Ready for Hagbah: A “Core” Challenge

The High Holidays bring a full house, a full Torah reading schedule and more turns at hagbah than usual. Lifting and holding open the Torah after the reading is one of the most visible honors in the service, and also a physical task. The good news: with a little preparation, most of us — regardless of size, strength, or gym habit — can do it safely and confidently.

Hagbah isn’t a test of brute strength. A Torah can run from 15 to 60+ pounds, and the real challenge isn’t the weight — it’s the balance. All that weight sits in the two atzei chayim (handles), with a loose parchment “bridge”; between them that wants to fold shut or flop to one side the moment you open it. The technique that protects both you and the Torah is closer to a front-loaded squat and carry than an overhead lift.

I asked own personal trainer Cindy, who performs hagbah regularly herself, how she’d coach someone through it. Her answer starts, unsurprisingly, with the core.

Brace before you move. Everything starts with a strong, stable core, and hagbah is no different. Right before you lift, exhale fully — truly completely — and feel the lower part of your abdomen tighten. Hold that tightness. You can breathe normally after that, but keep the brace engaged through the whole lift.

Set the Torah up for success. While it’s still on the amud (reading table), arrange the columns you want visible — three to five is generally a good number — and roll each side to take out any slack in the scroll. You don’t want any surprises once you’re mid-lift.

The lift itself. Cindy’s preferred method: slide the Torah at least halfway off the amud, bend your knees, keep your back straight and your core locked in, then push down on the handles (atzei chaim), set your lats, and straighten your legs. In short — get underneath the Torah and lift with your legs while your upper body stays locked in place, not swinging or arcing the scroll up with your arms.

Cindy’s pro tip: talk to your golel (the person doing gelilah) ahead of time — even a quick sentence right before you lift works. Something like, “Grab the top handle as soon as I sit down and start rolling the scroll closed.” It’s a small thing, but it matters, especially if your golel hasn’t done this before.

One more note from Cindy: the mechanics aren’t identical for everyone. Men can widen their stance and rest the Torah against their legs as they settle into the chair; women in a dress that isn’t floor-length often can’t do the same and need to plan for that difference ahead of time.

None of this requires a gym membership. With a little practice, it’s an honor most of us can perform with confidence and pride for the holidays, and all year round.

For more on the ritual and techniques, see the International Kiddush Club page on Hagbah, which also includes a link to Past International President Stan Greenspan’s FJMC “Hagbah and Gelilah – a guide to properly lift, separate and tie“.