Annual Torah Cycle

In the observance of the annual cycle of Torah Reading, each week is assigned its own portion of Scripture, or what we refer to as a Parashah.  This year, 5780,  began on 1 Tishrei or October 1, 2019. There are 54 Parshiyot (Parashah plural), one for each week of a leap year, so that in the course of one year, we complete the entire Torah from B'resheet to D'varim (Genesis to Deuteronomy). A leap-year adds an additional 4 weeks (one month) to the usual 12 months, and we refer to this month as: ADAR II. During non-leap years (regular), there are 50 weeks, as a result some of the shorter Parshiyot are doubled up.

The weeks of Pesach (Passover) and Sukkot have different Torah portions assigned to them, so on leap years that leaves 52 weeks to accomplish 54 Parshiyot. This is achieved by doubling up 2 portions, and for non-leap years there remain 48 weeks to accomplish 54 Parshiyot and this is achieved by having 6 double Parshiyot.

This Week's Parashah

18

Torah: Bamidbar(Numbers)  4:21-7:89

Haftara: Judges 13:2-5

Brit Chadashah: Luke 1:11-20

 

Portion Summary

The second reading from the book of Numbers and the thirty-fifth reading from the Torah is called Nasso (נשא), 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," an idiomatic way of saying, "Make an accounting of the sons of Gershon." This Torah portion finishes up the census of the Levites that was under way at the end of the last Torah portion, before going on to discuss the purification of the camp, the ritual for a woman suspected of adultery, the laws of the Nazirite vow, the priestly benediction and the gifts the heads of the twelve tribes brought for the dedication of the altar.

 

Portion Outline

  • Torah
    • Numbers 4:21 | The Gershonites and Merarites
    • Numbers 4:34 | Census of the Levites
    • Numbers 5:1 | Unclean Persons
    • Numbers 5:5 | Confession and Restitution
    • Numbers 5:11 | Concerning an Unfaithful Wife
    • Numbers 6:1 | The Nazirites
    • Numbers 6:22 | The Priestly Benediction
    • Numbers 7:1 | Offerings of the Leaders
  • Prophets
    • Jdg 13:1 | The Birth of Samson
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