Is it considered gayvah during hagbahah to open the Torah scroll more then 4 columns wide or is it considered mitzvha min hamuvchar like buying an expensive esrog for succos?
Answer:
Maseches Sofrim (chap. 14) writes that one should open the Torah up to three columns, and Magen Avraham (134:3) writes that this can be interpreted to mean specifically three columns. Therefore, one should not open the Torah beyond three columns, and doing so is not considered a mitzvah min hamuvchar.
