This Shabbat is called a Shabbat Hafsakah, the Shabbat in the month of Adar when we don’t read one of the four special readings.
The four special readings are:
- Shekalim – read on Shabbat Mevorchim Adar or Rosh Chodesh Adar,
- Zachor – read on the Shabbat before Purim,
- Parah – read on the Shabbat before Hachodesh
- and Hachodesh – read on Shabbat Mevorchim Nissan or Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Nissan.
Order of the Shabbat Hafsakah
When the first of Adar occurs on Wednesday as it does this year, the Shabbat on which we don’t have a special reading (the Shabbat Hafsakah) occurs on the fourth day of the month (this Shabbat). When the first of Adar occurs on Shabbat, the Shabbat Hafsakah is on the fifteenth of Adar. When it occurs on Monday, the Shabbat Hafsakah is on the sixth of Adar, and when it occurs on Friday, there are two Shabbatot Hafsakah – on the second and on the fifteenth of Adar.
The mnemonic to remember this is:
- זט"ו (7/15)
- ב"ו (2/6)
- ד"ד (4/4)
- ובי"ו (6/2,16).
The first letter in each of these acronyms represents the number of the day of the week on which the first of Adar falls while the letter or letters after it represent the day of the month which will be the Shabbat (or Shabbatot) Hafsakah.
Seeing the Aibishter
Peb Pinchos Koritzer would say, “I wish the Four Parshiyot would arrive so that I can see the Aibishter (the One Above).” (איך וואלט שוין געהרין עם זאל קומין די ד׳ פרשיות איך זאל מיך זעהן מיט דעם אייברשטין)
The Kretchnifer Rebbe explained that one can see the One Above in these weeks because each of the four Parshiyot corresponds to one of the letters of G-d’s name (Havayah).
Although it’s forbidden to interrupt when writing out (or saying) G-d’s name, the Shabbat Hafsakah isn’t considered an interruption since the purpose of the interruption is to integrate the Divine spiritual levels into ourselves (see below). Such a pause isn’t considered an interruption just as a pause made (by a tzadik) in the middle of the Amidah to concentrate on the Divine unifications represented by each blessing (yichudim) isn’t considered an interruption.
Prepare to Destroy Amalek
The purpose of a Shabbat Hafsakah between Shabbat Shekalim and Zachor is to prepare ourselves spiritually to destroy Amalek who tries to weaken our belief in the tzadikim – the Moshe Rabeinu of every generation. In fact, it’s not a simple matter to connect to the tzadikim as this doesn’t necessarily involve physical proximity but is rather about connecting to the Divine energy, wisdom, faith, unity, and deveikut (cleaving to G-d) of the tzadik. A person’s sins may make it difficult for him to connect to the tzadik in the above manner which is why it’s (usually) necessary to have a Shabbat before Parshat Zachor in order to prepare for this matter.
