Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Haftarah

Haftarah

1 9.9
A short reading from the prophets that people say in synagogue after the Torah reading
  • noun
  • /hɑːfˈtɑːrə/
  • Jargon
: Haftará
  • During the Saturday service, the congregation listened intently as the rabbi read the Haftarah from the book of Isaiah.

Examples

  • As part of his Bar Mitzvah ceremony, David practiced his Haftarah reading for weeks to ensure he would impress his family and friends.

  • Traditionally, the Haftarah is recited after the weekly Torah reading and often includes themes related to the Torah portion.

  • At Sabbath morning services, the central event is the weekly reading from the Pentateuch and the haftarah, a section from one of the Prophets.

    Academic text (2009)

Synonyms

Haftorah
vsHaftarah
  • Jargon
2 9.9

A short reading from the Prophets read after the Torah on the Sabbath and festivals

has identical meaning but is written with a different spelling form
Haphtorah
vsHaftarah
  • Jargon
9.9

A short reading from the Prophets read in synagogue after the Torah on Sabbath and holidays

has identical meaning but appears as another spelling variant in texts
Haphtarah
vsHaftarah
  • Jargon
9.9

A short passage from the Prophets read in synagogue after the Torah reading

has identical meaning but exists as an alternative written form

Surface Forms

Haftarah singular
Haftarot plural

Etymology

Haftarah comes from a Hebrew root p-t-r that means 'to release' or 'to end'. So the Haftarah is the short 'concluding' reading from the Prophets that is said after the Torah reading.