This Shabbos we start laining the four parshiyos. The first parsha is Parshas Shekalim, which is in the beginning of Parshas Ki Sisa. In the Bais Hamikdash the korbanos olos, temidin, and mussafin, were brought from the תרומה חדשה. They would remind everyone by Rosh Chodesh Adar to bring their Shekalim on Rosh Chodesh Nissan. Since today there is no Bais Hamikdash, we read the parsha in its place.
The מחבר (סימן תרפ”ה סעיף א’) says that when Rosh Chodesh Adar closest to Nissan falls out on Shabbos three Sifrei Torah are taken out. One for the regular Parshas hashavua, a second for Rosh Chodesh, and a third for Parshas Shekalim. How many Sifrei Torah are taken out when Rosh Chodesh falls out during the week? The מהרי”ל ושערי אפרים both say that two are taken out. This is true even though there is reason to say that since Parshas Mishpatim and Parshas Shekalim are close together it is not a problem of טירחא דציבורא to roll it from one parsha to the other. It is not טירחא דציבורא that now הגבהה has to be done on the first Sefer Torah. טירחא דציבורא means that the ציבור is waiting and doing nothing, however when הגבהה is being done it is a מצוה on the ציבור to look at the ksav, and they are therefore being busy with the mitzvah of הגבהה. The minhag is to take out both Sifrei Torah even if the second Sefer Torah was not rolled to Ki Sisa, and will need to be rolled בציבור. However לכתחילה the Sefer Torah should be rolled at the time when מי שברך is being said.
However both Reb Nosson Adler and Reb Shmuel Salant zt”l only took out one sefer Torah on Parshas Shekalim. They held that since it is so close together it is not called טירחא דציבורא. The מנהג is to take out two Sifrei Torah. This is also the psak of Reb Chaim Kaneivsky shlit”a since this is the opinion of most of the poskim as mentioned earlier. The רי”ץ גאות says that even though it may not be טירחא דציבורא by Parshas Shekalim, we are afraid that people will also do this by the other parshiyos, therefore even by Parshas Shekalim we take out two Sifrei Torah. Reb Nissim Karelitz zt”l says that if only one Sefer Torah was taken out and they remembered before Krias Hatorah started, then the second Sefer Torah should immediately be taken out. If they already started Krias Hatorah then it should only be taken out after they are finished reading from the first one.
The רמ”א (סימן רפ”ב סעיף ד’) rules that a קטן can be called up for maftir for the ד’ פרשיות. However the ביאור הלכה rules according to רבי עקיבא איגר ע”פ תשובת ,פרח שושן that a קטן should not be called up for any of the ד’ פרשיות. In situations of דרכי שלום, there are poskim who are lenient and rely on the רמ”א.
Minhag Ashkenaz is to read the Haftarah from Melachim “בן שבע שנים יהואש במלכו”. The minhag of the Sefardim is to start a few pessukim earlier from “ויכרות יהוידע”. The Haftarah ends with the words “לכהנים יהיו”.[1]
Prepared by R’ Avrohom Yehoshua Ziskind
[1] Sources:משנה ברורה,שושנת ישראל,דרשו,פסקי תשובות,הקריאה בתורה והלכותיה