Halachos of the Daled Parshiyos
Rav, Distinguished Person
9. The minhag in many communities is for the rav or a distinguished person to get the maftir aliya for the daled parshiyos (ליקוטי מהרי''ח בשם ס' שערי רחמים, שכן נהג הגר''א, הייטב לב ועוד צדיקים ).
Katan Getting Aliya for Daled Parshiyos
10. Some have the minhag to call up a chinuch-aged katan who can enunciate the words properly for the regular maftir during the year (רמ''א סי' רפ''ב ס''ד ). Some also allow this for maftir of the daled parshiyos (רמ''א שם ), but others argue and do not allow it for Parshas Zachor, which is d’oraisa, or for Parshas Parah, which is d’oraisa according to some (מ''ב שם סקכ''ג ).
11. Some say a katan should not get maftir for any of the daled parshiyos (פרח ששון הביאו רע''א ובמ''ב שם, ערוה''ש סט''ז ) unless there is no other choice or to maintain peace. In such a case, he can get maftir, but he should not lain for others (שערי אפרים ס''ט ג').
12. Bar mitzva bochur. A bochur who is already bar mitzva age but does not yet have two adult hairs should not be the baal korei for Parshas Zachor [some say not for Parah either], as he is not for sure a gadol who can be motzi others in a chiyuv. However, we can be meikel to give him the aliya if the baal korei is a gadol (מקראי קודש פורים סי' א' הררי קודש עפ''י הפמ''ג סי' רפ''ב משב''ז סק''ג ).
The Chiyuv
13. Laining these parshiyos is more of a chiyuv than all other Krios HaTorah. Many poskim hold Zachor is d’oraisa (see Issue 125). Some say Parah is d’oraisa (שו''ע סי' תרפ''ה ס''ז ), while many poskim hold it is only d’rabanan (מ''ב סקט''ו ). All poskim agree Shekalim and HaChodesh are only d’rabanan.
14. Chiyuv to listen. Although the regular kriyas haTorah is a chiyuv on the tzibbur according to most poskim (see Issue 136, par. 4) and the daled parshiyos are also a chiyuv on the tzibbur, each individual still has more of a mitzva to listen to these lainings than to a regular laining (של''ה ). Also, one must have in mind to fulfill the mitzva d’rabanan of the special laining (ע''פ משמעות המ''ב סי' תרפ''ה סקי''ד וט''ו, ומ''ב סי' קמ''ו סקי''ג לגבי פרה וכן שאר הפרשיות ).
15. Standing for the laining. Because the laining of the daled parshiyos is more of a chiyuv than other lainings and everyone is yotzei via שומע כעונה [it is as if one actually says what he listens to], some say a chiddush, that there is more basis to stand for the laining (מרן פוסק הדור בתשו ה"נ ח''ד סי' מ''ג , ע''ע מדרש תנחומא פ' כי תשא ד'), even though there is no need to stand for regular krias haTorah according to halacha (שו''ע או''ח סי' קמ''ו ס''ד ).
16. Shnayim mikra. There is no need to do shnayim mikra v’echad targum on the daled parshiyos since they are lained in the regular course of the parshiyos (ע''פ שו''ע סי' רפ''ה ס''ז, אג''מ או''ח ח''ג סי' מ').
Av HaRachamim
17. Some hold we say Av HaRachamim on the daled parshiyos (הג' מ נהגים הובא בא''ר ) [if there is no other reason not to say them, e.g., Rosh Chodesh or Shabbos Mevorchim]. However, most poskim hold we do not say Av HaRachamim on the daled parshiyos (דרכ''מ בשם מהרי''ל הובא במ''ב סי' תרפ''ה סקי''ח ) because they are times of simcha; this is the minhag in Eretz Yisroel (לוח א''י ).
