Haftarah

Haftarah refers to a reading from the Books of the Prophets (Nevi'im) that is recited in Jewish worship after the Torah portion during morning services on Shabbat and many holidays. The word haftarah is Hebrew and is commonly understood to denote the “conclusion” or “appendix” to the weekly Torah reading, highlighting prophetic themes that illuminate or respond to the Torah text.

In the standard weekly service, a fixed haftarah is assigned to most parashot (Torah portions). Some portions have no separate haftarah or are replaced by special readings for holidays or particular calendar occasions. In addition to the regular cycle, there are special haftarot for specific days, such as Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, Shabbat Shuva (the Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur), and Shabbat Nachamu after Tisha B’Av, as well as haftarot connected to major feasts like Purim and Hanukkah.

Reading practice varies by community, but the haftarah is read in Hebrew and is chanted with cantillation. In many communities a designated reader or cantor performs the reading, and there is often a brief introduction relating the haftarah to the week’s Torah portion or the liturgical occasion.

Historically, the haftarah developed in Rabbinic Judaism as a complement to the Torah reading and to link the week’s biblical narrative with prophetic writings. The practice remains a central component of traditional Jewish liturgy, with variations across Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi traditions. Many study resources enumerate the weekly haftarot and explain the connections to their corresponding parashot.