Question: Why there are four special Torah readings between Purim and Pesach? Also, why do we call each of those four Shabbatot by a special name, e.g., Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Zachor etc.? Additionally how did the division of weekly parshiyot we read every Shabbat come about?
Celia Gluck
Let us examine each of the four parshiyot. The first one is Parshat Shekalim, which deals with the half-shekel coin. The Torah (Exodus 30:11-16) states that the coin served two purposes. First, it was used to take a census of the Children of Israel (they were not counted directly so that the evil eye would not plague them – Rashi ad loc). The Torah also states that these coins were then used as a kapparah. Rashi (ad loc.) explains that some of the money was used for the communal sacrifices offered on the altar throughout the year.
The first mishnah in the Jerusalem Talmud (Shekalim 1:1) states that “on the first day of Adar, [Beit Din] would announce the shekalim contribution…” The Gemara asks, “Why on the first day of Adar?” The Gemara answers, “So that they bring their shekalim in the proper time.” The Riv’van (R. Yehuda b. Binyamin HaRofei) explains in his commentary (ad loc.) that the time referred to is Rosh Chodesh Nisan. The Gemara (Megillah 29b) explains that “Zot olat chodesh bechodsho – This is the olah sacrifice of each month in its month” (Numbers 28:14) refers to the first of the month. At this time, we are to “chaddesh – renew” the Tamid and Mussaf sacrifices brought on Rosh Chodesh Nisan from a new terumah (collection). In other words, they are to be acquired with new shekalim coins collected at that time.
The Riv’van writes that just as the announcement to study the laws of Pesach is made 30 days prior to the Yom Tov (Pesachim 6a), so too the announcement to bring shekalim is made 30 days in advance. Therefore, Parshat Shekalim – which we read to commemorate the shekalim we used to donate to the Holy Temple – is read on, or immediately prior to, Rosh Chodesh Adar.
Second on the calendar is Parshat Zachor (Deuteronomy 25:17-19). “Zachor et asher asah lecha Amalek baderech betzet’chem mimitzrayim – Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were leaving Egypt. Asher karcha baderech va’yezanev becha kol ha’nechshalim acharecha ve’ata ayef ve’yage’a, velo yarei Elokim – How he met you on the way, and he struck those of you who were hindmost, all the weak ones at your rear, when you were faint and exhausted, and he did not fear Hashem.”
The Torah instructs us: “Vehaya behani’ach Hashem Elokecha lecha mikol oy’vecha misaviv ba’aretz asher Hashem Elokecha noten lecha nachala lerishtah, timcheh et zecher Amalek mitachat hashamayim. Lo tishkach – It shall be when Hashem your G-d has given you rest from all your enemies all around, in the land that Hashem your G-d gives you for an inheritance to possess it, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.”
The Mishnah (Megillah 29a) explains that if Rosh Chodesh Adar falls on a Shabbos, we read Parshat Shekalim that Shabbos. However, if Rosh Chodesh falls in the middle of the week, we read Parshat Shekalim on the Shabbos preceding Rosh Chodesh; we then interrupt the reading of the parshiyot and resume with Parshat Zachor two weeks later.
Rashi, s.v. “Umafsikin leshabbat haba’ah,” explains that we endeavor to read Parshat Zachor on the Shabbos immediately preceding Purim in order to connect the eradication of Amalek to the downfall of Haman.
The third of the four parshiyot on our calendar is Parshat Parah, found at the beginning of Parshat Chukkat (Numbers 19:1-22), which discusses the red heifer, a chok (a law for which we do not know the reason). Rashi (Megillah 29a, s.v. “parah adumah”) explains that the red heifer was brought to warn the Jews to purify themselves of any ritual defilement so that they could offer the Korban Pesach in a ritually pure state. This parshah, in other words, is relevant to Pesach, which is why we read it at this time.
Finally, the last of the Four Parshiyot is Parshat HaChodesh (Exodus 12:1-20), which concerns Rosh Chodesh, the first commandment given to the Children of Israel, and upon which our calendar (and the festivals, the first of which is Pesach) is based. This parshah also contains the commandment of the paschal sacrifice and its laws. It is read on the Shabbos preceding Rosh Chodesh Nisan unless Rosh Chodesh occurs on a Shabbos, in which case it is read that Shabbos. Rashi (Megilla 29a) notes that the Mishnah instructs us to read it shortly before Pesach because it contains the laws of this Yom Tov.