Matot-Masei (Numbers 30:2–36:13)
This week’s Torah portion covers Numbers 30:2–36:13. The double reading portion of Matot-Masei brings the book of Numbers to its end. Positioned on the plains of Moab, the Israelites stand at the threshold of the Promised Land. This final section functions as a bridge...
Phinehas (Num 25:10–30:1)
This week’s Torah portion covers Numbers 25:10–30:1, and it is titled Pinchas. Phinehas is the name used in English Bibles, so that’s the name I will use in this podcast. Phinehas was a prominent biblical priest whose leadership started in the wilderness wanderings...
Chukat-Balak (Number 19:1–25:9)
This week we are reading a double Torah portion: Chukat and Balak. It covers Numbers 19:1–25:9. Together, these two portions mark a major turning point in the book of Numbers. The older generation that left Egypt has almost entirely passed away in the wilderness. Now,...
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...