The
haftarah or (in
Ashkenazic pronunciation)
haftoroh (alt.
haphtara,
Hebrew:
הפטרה; "parting," "taking leave", plural
haftarot or
haftoros—despite resemblances it is not related to the word
Torah) is a series of selections from the books of
Nevi'im ("Prophets") of the
Hebrew Bible (
Tanakh) that is publicly read in
synagogue as part of
Jewish religious practice. The Haftarah reading follows the
Torah reading on each
Sabbath and on Jewish festivals and
fast days. Typically, the
haftarah is thematically linked to the
parasha (
Torah portion) that precedes it. The
haftarah is sung in a chant (known as "
trop" in
Yiddish or "
Cantillation" in English). Related blessings precede and follow the Haftarah reading.
