Haftaras Shabbos HaChodesh
[A] (Halacha 784)
Question: When Rosh Chodesh Nissan falls on Sunday, which haftarah is read, that of Parshas HaChodesh or that of Machar Chodesh?
Answer: Regarding the haftarah of Parshas HaChodesh, the Gemara in Maseches Megillah says1: 'Our Rabbis taught: 'On the fourth [Shabbos, we read] "HaChodesh HaZeh" and we read as the haftarah "Ko amar Hashem [Elokim] barishon b'echad lachodesh"'.
And the Gemara continues2 regarding the haftarah of Rosh Chodesh that falls on Shabbos or the following day, on Sunday: 'Rosh Chodesh that falls on Shabbos, we read as the haftarah "V'hayah midei chodesh b'chodsho". Should it fall on Sunday, from the day before we read as the haftarah "Vayomer lo Yehonasan machar chodesh"'.
And Tosafos wrote there: 'Maftir "Vayomer lo Yehonasan machar chodesh" - it is difficult: why is this not done when Rosh Chodesh Adar and Rosh Chodesh Nissan fall on Sunday, and why do we read as the haftarah "b'Yehoyada" and "barishon b'echad lachodesh"3, and it may be answered that it is because the haftarah of Yehoyada speaks of the shekalim and mentions that Rosh Chodesh Adar will be in that week'.
The Mordechai4 added to the words of Tosafos also regarding erev Rosh Chodesh Nissan: 'Rav Huna said: Rosh Chodesh that falls on Sunday, we read as the haftarah "Vayomer lo Yehonasan," and one should not wonder why, when Rosh Chodesh Adar and Nissan fall on Sunday, we do not read as the haftarah "Machar chodesh." And it may be answered that before Rosh Chodesh Adar we read as the haftarah the shekalim [portion] of Yehoyada, and it demonstrates that in that week will be Rosh Chodesh Adar, and likewise the haftarah "barishon b'echad lachodesh" demonstrates that in that week will be Rosh Chodesh Nissan'.
And as a matter of halacha the Mechaber wrote5: 'On the fifth Shabbos, which is the 29th of Adar, we take out two Sifrei Torah; from one we read the portion of the week, and from the second "HaChodesh hazeh lachem." And the maftir is "barishon b'echad lachodesh"'.
Therefore, we have seen that on Shabbos HaChodesh we read the haftarah of Parshas HaChodesh even when it falls on erev Rosh Chodesh, and we set aside the haftarah of Machar Chodesh.
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Question: In such a situation, does one also add the first and last verse of the haftarah of Machar Chodesh?
Answer: The Terumas HaDeshen wrote6: 'And in any case, the minhag throughout all of Austria was that when a chosson came, even during the four parshiyos or on Rosh Chodesh, they would read together with the haftarah appropriate for that Shabbos the haftarah of "Sos asis," some of them up to "yasis alayich Elokayich," and they would skip from one prophet to another. And I heard that the early ones said that the [rule] that one does not skip from one prophet to another was specifically in their days, when all their books were written on scrolls and they did not want to prolong the rolling on account of the honor of the congregation; but nowadays, when our haftaros are written in a pamphlet and one is able to finish them such that one can quickly find what he wishes and there is no need to interrupt in order that the translator finish, it is well permitted. And it seems that this reason suffices only according to the words of the Ra'aviah, who explained that the reason one does not skip is on account of the honor of the congregation, that they not stand in silence, as is stated in the Mordechai; but according to Rashi's explanation that the reason is on account of confusion of mind, it cannot be resolved thus. Also here in Neustadt the early leaders did not want to follow the practice as in Austria, but rather when they were in two prophets they would read as the haftarah only that haftarah appropriate for the Shabbos alone. And it seems that when they are in one prophet, such as these haftaros of "Rani" and "Se'arah" and the haftarah of "Sos asis," and the skip too is from its beginning to its end, since the haftarah of "Sos asis" is after both of them in the [same] prophet, even though it is more than the measure that the translator would interrupt, one may rely on the distinction of the early ones of Austria, and one should read both as the haftarah "Rani akarah" or "Aniyah so'arah" first, and afterward "Sos asis" in its entirety'.
