("One who concludes"). Honor reserved for the last worshiper summoned to the Reading of the Law in the synagogue; it comprises the final verses (never fewer than three) of the portion read from the Torah scroll on that particular Sabbath, festival, or fast day. On a regular Sabbath, after the statutory number of seven worshipers have been called to the Torah and "half-Kaddish" has been recited, the last few verses are repeated for maftir. On a Sabbath coinciding with the New Moon, High Holidays, and Pilgrim Festivals, a special maftir is read from a second scroll to recall the Temple offerings made on that particular day. These passages are taken from Numbers 28-29. Other sections of the Pentateuch are reserved for maftir on special Sabbaths (see Sabbaths, Special), the Sabbath of ḥanukkah, and the afternoon of fast days. The person called as maftir recites the Torah blessings before and after this section and he usually chants the prophetic reading (Haftarah).
A boy celebrating his Bar Mitzvah customarily recites both maftir and haftarah; if capable, he may read the complete Torah portion for that Sabbath. Most congregations reserve the maftir of the Sabbaths before Passover and the Day of Atonement for the rabbi or some learned and pious layman.
