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

30

Torah: Bamidbar(Numbers) 13:1-15:41

Haftara: Joshua 2:1-24

Brit Chadashah: Matthew 10:1-14

 

Portion Summary

The thirty-seventh reading from the Torah is called Shelach (שלח), 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 story of how the spies returned with a bad report about the Land of Promise and influenced the congregation of Israel to rebel against the LORD. Thus God consigned the generation of Moses to wander in the wilderness for forty years.

 

Portion Outline

    • Torah
      • Numbers 13:1 | Spies Sent into Canaan
      • Numbers 13:25 | The Report of the Spies
      • Numbers 14:1 | The People Rebel
      • Numbers 14:13 | Moses Intercedes for the People
      • Numbers 14:26 | An Attempted Invasion is Repulsed
      • Numbers 15:1 | Various Offerings
      • Numbers 15:32 | Penalty for Violating the Sabbath
      • Numbers 15:37 | Fringes on Garments
    • Prophets
      • Joshua 2:1 | Spies Sent to Jericho
Actions: E-mail | Permalink |