Haftorah
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Special Haftorahs
Why do we have special haftarahs at this time of the year, like Parsha Parah? The Chafetz Chaim sums it up best in Mishna Berura 685:1: “Our sages decreed reading four special parshas a year from Rosh Chodesh Adar until…
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The Maftir
What is the Maftir? 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…
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History of the Haftarah
When and in what country did the practice of reading the Haftarah begin? The halachic work Abudraham (on the liturgy) seems to have been the first to suggest that the practice of reading the Haftarah originated at the time of…