What-Is-Torah-Portio
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What Is the Torah Portion? How the Five Books of Moses are divided up into weekly portions. BY MJL ADMIN The weekly Torah portion, parshat hashavuah, serves as the focal point for much Jewish learning, from individual study to informal discussion groups to rabbis’ sermons. The Torah, also known as the Five Books of Moses or the Pentateuch, is divided into 54 separate portions, each one named for the first word or words of the passage — and each linked to a specific week. The weekly portion is read aloud, or chanted, from the Torah scroll as part of the Torah service in synagogue on Shabbat (Saturday) morning. The weekly reading is pre- empted by a special reading on major religious holidays. The Saturday morning and holiday readings are followed by an often similarly themed reading (Haftarah) from the Book of Prophets (Nevi'im). The Torah is part of the Tanach, or Hebrew Bible, known in Christianity as the Old Testament. Tanach is an acronym for Torah, Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings). Below are the names of the Torah’s five books (each portion is a section within a book) and a brief summary of each: Genesis (“Origins”)/Bereishit (“In the Beginning”) tells the story of creation, Noah and the flood, and the selection of Abraham and Sarah and their family as the bearers of God’s covenant. Stories of sibling conflict and the long narratives of Jacob and his favorite son Joseph conclude with the family dwelling in Egypt. Exodus (“The Road Out”)/Shemot (“Names”) tells of how the family of Jacob grew and then was enslaved in Egypt. The baby Moses, born of Israelites but adopted by Pharaoh, becomes God’s prophet who, after bringing 10 plagues down upon Egypt, leads the Israelites through the Red Sea to freedom and to the revelation at Mount Sinai. The story of the Israelites worshipping the golden calf, which follows soon after the revelation at Mount Sinai, is almost obscured by lengthy materials on the building of a sanctuary (tabernacle) in the wilderness. Leviticus (“Laws of the Levites”)/Vayikra (“And God Called”) deals mostly with laws of Israelite sacrificial worship. Related rules include the basis for Jewish dietary laws (kashrut) and issues of purity and impurity. The holiness code, which describes a sanctified communal life, is a highlight of the book. Numbers (“The Census”)/Bamidbar (“In the Wilderness”) begins with a census of the Israelites and the tribe of Levi. A group of Israelites spy out the land of Canaan; their discouraging report sends them back into the desert for an additional 38 years, during ~ 55 ~ which the Israelites continue to behave badly, rebelling against the authority of Moses and his brother Aaron, and having illicit relations with Moabite women. Deuteronomy (“Second Law”)/Devarim (“Words”) is Moses’ final message to the people of Israel before they cross