And the Beis Yosef wrote7: 'And nowadays it is the practice, on a Shabbos on which there is a chosson, to say after the haftarah of the week two or three verses from the haftarah of "Sos asis," and when Rosh Chodesh occurs on Shabbos and Sunday, after they read the haftarah on the preceding Shabbos they say the first verse and last verse of the haftarah "Vayomer lo Yehonasan machar chodesh", and behold they are skipping from one prophet to another, and one should wonder how this minhag became widespread; and in the Terumas HaDeshen he wrote to reconcile this minhag .. And Rabbeinu Manoach (Sefer HaMenuchah there) answered that since "Sos asis" we say by heart, it is not called skipping; and similarly Mahar"i ben Chaviv wrote in the name of the Nimukei Yosef (Megillah 24a), and this is his language: "Sos asis" is different, for we do not say it on account of the haftarah but rather as mere song'.
And the Beis Yosef further wrote8: 'And Rosh Chodesh that falls on Sunday, we read as the haftarah on the preceding Shabbos "Vayomer lo Yehonasan." This is plain in Perek Bnei HaIr. And when Rosh Chodesh is two days, Shabbos and Sunday .. and likewise it is the practice to read as the haftarah "HaShamayim kis'i," and after they finish the haftarah "HaShamayim kis'i" they say the first verse and last verse of the haftarah "Vayomer lo Yehonasan" as a remembrance that tomorrow is also Rosh Chodesh; and even though we hold that one does not skip from one prophet to another, the author of the Terumas HaDeshen already wrote to reconcile the minhag, and in siman 144 I wrote in the name of Rabbeinu Manoach that since these verses we say by heart, it is not called skipping'.
But the Rema in Darchei Moshe9 wrote: 'And we practice to read as the haftarah only "HaShamayim kis'i" and no more, and if Rosh Chodesh falls during the four parshiyos, it is written in our minhogim that we read as the haftarah that of the parsha, and all the more so when Rosh Chodesh falls on Sunday, end quote'.
Therefore, we have seen that some had the practice, when it is Shabbos Rosh Chodesh and on Sunday it is also Rosh Chodesh, to read in addition to the haftarah of Rosh Chodesh also the first and last verse of Machar Chodesh, but some were concerned for the prohibition of skipping from one prophet to another.
In the coming halacha we will see the words of the poskim as a matter of halacha and the minhag of Chabad.
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Notes:
1 ל, א ↩
2 לא, א ↩
3 ובטעם שלא שאלו ג"כ לגבי ר"ח ניסן שחל בשבת שנדחה הפטרת ר"ח ראה במרדכי מגילה רמז תתלא: '.. דר"ח אדר שחל להיות בשבת מפטירין ביהוידע היינו משום דכלול בה של ר"ח ושל שקלים כדרבי טבי ומהאי טעמא מפטירין בר"ח ניסן שחל להיות בשבת בראשון באחד לחדש'. והמהרש"א כתב: 'וי"ל דודאי בר"ח אדר או ניסן שחל בשבת הוי הפטורת יהוידע או בראשון לחדש טפי מענין הקריאה במאי דסליק מיניה שהמפטיר קרא בס"ת שלישי בשקלים ובפרשת החדש אבל הפטורת מחר חדש אינה כלל מענין הקריאה ואפ"ה היא דוחה כל הפטרות של סדר השנה שהם מענין הקריאה אמאי לא תדחה גם אלו וק"ל'. וראה בשו"ת דברי מלכיאל ח"ג סי' כז שביאר באופן אחר: 'ולפמש"ל א"ש דר"ח עדיפא שדוחה שאר הפטרות כדי לפרסם קביעות ר"ח. [ולפ"ז יקשה על מ"ש התוס' ומרדכי דגם משקלים וחודש מוכח שיהי ר"ח בשבוע זו. דהא מ"מ לא מוכח שנקבע ר"ח בזמנו ויש לדחות] ומיושב בזה שפיר מה שלא הקשו התוס' מר"ח אדר וניסן שחלו בשבת. דשם כבר נודע שהיום ר"ח ע"י שקוראים בס"ת ובראשי חדשיכם' ↩
4 מגילה רמז תתלא ↩
5 שו"ע או"ח סי' תרפה ס"ד ↩
6 פסקים וכתבים סי' צד, וראה גם בשו"ת סי' כ ↩
7 או"ח סי' קמד ↩
8 שם סי' תכה ↩
9 או"ח סי' תכה אות ד ↩
[B] (Halacha 785)
In the previous halacha we saw that there is a dispute in the case where Sunday is Rosh Chodesh whether one adds to the haftarah of Shabbos the first and last verse of the haftarah of Rosh Chodesh.
