Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
The Chabad rabbi near me has the custom of taking (for himself) both the kaddish recitation after the Torah reading (when applicable) and the reading of the haftorah on Shabbat — specifically when he is in a mourning period (thirty days for a close relative or twelve months for a parent).
Is there a source for this minhag?
Sources/rationales for this custom would be appreciated.
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (204:4) mentions (almost by the way) that a mourner gets to say the Haftara.
יִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ לַעֲשוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לַנְּשְׁמָה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לִפְרָקִים לִפְנֵי הַתֵּבָה, וְלִקְרוֹת הַהַפְטָרָה, וּלְבָרֵךְ בְּזִמּוּן, וְלִתֵּן צְדָקָה, וְלִלְמוֹד אוֹ לִשְׂכּוֹר מִי שֶׁיִלְמַד עֲבוּרוֹ
[Mourners] should try to bring joy to the deceased by leading the prayers and reading the Haftara, and to say zimun [lead bentsching], to give charity, and to learn or hire someone to learn in the deceased's merit.
( free translation )
So it's not even Chabad-specific, by was known widely by the mid-1800's. (I cannot find the Kitzur's source.)
I'm not entirely sure regarding the specifics you have mentioned. in sefer haminhagim it says, "A mourner endeavors to undertake the public reading of the Torah in shul on Monday and Thursday mornings and at Minchah on Shabbos" (page 178) in the footnotes the source was this was a directive of the Frierdiker Rebbe. I think the best and most obvious solution to finding an answer to your question is to simply ask the man. after all you have stated he is close by to your location
