If one receives an aliyah, he is obligated to read along quietly with the baal korei.
What is one to do if he cannot read along, due to not knowing Hebrew, and the baal korei leins too fast for him to be able to repeat word by word?
Should he refuse the aliyah, to avoid making a bracha l’vatala?
Answer:
One who is unable to read along may still receive an aliyah.
Sources:
See Rama 139:3 who states that the custom is to follow the opinion of the Maharil that a blind person or ignoramus both who can’t read along with the bal koreh, may receive an aliyah.
The Biur Halacha in siman 141:2 questions how the above ruling jives with the halacha brought there that one must be careful to read along as otherwise his bracha may be l’vatala. He explains that when it is impossible to read along we are lenient that the reading along is not crucial.
See also the Mishna Brura 66:26 and Shaar Efrayim 1:3 who rule that one who is calle dup to the Torah while in the middle of birchos krias shma may take the aliyah but should not read along with bal koreh. This would see to prove the above Biur Halacha’s premise that in extenuating circumstances we are lenient in this regard.
The Bais Yosef himself in siman 141 brings that the implication of the Zohar is that in fact one should not read along with the bal koreh, see the poskim there who debate the interpretation of the Zohar.
