Kol Ramah

Parsha Talk with Rabbis Malomet, Kalmanofsky and Chesler. This week is the 4th of the special Shabbatot before Pesach, each with a special maftir [additional reading] and haftarah [prophetic reading]. Next week is also special; it is the Shabbat before Pesach and is called Shabbat Ha-gadol, for reasons which fall far short of unanimous agreement. While Shabbat Ha-gadol does have a special haftarah, there is no special maftir. Perhaps more on that next week! The weekly reading is Thazria [Leviticus 12-13], flying solo so to speak this year [in many years it is paired with M’tzorah, which this year we read next week]. The seventh aliyah, which is normally the end of the weekly reading, is from Numbers 28:9-15, in honor of Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the Hebrew month Nisan.. The maftir is from Exodus [12:1-20], and details the preparation for Pesach Mitzrayim, the Passover as celebrated in Egypt. While Thazria, which is primarily about the disease commonly, but mistakenly according to most scholars, cal