Our current year, 5784, is a rare one indeed. It is classified as a ZaCha”G (me’uberes - leap year) in our calendars. This abbreviation is referring to Rosh Hashanah falling out on Shabbos (zayin), both months of Cheshvan and Kislev being choseir (ches) – meaning they are 29-day months instead of 30 (these are the only months that can switch off in our set calendar; the next time Rosh Chodesh Teves will only be one day will be in 5790/2029), and Pesach falling out on Tuesday (gimmel).
Although technically not the rarest of years, out of the 14 possibilities in Tur’s 247-year calendar cycle, this year type occurs on average 14 times out of 247, or only once in about 18 years (5.8% of the time). The reasons and rules governing the “whys and whens” are too complex for this discussion. Suffice it to say that, when the Mishnah Berurah discusses these issues, he writes “ain kan makom l’ha’arich,” meaning that this is not the place to expound in detail, which is certainly good enough for this author.
However, that is not why I am referring to our year as rare. Rather, it is because over the course of this special year, not just one, but three out of the six rarest haftaros will be leined (at least for Ashkenazim). The next time this will occur is in another seventeen years, in 5801/2040. But first, a bit of background is in order.
Haftarah History
According to the Abudraham and Tosafos Yom Tov, the haftaros were established when the wicked Antiochus IV (infamous from the Chanukah miracle) outlawed public reading of the Torah. The Chachamim of the time therefore established the custom of reading a topic from the Nevi’im similar to what was supposed to be read from the Torah. Even after the decree was nullified, and even prior to the Gemara’s printing, this became minhag Yisrael - to read a portion from Prophets after reading the weekly Torah portion.
Most haftaros share some similarity with at least one concept presented in the Torah reading. The Gemara Megillah (29b-31a) discusses the proper haftarah readings for the various holidays throughout the year, which are rather related to the holiday and generally trump a weekly haftarah. But it is not just Yomim Tovim that may “knock off” a regular haftarah, but special Shabbosos, and usually, even if Rosh Chodesh falls out on Sunday. Hence, practically speaking, there are several haftaros that almost never get a chance to be leined publicly.
But, as mentioned previously, this year, three out of the six rarest haftaros will be leined. They are the haftaros of Parashas Mikeitz (at the end of sefer Bereishis), Parashas Tazria, and Parashas Kedoshim (both in sefer Vayikra). This series of articles sets out to discuss the specifics.
Haftaras Parashas Mikeitz
This year, as the eight-day chag of Chanukah started on a Friday, it also ended on a Friday – right before Parashas Mikeitz. This afforded us a rare opportunity to read Parashas Mikeitz’s actual haftarah. The vast majority of the time Mikeitz is Shabbos Chanukah, which causes its haftarah to be preempted for one of the special Shabbos Chanukah haftaros: either “Runi V’Simchi” (Zecharia Ch. 2:14), and/or “Vayaas Chirom” (Melachim I Ch. 7:40) when there is a second Shabbos Chanukah.
Parashas Mikeitz’s actual haftarah, “Vayikatz Shlomo,” (Melachim I Ch. 3:15), which discusses the wisdom of Shlomo HaMelech ordering to cut the disputed baby in half in order to determine his real mother, prior to this past week was last publicly read three years ago in 5781, and, before that, twenty years previously, back in 5761. This is actually the second rarest haftarah Ashkenazim read – just 24 times over the Tur’s entire 247-year cycle, and averages once in ten years. Essentially, the only time this haftarah can be leined is when Chanukah starts on a Friday and hence ends directly before Shabbos Mikeitz. The next time this haftarah is slated to be read is in another 17 years in 5801/2040! Rare indeed!
The remaining two rare haftaros, and the reasons detailing why they will be specifically read this year, will iyH be discussed closer to the times they are read.
Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch famously wrote that “the Jew’s catechism is his calendar.” It is this author’s wish that by showcasing the uniqueness of our calendar year and its rare haftaros, this article will help raise appreciation of them and our calendar customs.
*This author wishes to thank Rabbi Yosef Yehuda Weber, author of ‘Understanding the Jewish Calendar,’ for originally ‘tipping me off’ as to the rare haftaros being leined this year, as well as for being a fount of calendar knowledge.
