Torah Readings
פָּרָשָׁה
Level: Intermediate
- Torah is divided into 54 portions for weekly reading in synagogue
- There are also special readings for holidays and other days
Each week in synagogue, we read (or, more accurately, chant, because it is
sung) a passage from the Torah. This passage is referred to as a parashah
(פָּרָשָׁה), more commonly pronounced parshah. The first parshah, for example,
is Parshat Bereishit, which covers from the beginning of Genesis to the introduction of Noah. There are 54
parshiyot (פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת, the plural of "parshah"), one for each week of the
year with the most Shabbats, so that in the course of a year, we can read the
entire Torah, Genesis to Deuteronomy, in our services. Most years have fewer Shabbats, so some of the shorter
portions are commonly doubled up so we can always read the entire Torah in the year. We read the last parshah
right before a holiday called Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Law), which
occurs in October, a few weeks after Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). On Simchat
Torah, we read the last few verses of Deuteronomy, and proceed immediately to the first paragraph of Genesis,
showing that the Torah is a circle, and never ends.
The weekly parshah is accompanied by a passage from the prophets, which is referred to as a haftarah
(הַפְטָרָה). Contrary to common misconception, "haftarah" does not mean
"half-Torah." The word comes from the Hebrew root Fei-Teit-Reish
(פטר) and means "Conclusion." Usually, the haftarah portion is quite short and
has some relation to the Torah portion of the week, though sometimes the portion is special for the date or
time of year. Tradition teaches that haftarah portions began in a time when studying Torah was forbidden, so
instead we read thematically related portions from the prophets to remind us of what the week's Torah portion
would have been. The haftarah also shows us that the concepts discussed in the Torah portion were not limited
to that one time but continued through Jewish history.
A reading applies to the whole week. Children may review it on Sunday in Hebrew School. A small taste of the
week's Torah reading is read during morning services on Monday and Thursday. But the big deal is on the last
day of the week, Shabbat, when the Torah and haftarah readings are the centerpiece of the morning service.
The Torah and haftarah readings are performed with great ceremony: the Torah scroll is paraded around the
room with song, while members of the congregation touch the cover and kiss their fingers as it passes by,
before it is brought to rest on the bimah (podium). On Shabbat, the reading is divided up into seven portions
(appropriate for this holy 7th day), and various members of the congregation have the honor of reciting a
blessing over a portion of the reading. This honor is referred to as an aliyah
(עֲלִיָּה, literally, ascension). When two Torah portions are combined, as they
commonly are, there are still seven aliyot, dividing the text up differently.
There is also an eighth aliyah and portion called a maftir (מַפְטִיר, from the
same פטר root as haftarah, meaning "the one that concludes"), which usually
repeats part of the seventh portion but is sometimes an additional piece for a holiday or time of year and
usually puts a second or third Torah scroll in that initial procession.
The first aliyah of any day's reading is reserved for a kohein, the second for
a Levite, and priority for subsequent aliyot are given to people celebrating
major life events, such as marriage or the birth of
a child. In fact, a Bar Mitzvah was originally nothing more than the first
aliyah of a boy who had reached the age to be permitted such an honor. Celebrants of life events are
ordinarily given the last (8th) aliyah, which includes blessing the last part of the Torah reading as well as
blessing the haftarah reading. The person given this honor is referred to as the maftir, the term for that
8th reading.
Some holidays also have Torah readings in their morning services, with a
procedure similar to Shabbat, but holidays have 5 or 6 aliyot instead of Shabbat's 7. If the holiday falls on
Shabbat, the reading is divided into 7 aliyot.
For more information about services generally, see Jewish Liturgy.
Books of Jewish scriptures are sometimes bound in a form that corresponds to this division into weekly
readings, providing each Torah portion followed by its corresponding haftarah, and then the next Torah
portion with its haftarah and so forth. At the end of the book are haftarot for holidays and other special
days. Scriptures bound in this format are generally referred to as a chumash
(חֻמָּש, pronounced khu-MAHSH or KHUH-mish). The word "chumash" comes from the
Hebrew word meaning five, and refers to the five books of the Torah. Sometimes, a chumash is simply refers to
a collection of the five books of the Torah, but normally it refers to this format.
