Halakhah zu Zechariah 2:20

On the ninth of Av, recite the fourteenth blessing according to this formula. Have mercy Lord on us and on Israel Your people and on Jerusalem Your city, the city of mourning, destruction and desolation given over to the hand of strangers. She sits, her head uncovered like a barren woman that has not given birth. Legions have devoured her and idolators have inherited her and given the carcasses of Your servants as food to the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth. Therefore Zion weeps bitterly and Jerusalem raises her voice. My heart, my heart grieves for their slain ones; I am in anguish, I am in anguish for those they killed. See her desolation and comfort her because with fire You consumed it and with fire You will rebuild it, as it is written, "And I myself will be, says the Lord, a wall of fire around it and will be its glory within (Zechariah 2:9)." Blessed are You, Lord, who rebuilds Jerusalem.

This is a severe reproach, O king of the Khazars. It is the sin which kept the divine promise with regard to the second Temple, viz., 'Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion' (Zech. 2:14), from being fulfilled. Divine Providence was ready to restore everything as it had been at first, if they had all willingly consented to return. But only a part was ready to do so, whilst the majority and the aristocracy remained in Babylon, preferring dependence and slavery, and unwilling to leave their houses and their affairs.²⁴See R. Judah ha-Levi, Kuzari, II, secs. 23-24; cf., above, note 3. Cf., also R. Moses Feinstein, Iggerot Mosheh, Even ha-Ezer, I, no. 102 and R. Ovadiah Yosef, Torah she-be-‘al Peh, XI (5729), 40-41.

On Shabbos Chanukah, two sifrei Torah are taken out of the Ark. In the first one we read the weekly portion;³¹At least seven men should be called up to read from the first seifer Torah. (Ibid 684:5) and in the other we read the Maftir the "day" that corresponds to the current day of Chanukah. We read the Haftarah, Roni vesimchi [Sing and rejoice] (Zechariah 2:14). If another Shabbos occurs on Chanukah, we read for Maftir [on the second Shabbos Chanukah] from Melachim I (First Kings) 7:40 where the menorohs of Solomon [are mentioned]. If Rosh Chodesh Teiveis occurs on a weekday, two sifrei Torah are taken out of the Ark. In the first one we read the portion of Rosh Chodesh for three men; we then read for the fourth person in the other seifer Torah the reading of the current day of Chanukah, because Rosh Chodesh is more frequent [than Chanukah], and it is an halachic rule, when a regular practice [conflicts with] an occasional practice the regular practice takes precedence. Therefore, the the Rosh Chodesh reading takes precedence. If, by mistake, the portion of Chanukah is read first; and even if the reading has not yet begun, but the one called up had already said the berachah,³²If he said: Baruch ata Hashem, but if he had not said Hashem, it is not yet considered a berachah. (Biur Halachah 684:3) there is no need to interrupt, and the reading should be concluded. After that, they should read for the other aliyos the portion of Rosh Chodesh. If they read the portion of Rosh Chodesh in the first [seifer Torah], as indeed they should, but by mistake, they called up the fourth person also to the portion of Rosh Chodesh, even if they became aware of it immediately after he said the [concluding] berachah, then, if only one seifer Torah was taken out, no further reading is required. But if two sifrei Torah were taken out, and there is reason to fear that the [unused] seifer Torah will be slighted, because people will wrongly conclude that it is defective, a fifth person must be called for whom the portion of Chanukah is read. After this fifth aliyah, the half-kaddish is recited.

On the Sabbath of Hanukkah, we take out two [Torah] scrolls: with one we read the weekly portion, and with the second [the portion] of Hanukkah, and we read the haftorah of 'Sing and rejoice' (Zechariah 2:14); and if two Sabbaths occur [during Hanukkah], the haftorah of the second [Sabbath] is read from [First] Kings of Solomon's candlesticks. Gloss: But if a wedding occurs on that Sabbath, we read the haftorah of Hanukkah (Minhagim).