This is a double parsha, made up of parshas Behar and Bechukotai. The seven aliyot of this week’s reading are indicated by special aliyah markings within those two parshas in the Chumash. Parshiyot Behar and Bechukotai are power-packed doubleheaders, this one emphasizing the connection between the Jew and Eretz Yisrael. The lunisolar Hebrew calendar contains up to 55 weeks, the exact number varying between 50 in common years and 54 or 55 in leap years. In leap years, parshah Bechukotai is read separately. In common years, parshah Bechukotai is combined with the previous parshah, Behar, to help achieve the needed number of weekly readings. Behar: The thirty-second reading from the Torah and second-to-last reading from the book of Leviticus is called Behar (בהר), which means “On the Mountain.” The name comes from the first words of the first verse of the reading, which could be literally translated to [...]
Read full story »
The spiritual cycle of the Jewish year depends on an interaction among the flow of holidays, the marking of Rosh Chodesh (the new month) and the weekly Shabbat (Sabbath) observance. The holidays and fast days sometimes permeate the surrounding Shabbatot (plural of Shabbat) with holiday themes. These special Shabbatot may create the mood for an upco ...
Names are more than convenient labels—going by your Jewish name is a statement of pride in your Jewish heritage. The Jews of ancient Egypt, tradition tells us, kept their Jewish names. That’s one of the ways they remained a cohesive people and merited redemption. There’s more: Your Jewish name is the channel by which life reaches ...
V’Zot HaBerachah, VeZot Haberakha, or Zos Habrocho (וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה — Hebrew for "and this is the blessing," the first words in the parshah) is the 54th and last weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah r ...
The Torah Scroll contains the five books of Rabbeinu Moshe. It is hand written on parchment (Animal Skin or Papyrus leaf paper). It is the holiest of all of God’s words in Tanach, A Sefer Torah is kept in the Beit knesset / Shul / Synagogue, and portions are read from it publicly on Shabbat, Yom Tov (Holidays), Azom (Fast Days), Mondays and T ...
We are entering the Hebrew month of Sivan – ראש חדש סיון. Since the last month had 29 days it is celebrated only one day this month which has 30 days. Sivan is the third month of the year as Torah describes it. The first day of Sivan the people encamped at Mt. Sinai preparing to rece ...
What is Shabbat Zachor? This Shabbat gets its name from the first word of the special 3 sentence Torah reading that is read on this Shabbat: Remember [Zachor] what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt… In addition to the regular Torah reading, three verses from Deuteronomy are read (25: 17-19) which describe the ...
Weekly Sidra: Shemot (Names) Torah Portion: Shemot /Exodus 1:1-6:1 Haftorah: Yermiyahu /Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 This weeks Torah reading, starts the new book of Shemot (Sefer Shemot / Book of Exodus). We learn about the Hebrews gradual enslavement, Moses’s birth and some significant moments in his life. One of the most significant and ...
Weekly Sidra: Shemot (Names) Torah Portion: Shemot /Exodus 1:1-6:1 Haftorah: Yermiyahu /Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 The word of the Lord came to me: 5 Before I created you in the womb, I selected you; Before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet concerning the nations. 6 I replied: Ah, Lord God! I don’t know how to s ...
Weekly Sidra: Vayechi (He lived) Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 47:28-50:26 Haftorah: Melechim Alef / Kings I 2:1-12 Vayechi, Vayehi, or Vayhi (וַיְחִי — Hebrew for “and he lived,” the first word of the prshah) is the twelfth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish cycle of ...
Weekly Sidra: Mikeitz (at the end) Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 41:1-44:17 Haftorah: Zecharya / Zechariah 2:14-4:7 Miketz or Mikeitz (מקץ — Hebrew for “at the end,” the second word — and first distinctive word — of the parshah) is the tenth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish cycl ...
Weekly Sidra: Toledot (Generations) Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 25:19-28:9 Haftorah: Sh’muel Alef / I Samuel 20:18-20:42 Toledot, Toldot, or Tol’doth (תּוֹלְדֹת — Hebr "" for “line” or “Generations,” the second word and the first distinct ...
Weekly Sidra: Chayei Sarah (Sarah’s life) Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 23:1-25:18 Haftorah: Melachim Alef / Kings I 1:1-31 Chayei Sarah, Chaye Sarah, or Hayye Sarah (חַיֵּי שָׂרָה — Hebrew for “life of Sarah,” the first words in the parshah) is the ...
Weekly Sidra: Vayera (And he appeared) Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 18:1-22:24 Haftorah: Melachim Bet / Kings II 4:1-4:23 Vayeira, Vayera, or Va-yera (וַיֵּרָא — Hebrew for "and He appeared,” the first word in the parshah) is the fourth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annua ...
Weekly Sidra: Lech Lecha (Go for youself) Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 12:1-17:27 Haftorah: Yeshayhu / Isaiah 40:27-41:16 Lech-Lecha, Lekh-Lekha, or Lech-L’cha (לֶךְ-לְךָ — Hebrew for "go!” or "leave!" or "go for you" — the fifth and sixth words in ...
This Website is Powered by HaShem
Jewish Categories
