Finding Your Torah Portion

By: 
Rabbi Goldie Milgram

The Torah, also known in book form as the Chumash, meaning “Five” Books of Moses, is studied and chanted aloud in weekly segments known as the parsha, or “portion.” This annual process ends and starts all over again on the holy day known as Simchat Torah, which is a day of “Rejoicing in the Torah.”  Since Judaism follows a lunar cycle, with certain years containing leap “months,” one year’s Jewish calendar does not help with the next. For the same reason, in some years two portions will be assigned to one date. On festivals and holidays special portions are read that go out of order with the sequence of the year.  

Every parsha has a name given to it; this name is derived from an early word or phrase in its verses. For example the first portion is named after its first word, Bereishit, “In the beginning.” Here is a list of all the Torah portions in order: 

The 54 Portions of the Torah
To easily find out which portion occurs on a specific date visit hebcal.com

Name           Book           Verses

Name           Book           Verses

Genesis

Bereshit                           1:1-6:8

Noach                          6:9-11:32

Lech-Lecha                  12:1-17:27

Vayera                        18:1-22:24

Chayei-Sarah               23:1-25:18

Toldot                         25:19-28:9

Vayetze                       28:10-32:2

Vayishlach                    32:3-36:43

Vayeshev                    37:1-40:23

Miketz                         41:1-44:17

Vayigash                    44:18-47:27

Vayechi                     47:28-50:26

Exodus

Shemot                            1:1-6:1

Vaera                             6:2-9:35

Bo                              10:1-13:16

Beshalach                 13:17-17:16

Yitro                          18:1-20:23

Mishpatim                  21:1-24:18

Teruma                      25:1-27:19

Tetzave                    27:20-30:10

Ki-Tisa                     30:11-34:35

Vayakhel                    35:1-38:20

Pekudei                    38:21-40:38

Leviticus

Vayikra                          1:1-5:26

Tzav                              6:1-8:36

Shemini                        9:1-11:47

Tazria                           12:1-13:59

Metzora                        14:1-15:33

Acharei-Mot                   16:1-18:30

Kedoshim                       19:1-20:27

Emor                             21:1-24:23

Behar                              25:1-26:2

Bechukotai                      26:3-27:34

Numbers

Bamidbar                           1:1-4:20

Naso                               4:21-7:89

Behaalotcha                     8:1-12:15

Shelach-Lecha                13:1-15:15

Korach                           16:1-18:32

Chukat                            19:1-22:1

Balak                              22:2-25:9

Pinchas                          25:10-30:1

Matot                            30:2-32:42

Masei                             33:1-36:13

Deuteronomy

Vaetchanan                      3:23-7:11

Ekev                             7:12-11:25

Reeh                           11:26-16:17

Shoftim                         16:18-21:9

Kitetze                         21:10-25:19

Ki Tavo                            26:1-29:8

Nitzavim                         29:9-30:20

Vayelech                        31:1-31:30

Ha-azinu                        32:1-32:52

Vezot Habracha               33:1-34:12

Your Haftorah portion will be drawn from the post biblical period Jewish sacred texts known as Neviim, “Prophets.”  These are found in the TaNaKh, the full canon of the Jewish bible.  The TaNaKh includes the Torah (Five Books of Moses), the Neviim, (Joshua, Judges, Kings, and prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Habakkuk, Zechariah and Malachi) and the Ketuvim (Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Book of Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra-Nechemiah and Chronicles.)   

Be Advised that:

It is always important to check carefully for what Torah portion is assigned to a given date.

Hebcal.com is an easy place to look up which Torah and haftorah (prophetic) portions are matched with any given Shabbat in any year.

On occasion two Torah portions will be assigned to one Shabbat in order to fit the full sequence of readings into a given year

Holidays have special portions assigned, not simply the next portion in the sequence.

Traditionally, there are certain black out dates during which Jewish life cycle events are prohibited due to their proximity to other sacred occasions. Check Living Jewish Life Cycle (below) for these specifics.

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