Question:
We live in Maryland, the chassuna will be in Lakewood NJ. on Sunday. To make things easier and allow guests from out of town to come, we are thinking of making the Afruf a week earlier. My son will be in Maryland the Shabbos right before his Chassuna. 1- can we make the Afruf two shabossim before his chassuna? 2- If we do make it earlier, since he will be in town the following shaboss(the day before his wedding) is he required to get an aliyah on that shaboss as well? This would be difficult as there are other Chiyuvim in shule that week, but of course if we make the afruf that week, he would get an aliyah.
Answer:
1- One of the reasons for making an aufruf in the first place is because the choson would travel to the kallah’s town, and often they would have to leave a few weeks before the wedding, so they made an aufruf in order for the people of the town to celebrate with the chosson. One can make the aufruf the week earlier if it is difficult to make it the week right before the chasuna.
2. Regarding an aliya the next shabbos, he is not a chiyuv to get an aliya, and he doesn’t have any kedima to get an aliya. If he specifically wants that everyone should sing for him, even then, according to most poskim he still is not a chiyuv. This is all halachically speaking, practically however it is usually not too hard for the shul to add an aliya, unless they have a policy against it.
Sources:
Sharei Nisuin 1 chap. 2-6. Magen Avrohom End of 282, Livush 282- end of 7, Mikraei Kodesh 6-5 footnote 7, Derch Hachayim- Chiyuvim L’kriys Hatorah, Haeirusin V’hanisuin pg. 131.
