Haftarah

20 Jun 2006

[f.; pl. “Haftarot”]; a section from the writings of the Prophets, who were human “conduits,” or pipelines through which G-d addressed the Jewish People, related in some way to the Weekly Torah Reading, appended to the weekly Reading. Historically, the custom of reading the Haftorah was instituted when the ruling power forbade, usually on pain of death, the reading of the Torah. As in, “Kavod gadol likro et ha-Haftarah bevait Ha-knesset;” “It is a great honor to read the Section of the Prophets in the synagogue.”