Torah Portions (Parashot)
The 54 weekly Torah portions of the annual Babylonian cycle, which became standard in Jewish communities by the Geonic period (c. 600–1000 AD). These divisions are a liturgical tradition — they are not embedded in the biblical text. Haftarah readings (from the Prophets and Writings, read after each parasha) vary between Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions on approximately 15-20 portions.
| # | Parasha | Passage | Haftarah · Ashkenazi | Haftarah · Sephardi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bereshit In the beginning | Genesis | Isaiah 42:5-21 | |
| 2 | Noach Noah | Genesis | Isaiah 54:1-10 | |
| 3 | Lech-Lecha Go forth | Genesis | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 4 | Vayera And He appeared | Genesis | 2 Kings 4:1-23 | |
| 5 | Chayei Sarah Life of Sarah | Genesis | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 6 | Toldot Generations | Genesis | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 7 | Vayetzei And he went out | Genesis | Hosea 11:7-12:12 | |
| 8 | Vayishlach And he sent | Genesis | Obadiah 1:1-21 | |
| 9 | Vayeshev And he settled | Genesis | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 10 | Miketz At the end of | Genesis | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 11 | Vayigash And he approached | Genesis | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 12 | Vayechi And he lived | Genesis | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 13 | Shemot Names | Exodus | Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 | |
| 14 | Va'eira And I appeared | Exodus | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 15 | Bo Go | Exodus | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 16 | Beshalach When he sent out | Exodus | Judges 5:1-31 | |
| 17 | Yitro Jethro | Exodus | Isaiah 6:1-13 | |
| 18 | Mishpatim Laws / Judgments | Exodus | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 19 | Terumah Contribution / Offering | Exodus | 1 Kings 5:12-6:13 | |
| 20 | Tetzaveh You shall command | Exodus | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 21 | Ki Tissa When you take | Exodus | 1 Kings 18:20-39 | |
| 22 | Vayakhel And he assembled double portion | Exodus Combined with Pekudei in non-leap years. | 1 Kings 7:13-26 | |
| 23 | Pekudei Accounts of double portion | Exodus Combined with Vayakhel in non-leap years. | 1 Kings 7:40-50 | |
| 24 | Vayikra And He called | Leviticus | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 25 | Tzav Command | Leviticus | Malachi 3:4-24 | |
| 26 | Shemini Eighth | Leviticus | 2 Samuel 6:1-19 | |
| 27 | Tazria She bears seed double portion | Leviticus Combined with Metzora in non-leap years. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 28 | Metzora Afflicted (with tzara'at) double portion | Leviticus Combined with Tazria in non-leap years. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 29 | Acharei Mot After the death double portion | Leviticus Combined with Kedoshim in non-leap years. | Amos 9:7-15 | |
| 30 | Kedoshim Holy ones double portion | Leviticus Combined with Acharei Mot in non-leap years. | Ezekiel 20:2-20 | |
| 31 | Emor Say / Speak | Leviticus | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 32 | Behar On the mountain double portion | Leviticus Combined with Bechukotai in non-leap years. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 33 | Bechukotai In My statutes double portion | Leviticus Combined with Behar in non-leap years. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 34 | Bamidbar In the wilderness | Numbers | Hosea 1:10-2:22 | |
| 35 | Nasso Take / Lift up | Numbers The longest individual parasha by verse count. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 36 | Beha'alotcha When you raise up | Numbers | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 37 | Shelach Send | Numbers | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 38 | Korach Korah | Numbers | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 39 | Chukat Statute of double portion | Numbers Combined with Balak in some years (outside Israel). | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 40 | Balak Balak double portion | Numbers Combined with Chukat in some years (outside Israel). | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 41 | Pinchas Phinehas | Numbers | Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 | |
| 42 | Matot Tribes double portion | Numbers Combined with Masei in most years. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 43 | Masei Journeys of double portion | Numbers Combined with Matot in most years. | Jeremiah 2:4-28 | |
| 44 | Devarim Words / Things | Deuteronomy | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 45 | Va'etchanan And I pleaded | Deuteronomy Contains the Shema (Deut 6:4-9) and the V'ahavta. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 46 | Eikev Because / On the heel of | Deuteronomy | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 47 | Re'eh See | Deuteronomy | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 48 | Shoftim Judges | Deuteronomy | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 49 | Ki Teitzei When you go out | Deuteronomy Contains the most individual commandments (mitzvot) of any single parasha, by the traditional counting. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 50 | Ki Tavo When you come | Deuteronomy | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 51 | Nitzavim You are standing double portion | Deuteronomy Combined with Vayelech in most years. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 52 | Vayelech And he went double portion | Deuteronomy Combined with Nitzavim in most years. Shortest parasha in Deuteronomy. | Isaiah 55:6-56:8 | |
| 53 | Ha'azinu Give ear | Deuteronomy The Song of Moses. Its haftarah (2 Samuel 22) is the Song of David — a near-parallel poem praising God for deliverance. | same as Ashkenazi | |
| 54 | V'Zot HaBracha And this is the blessing | Deuteronomy The final parasha of the Torah. Contains Moses's blessings to the tribes and the account of Moses's death (Deut 34). Moses does not enter the land; Joshua succeeds him — the haftarah begins immediately with Joshua's commissioning. | Joshua 1:1-9 |
Tradition, not text: Torah portion divisions are a Jewish liturgical tradition (Babylonian annual cycle). The divisions are not embedded in the biblical text itself.
The 54-portion annual cycle became standard in the Geonic period (c. 600–1000 AD), based on Babylonian synagogue practice. Palestinian communities historically used a triennial cycle. Haftarah readings are a further layer of synagogue tradition and vary between Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities on approximately 15-20 portions. "Same as Ashkenazi" means the traditions agree.
source_canon for every entry is 'liturgical_tradition'; source_label states the origin.
Haftarah readings are synagogue tradition layered on top of the parasha tradition; Ashkenazi and Sephardi traditions differ on approximately 15-20 portions.