B'Mareh HaBazak Volume III
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Trieste, Italy, Tamuz 5753
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The custom of adding three verses at the end of Parshat Balak.
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Question
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The custom in our city is to add at the end of Parshat Balak the first three verses of Parshat Pinchas, in order to not conclude the Parsha on a negative note. Is such a custom well-known, and should it be discontinued or maintained?
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Answer
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The custom of adding three verses from Parshat Pinchas (up to "et briti shalom") at the end of Parshat Balak is an ancient and established custom in Corfu. The reason for this custom is mentioned in the responsa "Zera Anashim," a compilation of responsa by Rabbi Chida (Siman 21, responsa by Rabbi Yaakov Mayo): "To strengthen the merit and benefit of Pinchas for his righteous act and to conclude with the covenant of peace, which represents the fulfillment of all worlds." It is also possible to suggest another reason, which is to avoid concluding on a negative note, as stated in the Ramah (Rabbi Moses Isserles) in Orach Chaim, Siman 138. It is a longstanding custom of the Jewish people. See "Zera Anashim" where it is mentioned that this custom is ancient in Corfu (where great scholars resided, including the Radvaz, who had this custom in his time; see Responsa "Binyamin Ze'ev" Siman 184). Rabbi Yaakov Mayo concludes his lengthy response against those who object to this custom with the following words: "... we have researched and investigated, and in this custom, there is no hint of prohibition according to the words of the poskim and the words of the Zohar. It is not considered skipping or transgressing boundaries, as they said. And anyone who holds onto this custom will find great reward and support..." See his detailed response there. A summary of his response can be found in the collection "Hakamat HaChadesh" by Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Katz (Vol. 3, Siman 137, note 69*). Additionally, we have heard from Rabbi Shlomo Sofer, son of Rabbi Abraham Sofer (from the family of the Sefardi scholars who compiled the book "Beit HaBechirah" by HaMe'iri), who served as a rabbi in Corfu from 5765-5768 (2005-2008), that this was the custom during his father's tenure in Corfu.
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Similarly, Professor Rabbi Ezra Zion Melamed writes in his article ("Tarbiz" V, p. 387) that this was the custom in Persia and it is preserved in the community of Shiraz and several other communities there. His father, Rabbi Rahamim Melamed, who taught in his yeshiva in Jerusalem, also followed this custom (although he mentioned that in some cities in Persia, this custom was discontinued, likely due to the influence of the Sephardic rabbis and emissaries of the Holy Land). See also his book "Pirkei Minhag ve-Halakhah," p. 110.
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The issue with this custom is due to the words of the Zohar in Parshat Vayakhel (page 66b, in the edition published by the Mossad HaRav Kook): "It is forbidden for anyone who reads from the Torah to interrupt the Parsha or even a single word, unless at the place where Moshe concluded the Parsha, he may conclude. And one should not conclude in the middle of a Parsha on Shabbat, rather in the Parsha of that Shabbat." It is also forbidden to mix portions or to conclude in one portion what is intended for another, even just a few words. Instead, each portion should conclude as intended by God, and each portion should be read separately. These words of the Zohar are brought in the "Magen Avraham" (Orach Chayim, Siman 282) and in the "Aruch HaShulchan" (Orach Chayim, Siman 282, Seif Bet and Gimel). In the aforementioned "Zera Anashim" responsa, it is explained that the custom of Corfu does not contradict the words of the Zohar because the beginning of Parshat Pinchas and the end of Parshat Balak are one matter, and there is no interruption between the portions. There is also no boundary crossing from one Parsha to another since Parshat Pinchas will be read on the following Shabbat from the beginning of the Parsha. (Refer to "Aruch HaShulchan" there, Seif Gimel, which reconciles the question raised by the "Magen Avraham" - how do we interrupt in the middle of a verse in the readings on Mondays and Thursdays, as we learned in Tractate Berachot, page 12b, that as long as Moshe did not conclude, we should not conclude? The "Magen Avraham" proves that the intention includes even in the middle of a verse, and he identifies the Gemara with the ruling of the Zohar.) The "Aruch HaShulchan" concludes that since we will complete the reading on Shabbat, this issue does not apply. This principle is also seen in "Turei Even" on Rosh Hashanah, page 2a (in contrast to the interruption in the middle of a verse). Additionally, see the matter discussed in the responsa "Maharasham" (Chelek Gimmel, Siman 309), "Sharidei Knesset HaGedolah" with the glosses of the Tur (Siman 147, Aleph), which discusses the practice of continuing from Parshat Naso to read from the beginning of Parshat Beha'alotcha until "Ken Asah et HaMenorah," which does not deviate from the tradition established by the sages, as they did not establish that one week should have this order and another week should have a different order, but rather this is the custom. Further discussion on this matter can be found in the responsa "Devarai David" by Rabbi David Melamed (Simanim 21-38), as well as in the responsa of various rabbis (especially Simanim 23, 24, and 26). As for our custom of not ending with something positive in Parshat Balak and subsequent Parshiot, refer to the responsa "Rav Pe'alim" by "Ben Ish Chai" (Chelek Dalet, Orach Chayim, Siman 42), which states that since the reading concludes with a blessing, it is not considered concluding on a negative note. However, if one reads two verses and one translation, they should conclude with a verse from the next Parsha or a verse that has already been read, and even that should be said with two verses and one translation.
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Further, see Orach Chayim, Siman 588, Seif Hei, and the Rambam in Chapter 13 of Hilchot Tefillah, Halacha 5. From there, it appears that the ruling regarding concluding with something positive is not an absolute halacha and is dependent on additional considerations. It is important to note that on Shabbat Parshat Pinchas, the reading will begin again from the beginning of the Parsha.
Sefaria Community Translation. Via Sefaria (sefaria.org), Sefaria-Export. Version source: https://www.sefaria.org Licence: CC0. Source.