Basic JudaismJudaism

Did You Know: Shabbat Nachamu

The seven shabbatot that follow Tisha B'av and lead up to Rosh Hashanah have a unique character. On each of these shabbatot, a special haftorah is read, whose purpose is to reassure and inspire the Jewish People after the destruction of Tisha B'av that redemption is possible. 

They provide the emotional and spiritual preparation neccessary for a Jew to fully appreciate Rosh Hashanah. The shabbat immediately following Tisha B'av is refered to as Shabbat Nachamu (“Shabbat of comfort).

The name comes from the first sentence of the haftorah, which is read from the Book of Isaiah 40:1-26. The first sentence speaks of “comforting” the Jewish people for their suffering and uses the plural command form of the word to comfort. Nachmu, Nachmu – the word is repeated twice for emphasis.  “Be comforted, be comforted, my people.”

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