Events

Portion Summary The thirty-second reading from the Torah and second-to-last reading from the book of Leviticus is called Behar, which literally means “on the mountain.” The name comes from the first words of the first verse of the reading, which could be translated to read, “The LORD then spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai” (Leviticus […]

Portion Summary The Hebrew name of the fourth book of the Torah and the name of its first reading is Bamidbar, which means “in the wilderness.” It comes from the first words of the first verse, which say, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai” (Numbers 1:1). The English title of […]

Portion Summary The second reading from the book of Numbers and the thirty-fifth reading from the Torah is called Nasso, a word that literally means “lift up.” It comes from the first word of the second verse in Hebrew, which could literally be translated to say, “Lift up the heads of the sons of Gershon,” […]

Portion Summary The third reading from the book of Numbers and the thirty-sixth reading from the Torah is called Beha’alotcha, a word that literally means “when you ascend.” It comes from the first verse of the portion, which could literally be translated as “when you ascend the lamps” (Numbers 8:2), a reference to the fact […]

Portion Summary The thirty-seventh reading from the Torah is called Shelach, an imperative verb that means “send out.” The portion is so named from the first few words of the second verse: “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan” (Numbers 13:2). The Torah reading tells the tragic […]

Portion Summary Korah (Korach in Hebrew) was the name of a prominent Levite. It is also the name of the thirty-eighth reading from the Torah. It comes from the first verse of this week's reading, which says, “Now Korah the son of Izhar … took action” (Numbers 16:1). This week’s Torah reading tells the story of […]

Portion Summary Chukat is the thirty-ninth reading from the Torah. The word chukat means “statute.” The name is derived from the second verse of the reading: “This is the statute of the law which the LORD has commanded” (Numbers 19:2). Chukat presents the mysterious laws of the red-heifer ceremony for purification after contact with human death. This […]

Portion Summary Balak was the name of a Moabite king in the days of Moses. It is also the name of the fortieth reading from the Torah. It comes from the second verse of this week’s reading, which says, “Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites” (Numbers […]

Portion Summary Pinchas is the Hebrew name translated in English Bibles as Phinehas. It is also the name of the forty-first reading from the Torah because of the second verse of the reading, which says, “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath” (Numbers 25:11). In this […]

Portion Summary The name of the forty-second reading from the Torah is Mattot, which means “tribes.” The name is derived from the words of Numbers 30:1, which says, “Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel.” Numbers 30 discusses the laws of vows and oaths. Numbers 31 tells the […]

Portion Summary Devarim is both the title for the last book from the scroll of the Torah and the title of the first Torah portion therein. Devarim means “words.” The English-speaking world calls this book Deuteronomy. The Hebrew title for the book comes from the opening phrase of the book: “These are the words (devarim) which Moses […]

Portion Summary The forty-fifth reading from the Torah and the second reading from the book of Deuteronomy is named Va’etchanan, which means “and I besought.” The title comes from the first verse of the reading, which says, “I also pleaded with the LORD at that time” (Deuteronomy 3:23). The portion completes the historical prologue of […]