over the Jordan River into Israel. Moses reminds the people of how God has redeemed the people from Egypt and of the details of the covenant between Israel and God. In stark language, Moses describes the rewards for observance of the laws of the covenant and the punishment for disobedience. Finally, Moses passes along his authority to Joshua who will lead the people into the land. Book Parsha Name English Equivalent Parsha Portion In the beginning Gen. 1:1-6:8 ְבּ ֵרא ִשׁית ,Bereshit (Genesis) Bereshit Noah (rest) 6:9-11:32 ֹנ ַח ,Noach Go forth, yourself! 12:1-17:27 ֶל- ְל ,Lech-Lecha And He appeared 18:1-22:24 ַו ֵיּ ָרא ,Vayeira Life of Sarah 23:1-25:18 ַח ֵיּי ָשׂ ָרה ,Chayei Sarah Generations 25:19-28:9 תּוֹ ְל ֹדת ,Toledot And he went out 28:10-32:3 ַו ֵיּ ֵצא ,Vayetze And he sent 32:4-36:43 ַו ִיּ ְשׁ ַלח ,Vayishlach And he settled 37:1-40:23 ַו ֵיּ ֶשׁב ,Vayeshev At the end of 41:1-44:17 ִמ ֵקּץ ,Miketz And he drew near 44:18-47:27 ַו ִיּ ַגּשׁ ,Vayigash And he lived 47:28-50:26 ַו ְי ִחי ,Vayechi Names Ex. 1:1-6:1 ְשׁמוֹת ,Shemot (Exodus) Shemot Appeared 6:2-9:35 ָו ֵא ָרא ,Va'eira Go! 10:1-13:16 בֹּא ,Bo When he sent out 13:17-17:16 ְבּ ַשׁ ַלּח ,Beshalach Jethro 18:1-20:23 ִי ְתרוֹ ,Yitro Laws 21:1-24:18 ִמּ ְשׁ ָפּ ִטי ם ,Mishpatim Offering 25:1-27:19 ְתּרוּ ָמה ,Terumah You shall command 27:20-30:10 ְתּ ַצ ֶוּה ,Tetzaveh When you elevate 30:11-34:35 ִכּי ִת ָשּׂא ,Ki Tisa And he assembled 35:1-38:20 ַו ַיּ ְק ֵהל ,Vayakhel* Accountings 38:21-40:38 ְפקוּ ֵדי ,Pekudei ~ 56 ~ And he called Lev. 1:1-5:26 ַו ִיּ ְק ָרא ,Vayikra (Leviticus) Vayikra Command! 6:1-8:36 ַצו ,Tzav Eighth 9:1-11:47 ְשּׁ ִמי ִני ,Shemini She bears seed 12:1-13:59 ַת ְז ִרי ַﬠ ,Tazria* Infected one 14:1-15:33 ְמּ ֹצ ָרע ,Metzora After the death 16:1-18:30 ַא ֲח ֵרי מוֹת ,Acharei Mot* Holy ones 19:1-20:27 ְק ֹד ִשׁים ,Kedoshim Say gently 21:1-24:23 ֱא ֹמר ,Emor On the Mount 25:1-26:2 ְבּ ַהר ,Behar* In My laws 26:3-27:34 ְבּ ֻח ֹקּ ַתי ,Bechukotai In the wilderness Num. 1:1-4:20 ְבּ ִמ ְד ַבּר ,Bemidbar (Numbers) Bamidbar Elevate! 4:21-7:89 ָנשֹׂ א ,Naso In your uplifting 8:1-12:16 ְבּ ַה ֲﬠ ְת ,Behaalotecha Send for yourself 13:1-15:41 ְשׁ ַלח- ְל ,Shlach Korach 16:1-18:32 ֹק ַרח ,Korach Law 19:1-22:1 ֻח ַקּת ,Chukat* Balak 22:2-25:9 ָבּ ָלק ,Balak Phinehas 25:10-30:1 ִפּי ְנ ָחס ,Pinchas Tribes 30:2-32:42 ַמּטּוֹת ,Matot* Journeys of 33:1-36:13 ַמ ְס ֵﬠי ,Masei Words Deut. 1:1-3:22 ְדּ ָב ִרים ,Devarim (Deuteronomy) Devarim Pleaded 3:23-7:11 ָו ֶא ְת ַח ַנּן ,Va'etchanan As a result 7:12-11:25 ֵﬠ ֶקב ,Eikev See! 11:26-16:17 ְר ֵאה ,Re'eh Judges 16:18-21:9 ֹשׁ ְפ ִטים ,Shoftim When you go out 21:10-25:19 ִכּי- ֵת ֵצא ,Ki Teitzei When you enter in 26:1-29:8 ִכּי- ָתבוֹא ,Ki Tavo Standing (Witnessing) 29:9-30:20 ִנ ָצּ ִבים ,Nitzavim* And he went 31:1-31:30 ַו ֵיּ ֶל ,Vayelech Listen! 32:1-32:52 ַה ֲא ִזינוּ ,Haazinu And this is the blessing 33:1-34:12 ְוזֹאת ַה ְבּ ָר ָכה ,V'Zot HaBerachah ~ 57 ~ .