Question: What is ruled as a matter of halacha?
Answer: The Mechaber wrote1: 'It is the practice on a Shabbos on which there is a chosson to say after the haftarah of the week two or three verses from the haftarah of "Sos asis," and when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbos and Sunday, after they read the haftarah on Shabbos they say the first verse and last verse of the haftarah "Vayomer lo Yehonasan machar chodesh," and one should not protest against them'.
And the Rema wrote in a gloss: 'And see above, siman 425 se'if 3 and at the end of siman 428, how they practice'.
And in siman 4252 the Mechaber wrote: 'Rosh Chodesh that falls on Sunday, we read as the haftarah on the preceding Shabbos "Vayomer lo Yehonasan machar chodesh." And if Rosh Chodesh is two days, Shabbos and Sunday, we read as the haftarah "HaShamayim kis'i," and it is the practice to say afterward the first verse and last verse of the haftarah "Vayomer lo Yehonasan" as a remembrance that tomorrow is also Rosh Chodesh'3.
And the Rema wrote in a gloss: 'And some say that one should not interrupt from one prophet to another and that one says only the haftarah of Rosh Chodesh, and so we practice, but if the haftarah is in the same prophet, one does so. And likewise if there was a wedding on Rosh Chodesh or on other Shabbosos, [these are cases] where one does not set aside the haftarah'.
And the Levush wrote4: 'And Rosh Chodesh that falls on Sunday, we read as the haftarah on the preceding Shabbos "Vayomer lo Yehonasan machar chodesh," and "Machar chodesh" does not set aside "Aniyah so'arah," and all the more so the four parshiyos. And when Rosh Chodesh is two days, Shabbos and Sunday, we do not read as the haftarah "Machar chodesh" but rather "HaShamayim kis'i"; even though we count the coming month from the second day, which is Sunday, the following day, nevertheless we do not read as the haftarah "Machar chodesh" but rather "HaShamayim kis'i," so that they not treat lightly the Sunday of Rosh Chodesh. However, some say the first verse and last verse of "Machar chodesh" too by heart, as a remembrance that tomorrow is also Rosh Chodesh, and they do not say those verses within [from the text] because one does not skip from one prophet to another'.
Therefore, the Mechaber and the Rema dispute whether it is fitting, on Shabbos Rosh Chodesh whose following day is also Rosh Chodesh, to read also the first and last verse of the haftarah of Machar Chodesh. And the Levush added that some had the practice to say these verses by heart.
★ ★ ★
Question: What is the Chabad minhag and what is our minhag on Shabbos Parshas HaChodesh when Rosh Chodesh is on Sunday?
Answer: The Rebbe Rashab wrote in his letter to the Rav HaChossid R. A.D. Lavut5: 'And regarding the haftaros, my revered father, master and teacher, of blessed memory, would say most of the haftaros according to the nusach of Sefard, and it is known that all these matters were with them a received tradition until the Rebbe HaGadol, of blessed memory'. And so it is written in the glosses to the Siddur Torah Or: 'And my revered father, master and teacher, of blessed memory, would say most of the haftaros in accordance with the minhag of the Sephardim .. when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbos Kodesh and on Sunday he would say after the haftarah of Shabbos Rosh Chodesh the first and last verse of the haftarah of Machar Chodesh'.
Rav Chaim Naeh wrote in the Ketzos HaShulchan6 that this instruction to say the first and last verse is only when there is an opinion that one should read a different haftarah, in which case one adds the first and last verse of that haftarah in order to fulfill also the other opinion whose ruling is not the halacha. And accordingly, in the case of Shabbos HaChodesh one should not read the first and last verse of the haftarah of Machar Chodesh.