☰ Table of Weekly Parshiyot
Below is a table of the regular weekly Torah readings with the Haftarah reading that usually accompanies it.
Haftarot in parentheses indicate Sephardic ritual where it differs from
Ashkenazic. There may be other variations on the readings -- a different
Haftarah may be substituted on certain days or at certain times of the year -- but these are the most
commonly used ones. If you want to know the readings for a specific date, check the
Current Calendar.
There are additional special readings for certain holidays and other special days, listed in a separate table
below.
- Parshah
- Torah
- Haftarah
- Bereishit
- Genesis 1:1-6:8
- Isaiah 42:5-43:11
(Isaiah 42:5-42:21)
- Noach
- Genesis 6:9-11:32
- Isaiah 54:1-55:5
(Isaiah 54:1-10)
- Lekh Lekha
- Genesis 12:1-17:27
- Isaiah 40:27-41:16
- Vayeira
- Genesis 18:1-22:24
- II Kings 4:1-4:37
(II Kings 4:1-4:23)
- Chayei Sarah
- Genesis 23:1-25:18
- I Kings1:1-1:31
- Toldot
- Genesis 25:19-28:9
- Malachi 1:1-2:7
- Vayeitzei
- Genesis 28:10-32:3
- Hosea 12:13-14:10
(Hosea 11:7-12:12)
- Vayishlach
- Genesis 32:4-36:43
- Hosea 11:7-12:12
(Obadiah 1:1-1:21)
- Vayyeshev
- Genesis 37:1-40:23
- Amos 2:6-3:8
- Miqeitz
- Genesis 41:1-44:17
- I Kings 3:15-4:1
- Vayigash
- Genesis 44:18-47:27
- Ezekiel 37:15-37:28
- Vayechi
- Genesis 47:28-50:26
- I Kings 2:1-12
- Shemot
- Exodus 1:1-6:1
- Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-29:23
(Jeremiah 1:1-2:3)
- Va'eira
- Exodus 6:2-9:35
- Ezekiel 28:25-29:21
- Bo
- Exodus 10:1-13:16
- Jeremiah 46:13-46:28
- Beshalach (Shabbat Shirah)
- Exodus 13:17-17:16
- Judges 4:4-5:31
(Judges 5:1-5:31)
- Yitro
- Exodus 18:1-20:23
- Isaiah 6:1-7:6; 9:5-9:6
(Isaiah 6:1-6:13)
- Mishpatim
- Exodus 21:1-24:18
- Jeremiah 34:8-34:22; 33:25-33:26
- Terumah
- Exodus 25:1-27:19
- I Kings 5:26-6:13
- Tetzaveh
- Exodus 27:20-30:10
- Ezekiel 43:10-43:27
- Ki Tisa
- Exodus 30:11-34:35
- I Kings 18:1-18:39
(I Kings 18:20-18:39)
- Vayaqhel (often combined with Pequdei)
- Exodus 35:1-38:20
- I Kings 7:40-7:50
(I Kings 7:13-7:26)
- Pequdei
- Exodus 38:21-40:38
- I Kings 7:51-8:21
(I Kings 7:40-7:50)
- Vayiqra
- Leviticus 1:1-5:26
- Isaiah 43:21-44:23
- Tzav
- Leviticus 6:1-8:36
- Jeremiah 7:21-8:3; 9:22-9:23
- Shemini
- Leviticus 9:1-11:47
- II Samuel 6:1-7:17
(II Samuel 6:1-6:19)
- Tazria (often combined with Metzora)
- Leviticus 12:1-13:59
- II Kings 4:42-5:19
- Metzora
- Leviticus 14:1-15:33
- II Kings 7:3-7:20
- Acharei Mot (often combined with Qedoshim)
- Leviticus 16:1-18:30
- Ezekiel 22:1-22:19
(Ezekiel 22:1-22:16)
- Qedoshim
- Leviticus 19:1-20:27
- Amos 9:7-9:15
(Ezekiel 20:2-20:20)
- Emor
- Leviticus 21:1-24:23
- Ezekiel 44:15-44:31
- Behar (often combined with Bechuqotai)
- Leviticus 25:1-26:2
- Jeremiah 32:6-32:27
- Bechuqotai
- Leviticus 26:3-27:34
- Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
- Bamidbar
- Numbers 1:1-4:20
- Hosea 2:1-2:22
- Nasso
- Numbers 4:21-7:89
- Judges 13:2-13:25
- Beha'alotkha
- Numbers 8:1-12:16
- Zechariah 2:14-4:7
- Shelach
- Numbers 13:1-15:41
- Joshua 2:1-2:24
- Qorach
