An Aliyah on the Shabbat of a Yahrzeit
Question
If a yahrzeit falls during the week, is it customary to honor the person with maftir on the preceding Shabbat? Is this correct?
And if the yahrzeit falls exactly on Shabbat, should he receive an aliyah among the seven called to the Torah, or should he also be given maftir? What is the custom and what is the halachah?
Answer
Shalom u’vrachah
The ruling of our teacher, Rabbi Amram Fried shlita:
One who has a yahrzeit on Shabbat should receive maftir on the Shabbat before the yahrzeit.
And on the Shabbat of the yahrzeit itself, he should receive a regular aliyah.
[It is important to know that receiving the maftir aliyah on the Shabbat before the yahrzeit is not an “obligation,” but a custom. Consequently, it does not take precedence over those who have obligatory claims].
