Question
What is the Maftir?
Answer
After finishing the Parashah on Shabbos or Yom Yov, we reread the last few verses. The person who is called to the Torah for this rereading then reads the Haftarah (a portion from the Prophets). The rereading, and the person who is called up for it, are both called the Maftir. Both “Maftir” and “Haftarah” are from a root that means “to supplement”; they both refer to readings that supplement the Parashah. The word “Maftir” doesn’t occur in the Bible, but it occurs in the Passover Haggadah.