However, in the Siddur Torah Or that the Rebbe printed in the year 57017, the list of haftaros according to our minhag was brought, and there it is written: 'Shabbos Rosh Chodesh and Machar Chodesh: after the haftarah of Shabbos Rosh Chodesh we say the first and last verse of the haftarah of Machar Chodesh'. And regarding Parshas HaChodesh it is written: '"Ko amar" etc. "barishon b'echad lachodesh" etc. - "olas tamid." If it is Rosh Chodesh or erev Rosh Chodesh we say after the haftarah of HaChodesh the first and last verse of the haftarah of Shabbos Rosh Chodesh or Machar Chodesh'.
And so too the Rebbe wrote to Rav Chaim Naeh8: 'Now, regarding what you wrote in your letter of the 7th of Cheshvan, whether to say on Rosh Chodesh Elul that falls on Shabbos and the following day, when we read as the haftarah "HaShamayim kis'i," also the two verses of the haftarah of Machar Chodesh, and you lean in the letter not to say them, and to set aside the haftarah of Machar Chodesh entirely, and this reasoning you wrote in your sefer Ketzos HaShulchan se'if 3. (a) Now, since we have merited the instruction of my revered father-in-law the Rebbe, of blessed memory, may his soul rest in the hidden treasuries, may his merit protect us - as is printed in the Siddur Torah Or of the year 5701 - that on Parshas HaChodesh when it falls on Rosh Chodesh or erev Rosh Chodesh one says after the haftarah of Parshas HaChodesh also the first and last verses of the haftarah of Parshas Shabbos Rosh Chodesh or Machar Chodesh, then according to this it is clear that the saying of the verses does not depend on the existence of an opinion to say the haftarah, since on Parshas HaChodesh according to all opinions one should not say the haftarah of Machar Chodesh, and nevertheless one says the first and last verse of this haftarah, and consequently so too on Rosh Chodesh Elul when it falls on Shabbos and Sunday one should say too the verses of Machar Chodesh'.
And afterward the Rebbe explained9 at length this instruction of the Rebbe Rayatz that on Parshas HaChodesh one adds also the first and last verse, and what may be learned from it regarding additional cases.
Therefore, the Chabad minhag in the haftarah of HaChodesh is [a) to begin as the minhag of the Sephardim from the verse "Ko amar" and not as the minhag of the Ashkenazim to begin from "Kol ha'am"10. b) and likewise] in the case where Sunday is Rosh Chodesh, to add the first and last verse of the haftarah of Machar Chodesh11.
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Notes:
1 שו"ע או"ח סי' קמד ס"ב ↩
2 ס"ג ↩
3 להעיר שכאן הביא המחבר את המנהג *בסתם*. ולעיל הביא את המנהג לגבי שבת חתן ושבת ר"ח וער"ח וסיים *שאין למחות בידם*. ואולי יש לבאר לפי ביאור הרבי (לקו"ש חל'ה עמ' 187 וראה לקמן וראה גם שם בהע' 20) בדברי הב"י שלגבי היתר הדילוג לאמירת פסוקי מחר חודש בנוסף להיתר של התרומת הדשן יש גם את הטעם להיתר מצד שהפטרת ר"ח ומחר חודש הם ענין אחד. וא"כ היתר זה מרווח יותר מהיתר אמירת שוש אשיש ↩
4 או"ח סי' תכה ס"ג ↩
5 אג"ק ח"א ע' יח ↩
6 ח"ג ספ"ח ס"ה בבדי השלחן ↩
7 וכן נדפס בספר המנהגים ע' 33 ↩
8 אג"ק ח"ה ע' קח ↩
9 לקו"ש שנסמן בהערה 3 ↩
10 וראה הגהות לסדור רבנו הזקן (קה"ת) התשס"ז ע' לב ↩
11 ולהעיר שישנו שינוי נוסף בהנהגת רבותינו נשיאנו כמבואר ברשימות היומן ע' תטו, ואכמ"ל ↩
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