361. The Four Special Parshas

Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 13:19

The practice is to read haftaros of rebuke for three Shabboses before Tisha b’Av. On the first week, we read “The words of Jeremiah” (Jeremiah 1-2); the second, we read “The vision of Isaiah” (Isaiah 1); the third, we read “How like a harlot…” (Isaiah 1:21). On the Shabbos after Tisha b’Av we read “Comfort my people” (Isaiah 40) as the haftarah. The accepted practice is to read the Isaiah prophecies of comfort as the haftarah from Tisha b’Av through Rosh Hashana. On the Shabbos between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we read “Return, Israel” (Hoshea 14) as the haftarah.

Tefillah u’Birkas Kohanim 13:20

When Rosh Chodesh Adar falls on Shabbos, we read parshas Shekalim (Exodus 30:11-16) as the maftir and the story of Yehoyada the kohein (II Kings 11-12) as the haftarah. If Rosh Chodesh Adar falls during the week - even on Friday – then parshas Shekalim is read on the preceding Shabbos. On the second Shabbos, we read parshas Zachor (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) as the maftir and “I recall what Amalek did…” (I Samuel 15) as the haftarah. “The second Shabbos” means the Shabbos before the week in which Purim falls, even if Purim falls on Friday. On the third Shabbos, we read parshas Parah (Numbers 19:1-22) as the maftir and “I will sprinkle upon you…” (Ezekiel 36) as the haftarah. The “third Shabbos” means the one before the fourth. On the fourth Shabbos, we read parshas HaChodesh (Exodus 12:1-20) as the maftir and “In the first month, on the first of the month” (Ezekiel 45-46) as the haftarah. “The fourth Shabbos” means the Shabbos of the week in which Rosh Chodesh Nisan falls, even if it falls on Friday.