- Numbers 16:1-18:32
- I Samuel 11:14-12:22
- Chuqat (often read with Balaq)
- Numbers 19:1-22:1
- Judges 11:1-11:33
- Balaq
- Numbers 22:2-25:9
- Micah 5:6-6:8
- Pinchas
- Numbers 25:10-30:1
- I Kings 18:46-19:21
- Mattot (often combined with Masei)
- Numbers 30:2-32:42
- Jeremiah 1:1-2:3
- Masei
- Numbers 33:1-36:13
- Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4
(Jeremiah 2:4-28; 4:1-4:2)
- Devarim
- Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22
- Isaiah 1:1-1:27
- Va'etchanan
- Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
- Isaiah 40:1-40:26
- Eiqev
- Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25
- Isaiah 49:14-51:3
- Re'eh
- Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17
- Isaiah 54:11-55:5
- Shoftim
- Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
- Isaiah 51:12-52:12
- Ki Teitzei
- Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19
- Isaiah 54:1-54:10
- Ki Tavo
- Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8
- Isaiah 60:1-60:22
- Nitzavim (often combined with Vayeilekh)
- Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20
- Isaiah 61:10-63:9
- Vayeilekh
- Deuteronomy 31:1-31:30
- [when combined with Nitzavim, read that Haftarah; otherwise, read for Shabbat Shuvah]
- Ha'azinu
- Deuteronomy 32:1-32:52
- II Samuel 22:1-22:51
- Vezot Haberakhah
- Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12
- Joshua 1:1-1:18
(Joshua 1:1-1:9)
☰ Table of Special Parshiyot
Below are additional readings for holidays and special Shabbats. If the date falls on Shabbat, any Torah or
Haftarah readings override the regular weekly reading. Maftir readings are read after the regular Torah
reading, usually from a separate Torah scroll. The Maftir portion is usually the Torah portion that
institutes the holiday or specifies the holiday's offerings. Haftarot in
parentheses indicate Sephardic ritual where it differs from
Ashkenazic.
- Parshah
- Torah
- Maftir
- Haftarah
- Rosh Hashanah, Day 1
- Genesis 21:1-34
- Numbers 29:1-6
- I Samuel 1:1-2:10
- Rosh Hashanah, Day 2
- Genesis 22:1-24
- Numbers 29:1-6
- Jeremiah 31:1-19
- Shabbat Shuvah
-
-
- Hosea 14,2-10; Joel 2,15-27
(Hosea 14,2-10; Micah 7,18-20)
- Yom Kippur, Morning
- Leviticus 16:1-34
- Numbers 29:7-11
- Isaiah 57:14-58:14
- Yom Kippur, Afternoon
- Leviticus 18:1-30
-
- Jonah 1:1-4:11
Micah 7:18-20
- Sukkot, Day 1
- Leviticus 22:26-23:44
- Numbers 29:12-16
- Zechariah 14:1-21
- Sukkot, Day 2
- Leviticus 22:26-23:44
- Numbers 29:12-16
- I Kings 8:2-21
- Sukkot, Intermediate Shabbat
-
- Exodus 33:12-34:26
- Ezekiel 38:18-39:16
- Sukkot, Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 1
-
- Numbers 29:17-25
- Sukkot, Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 2
-
- Numbers 29:20-28
- Sukkot, Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 3
-
- Numbers 29:23-31
- Sukkot Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 4
-
- Numbers 29:26-34
- Hoshanah Rabbah (Sukkot, Day 7)
-
- Numbers 29:26-34
- Shemini Atzeret
- Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17
