torah (video)
- ^ Eisenberg, Ronald L. Jewish Traditions: a JPS Guide, pp. 451-3