Korah (Numbers 16:1−18:32)
This week we are reading Korah, which covers Numbers 16:1–18:32. In the aftermath of the negative report from the ten spies, God pronounced that the current generation must languish in the desert until their deaths. Following that news, it is not surprising that a...
Shelach (Numbers 13:1–15:41)
This week’s reading portion covers Numbers 13:1 to 15:41. It contains one of the more famous stories in the Torah: the episode of the twelve spies. Twelve appointed leaders went to Canaan to scout the land and its inhabitants. Moses gave them very specific...
Beha’alotcha (Numbers 8:1–12:16)
This week’s Torah portion covers Numbers 8:1–12:16. The portion begins with God’s instructions on how to set up the Tabernacle’s golden seven-branched lampstand (8:1–4). The priests needed to make sure the six outer branches angled their light toward the central shaft...
Nasso (Numbers 4:21–7:89)
This week’s Torah portion covers Numbers 4:21–7:89. The title Nasso means carry or elevate. Out of the 54 Torah portions, Nasso has the most verses, making it the longest single portion. The text is made up of seemingly unrelated passages that do not follow a strict...
Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1–4:20)
This week we begin the book of Numbers, the fourth volume in our weekly Torah readings. Previously, we covered the grand sweeps of human history in Genesis and followed the sons of Jacob into Egypt. We reached a dramatic turning point in the Israelite story when...
Behar–Bechukotai (Leviticus 25:1–27:34)
This week’s Torah portion is known as Behar–Bechukotai and covers Leviticus 25:1–27:34. These are the final two Torah portions in the book of Leviticus. In the Jewish liturgical calendar, they are often read together as a double portion. The word Behar translates to...
Emor (Leviticus 21:1–24:23)
This week’s Torah portion is known as Emor—which means “speak”—and it covers Leviticus 21:1–24:23. After God gave Israel the ten commandments, he commissioned Israel to be a “priestly kingdom and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6). Israel’s requirement for holiness was...
Acharei Mot–Kedoshim (Leviticus 16:1–20:27)
This week we are reading Leviticus 16:1 to 20:27. The reading calendar combines two portions, so this week’s assigned reading is on the longer side. The first portion is titled Acharei Mot, which means “after the death,” because the narrative picks up right after the...
Tazria (Leviticus 12:1–15:33)
This week’s reading is called Tazria and it covers Leviticus 12:1–15:33. This portion is completely occupied by issues of ritual impurity. Last week’s reading, Shemini, was concerned with the structural boundaries between the sacred and the profane, as it pertained to...
Shemini (Leviticus 9:1–11:47)
This week’s Torah portion covers Leviticus 9:1–11:47. The portion is titled Shemini, which in Hebrew means “eighth,” because the text begins “on the eighth day.” In the Bible, the number seven symbolizes the completion of creation. In Genesis, God finishes his...