Ask the Rov: May one receive maftir if unable to read the haftarah?
By Rabbi Chaim Hillel Raskin – Rov of Anash in Petach Tikvah
Chazal ordained that the reader of the haftarah from the Nevi’im must first receive an aliyah and read some pesukim from the Torah to honor the Torah by reading it before the Navi. This aliyah is known as maftir.1
What if the one who receives maftir cannot read the haftarah? When the haftarah was read from a parchment without nekudos, this issue was more common. When reading from a sefer with nekudos, as is done today, many people can technically read it in a kosher way, since missing the trop cantillation doesn’t invalidate the reading, though it’s not kavod hatzibur for the haftarah to be read in this manner, and maftir should be given to someone who can read it properly.
Some rishonim hold that even if the one called for maftir doesn’t know how to read the haftarah, and someone else reads it, the very fact that someone was called to reread some pesukim for maftir, after the requisite number of aliyos was already completed and kaddish was recited, sufficiently displays superior honor for the Torah.
Others, however, counter that the honor is only clear when the same person receives maftir and reads the haftarah. Therefore, the Alter Rebbe rules that l’chatchila, one may not call someone for maftir if he can’t read the haftarah himself. Yet, if such a person was called up, a different person may read the haftarah, relying on the first view.2
Some contemporary poskim write that wanting maftir for a strong reason, such as a yahrtzeit, can qualify as b’dieved,3 though it’s questionable whether the Alter Rebbe would agree with this stretch.4 Some posit that when the congregation reads along quietly, it’s not as much of an issue if a different person reads it out loud. If it’s the same baal korei who read the Torah who will read the haftarah, some say there is no concern.5
The one who received maftir often recites the brachos on the haftarah and then reads the haftarah quietly along with someone else who reads it aloud.6 However, poskim note that it is preferable for the one who is actually reading the haftarah to recite the brachos.7
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From The Weekly Farbrengen by Merkaz Anash
The author is not clear. There are two separate questions over here. 1. Is it OK for one person to say the Brachos for the Haftorah and another person to read the Haftorah? 2. Does the person reading the Haftirah have to have to be the same person who received the Maftir Aliya? Please clarify both of these issues and how they overlap/interact with each other.
Although not ideal:
1. If it turns out that the person called up for maftir is not indeed capable of reading the haftarah himself, someone else may read the haftarah.
2. The person who received maftir may recite the brachos on the haftarah and read the haftarah quietly along with the person who actually reads it aloud.