Maftir

20 Jun 2006

[m]; the additional Torah reading added to the seven basic divisions of each Parshah, either a repetition of the last verses of the Parshah, or special holiday-related verses recited on the Chagim, or the person “called up” to recite the blessing on that portion of the Torah; related to the Hebrew root “PTR,” meaning “to leave,” since it is the last portion of each Parshah; as in (somewhat untranslatably) “BeShabbat ‘Shuva’ kor’im le-‘Maftir’ et haRav;” “On the (special Shabbat called) ‘Shabbat Shuva,’ the Shabbat of Repentance which falls between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, the honor of being ‘called up’ as ‘Maftir’ is given to the Rabbi.”