This week’s parsha is (almost) always read during Channukah, and it’s one of the few hataros mentioned in the Talmud:

בַּחֲנוּכָּה — בַּנְּשִׂיאִים, וּמַפְטִירִין בְּנֵרוֹת דִּזְכַרְיָה. וְאִי מִיקַּלְעִי שְׁתֵּי שַׁבָּתוֹת — קַמַּיְיתָא בְּנֵרוֹת דִּזְכַרְיָה, בָּתְרָיְיתָא בְּנֵרוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה.

The baraita continues: On each day of Hanukkah they read a selection from the portion of the dedication of the altar by the tribal princes (Numbers 7), and they read as the haftara from the portion of the lamps of Zechariah (Zechariah 2:14–4:7). The Gemara comments: And if it occurs that there are two Shabbatot during Hanukkah, on the first Shabbat they read from the portion of the lamps of Zechariah, and on the latter one they read from the portion of the lamps of Solomon (I Kings 7:40–50), which discusses the lamps in the Temple. (Megillah 31a)

Rashi explains

נרות דזכריה – רני ושמחי על שם ראיתי והנה מנורת זהב כולה וגו’:

This custom is pretty universal amongst the various communities, and only on the rare occasion is av different Haftarah read. The auspicious occasion of this time of year that weaves together the story of Yossef in Parshas Miketz and the light of Chanukah through the vision of Zechariah.

The Dream, The Stranger, and The Light

In Parshas Miketz, we witness a clash of worldviews. Pharaoh, the ruler of the superpower of the ancient world, is plagued by dreams he cannot understand. He is the ultimate........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)