- Numbers 29:35-30:1
- I Kings 8:54-9:1
- Simchat Torah
- Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12
Genesis 1:1-2:3
- Numbers 29:35-30:1
- Joshua 1:1-18
(Joshua 1:1-9)
- Chanukah, Day 1
-
- Numbers 7:1-17
- Chanukah, Day 2
-
- Numbers 7:18-29
- Chanukah, Day 3
-
- Numbers 7:24-35
- Chanukah, Day 4
-
- Numbers 7:30-41
- Chanukah, Day 5
-
- Numbers 7:36-47
- Chanukah, Day 6 (if Rosh Chodesh)
- Numbers 28:1-15
- Numbers 7:42-47
- Chanukah, Day 7 (if Rosh Chodesh)
- Numbers 28:1-15
- Numbers 7:48-59
- Chanukah, Day 7 (if not Rosh Chodesh)
-
- Numbers 7:48-59
- Chanukah, Day 8
-
- Numbers 7:54-8:4
- Chanukah, First Intermediate Shabbat
-
-
- Zechariah 2:14-4:7
- Chanukah, Second Intermediate Shabbat
-
-
- 1 Kings 7:40-50
- Sheqalim
-
- Exodus 30:11-16
- II Kings 12:1-17
(II Kings 11:17-12:17)
- Zakhor
-
- Deuteronomy 25:17-19
- I Samuel 15:2-34
(I Samuel 15:1-34)
- Purim
- Exodus 17:8-16
- Parah
-
- Numbers 19:1-22
- Ezekiel 36:16-38
(Ezekiel 36:16-36)
- Ha-Chodesh
-
- Exodus 12:1-20
- Ezekiel 45:16-46:18
(Ezekiel 45:18-46:18)
- Shabbat Ha-Gadol
-
-
- Malakhi 3:4-24
- Pesach (Passover), Day 1
- Exodus12:21-51
- Numbers 28:16-25
- Joshua 3:5-7; 5:2-6:1; 6:27
(Joshua 5:2-6:1)
- Pesach (Passover), Day 2
- Leviticus 22:26-23:44
- Numbers 28:16-25
- II Kings 23:1-9; 21-25
- Pesach (Passover)
Intermediate Shabbat
- Exodus 33:12-34:26
- Numbers 28:19-25
- Ezekiel 37:1-37:14
(Ezekiel 36:37-37:14)
- Pesach (Passover), Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 1
- Exodus 13:1-16;
- Numbers 28:19-25
- Pesach (Passover), Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 2
- Exodus 22:24-23:19;
- Numbers 28:19-25
- Pesach (Passover), Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 3
- Exodus 34:1-26;
- Numbers 28:19-25
- Pesach (Passover), Chol Ha-mo'ed Day 4
- Numbers 9:1-14;
- Numbers 28:19-25
- Pesach (Passover), Day 7
- Exodus 13:17-15:26
- Numbers 28:19-25
- II Samuel 22:1-51
- Pesach (Passover), Day 8 (if weekday)
- Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17
- Numbers 28:19-25
- Isaiah 10:32-12:6
- Pesach (Passover), Day 8 (if Shabbat)
- Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17
- Numbers 28:19-25
- Isaiah 10:32-12:6
- Shavu'ot, Day 1
- Exodus 19:1-20:23
- Numbers 28:26-31
- Ezekiel 1:1-28; 3:12
- Shavu'ot, Day 2 (if weekday)
- Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17
- Numbers 28:26-31
- Habbakkuk 2:20-3:19
- Shavu'ot, Day 2 (if Shabbat)
- Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17
- Numbers 28:26-31
- Habbakkuk 2:20-3:19
- Tisha B'Av, Morning
- Deuteronomy 4:25-40
-
- Jeremiah 8:13-9:23
- Tisha B'Av, Afternoon
- Exodus 32:11-14, 34:1-10
-
- Isaiah 55:6-56:8
(Hosea 14:2-10; Micah 7:18-20)
- Minor Fasts, Morning
- Exodus 32:11-14; 34:1-10
- Minor Fasts, Afternoon
- Exodus 32:11-14; 34:1-10
-
- Isaiah 55:6-56:8
(none)
- Shabbat the day before Rosh Chodesh)
-
-
- I Samuel 20:18-42
- Rosh Chodesh (weekday)
- Numbers 28:1-15
- Rosh Chodesh (Shabbat)
-
- Numbers 28:9-15
- Isaiah 66:1-24
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