Q. A hospitalized person may be able to go down to the hospital shul on Parshas Zachor. If there is no minyan, can he with help, take out the Sefer Torah and read Zachor for himself even without a minyan?
A. Shulchan Aruch (O.H. 685: 7) rules that since Parshas Zachor is Biblically ordained, people living in towns with no minyan, will have to travel on this Shabbos to a place where there is one. Rema (ibid.) adds that if they are unable to do so, they should at least read them with their proper tune. Mishna Berura (ibid. 14) maintains that this reading should be done from a Sefer Torah. In Sha’ar Hatzion (ibid. 5) he quotes opinions in regards to the need of a minyan after the fact, when non is available.
Piskei Teshuvos (685: 2) quotes different opinions if Parshas Zachor, when omitted in the morning, could be read latter on during Shabbos afternoon with a minyan, by just calling to the Torah one person who will recite the brocho.
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that is this case since there is no minyan to read Kerias Hatorah properly and with a brocho, it is better to read only from a chumash.
The Rov pointed out to Responsa Toras Refoel (1: 2) that maintains there may be even a Biblical prohibition to read from a Sefer Torah in unusual circumstances.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit’a