haftarah
Noun: A reading selection from the Books of the Prophets (Nevi'im) in the Hebrew Bible. It is recited publicly in Jewish synagogue services immediately after the reading of the Torah portion on Sabbaths, major Jewish festivals, and fast days. The content of the haftarah is thematically linked to the weekly Torah portion or the significance of the specific day.
The haftarah serves as a thematic complement and prophetic reflection on the Torah reading. It is chanted with a distinctive melodic trope.
Examples: * The rabbi chanted the haftarah with a beautiful, traditional melody. * After the Torah scroll was returned to the ark, the reader approached the lectern to recite the haftarah. * Studying the connection between the weekly Torah portion and its corresponding haftarah is a common practice.
- The term can be used in its Hebrew plural form, haftarot or haftaroth.
- The student was comparing the themes across several haftarot for the month.
- The person who reads the is called the maftir. The same term also refers to the final verses of the Torah portion that are repeated before the reading.
- Haftorah, Haphtarah, Haphtorah: Alternate English transliterations of the same Hebrew word (הפטרה).
- Maftir (noun): 1. The person called to recite the . 2. The concluding section of the Torah portion read just before the .
- Prophetic portion: A descriptive synonym emphasizing the source of the reading.
- Haftarah portion: A redundant but common clarifying phrase.
The haftarah is a fixed liturgical element, not a spontaneous selection. Its establishment is traditionally linked to a historical period when public Torah reading was forbidden, and readings from the Prophets were substituted. The practice continued even after the restriction was lifted.
- a short selection from the Prophets read on every Sabbath in a Jewish synagogue following a reading from the Torah