We are in the midst of the Daled Parshiyos, the four separate sections of Torah we read for Maftir, with its accompanying haftaros, during the months of Adar and Nissan.
The Nesivos Shalom explains that the parshiyos could have been read at more appropriate times – Shekalim could have been read on the first day of Adar, Zachor on Purim, and Chodesh on the first of Nissan. However, we read them on Shabbos because it is the day on which we express our love for Hashem in powerful ways. As reading the parshiyos is supposed to increase our attachment, our dveykus to Hashem, the kedusha of Shabbos allows us to access their sanctity for the entire year.
This year we also experienced a phenomenon called Shabbos Hafsakah. In a year when Rosh Chodesh Adar falls out on Shabbos, the four parshiyos are read consecutively for four straight weeks. However, that did not happen this year and the Shabbos after Parshas Zachor had no special reading, thus breaking the cycle – Shabbos Hafsakah.
That seems like a strange way to refer to a Shabbos. We understand the reason for it, but why give the Shabbos any special name at all, especially one with negative connotations? It must be that the word “interruption” contains positive elements as well.
Rashi in Vayikra (1:1) states that when Hashem called to Moshe, Hashem’s voice reached Moshe’s ears, but Bnei Yisrael did not hear it. Hashem called to Moshe and said his name each time He taught Moshe a new section of Torah. The question is: Did Hashem call to Moshe at the pauses and interruptions between sections of Torah as well? When the Torah has a letter “peh” or a “samach” at the end of a section did Hashem call to Moshe then as well?
Rashi explains that the text says, “And He spoke.” Hashem’s call was for speech, but not for pauses and interruptions, hafsakos, as Rashi calls them. And what purpose did the hafsakos serve? They were given so that Moshe would have time to reflect between one portion and the next, between one subject and the next. Rashi says if Moshe needed time to reflect when learning from the Master Teacher, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, it is all the more necessary that a person do so when learning from a human being.
Sometimes hafsakos, interruptions, serve us well. We are given time to reflect, to think, to ponder, to understand and internalize.
This time of year teaches us so many important Torah concepts with opportunities to attain a great amount of spiritual growth. Shekalim, Adar, Zachor, Purim, Parah, Chodesh, Nissan, Pesach. We can use a “Shabbos off” to be able to internalize it all. Tafasta merubeh lo tafsta. Chazal tell us that intellectually absorbing too much too soon is never healthy. We need to utilize the Shabbos Hafsakah to take in the great growth that can and should be gleaned at this time of year.
In regards to this week’s haftarah, the Yesod V’Shoresh Ha’Avodah (end of Shaar 12) writes that when we listen to the haftarah of Parshas HaChodesh, we should have great gratitude to Hashem and great joy that one day the Final Redemption will arrive and we will build the Third Beis HaMikdash, which unlike the previous two, will not be destroyed. We should yearn for this day and strengthen our belief that it will indeed come.
The Sfas Emes (Parshas Mikeitz 5631) would lovingly quote the following pasuk from the haftarah quite often (Yechezkhel 46:1): “Shaar he’chatzeir ha’penimis, ha’poneh kadim, yiheyeh sagur sheishes yemei hamaaseh, u’beyom Hashabbos yipasei’ach, u’beyom Hachodesh yipasei’ach. The gate of the inner courtyard which faces eastward should be closed during the six days of the work week, but on Shabbos and on Rosh Chodesh it should be opened.”