The Weekly Torah Reading Cycle

Do the Torah Portion and Haftarah Stay the Same Every Year?

Yes — but with an important qualification.

The Torah is divided into 54 weekly portions, or parashot. The biblical text belonging to each parashah does not change from year to year. Bereshit is always Genesis 1:1–6:8, Noach is always Genesis 6:9–11:32, and so on.

The Gregorian date changes every year because the Jewish calendar does not correspond directly to the Gregorian calendar.

However, the actual synagogue reading schedule is not completely identical every year. Some Torah portions are combined, holidays sometimes replace the normal weekly reading, and special Sabbaths can change the Haftarah.

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Torah-reading and calendar data provided by Hebcal.com under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Note: Haftarah customs can differ between Jewish communities. The result shown here reflects the reading returned by the Hebcal calendar for that date and schedule.

What Stays the Same — and What Changes?

What stays the same?

• The Torah is divided into 54 named parashot.
• The order of the parashot remains the same.
• The Torah verses belonging to each parashah remain the same.
• Each parashah has a traditional Haftarah associated with it.

What can change?

• The Gregorian date on which a parashah is read.
• Some parashot may be combined into a double portion.
• A festival or special Shabbat may introduce a special Torah reading or Maftir.
• A special Shabbat may replace the normal Haftarah.
• The annual schedule can temporarily differ between Israel and the Diaspora.
• Haftarah selections sometimes differ according to Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Yemenite, and other traditions.

Genesis — Bereshit

The Haftarot below give the common Ashkenazi baseline. Special Sabbaths and other traditions may use a different reading.

• Bereshit — Genesis 1:1–6:8 | Haftarah: Isaiah 42:5–43:10
• Noach — Genesis 6:9–11:32 | Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1–55:5
• Lech-Lecha — Genesis 12:1–17:27 | Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27–41:16
• Vayera — Genesis 18:1–22:24 | Haftarah: 2 Kings 4:1–37
• Chayei Sarah — Genesis 23:1–25:18 | Haftarah: 1 Kings 1:1–31
• Toldot — Genesis 25:19–28:9 | Haftarah: Malachi 1:1–2:7
• Vayetzei — Genesis 28:10–32:3 | Haftarah: Hosea 12:13–14:10
• Vayishlach — Genesis 32:4–36:43 | Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1–21
• Vayeshev — Genesis 37:1–40:23 | Haftarah: Amos 2:6–3:8
• Miketz — Genesis 41:1–44:17 | Haftarah: 1 Kings 3:15–4:1
• Vayigash — Genesis 44:18–47:27 | Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15–28
• Vayechi — Genesis 47:28–50:26 | Haftarah: 1 Kings 2:1–12

Exodus — Shemot

The Haftarot below give the common Ashkenazi baseline. Special Sabbaths and other traditions may use a different reading.

• Shemot — Exodus 1:1–6:1 | Haftarah: Isaiah 27:6–28:13; 29:22–23
• Va’era — Exodus 6:2–9:35 | Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25–29:21
• Bo — Exodus 10:1–13:16 | Haftarah: Jeremiah 46:13–28
• Beshalach — Exodus 13:17–17:16 | Haftarah: Judges 4:4–5:31
• Yitro — Exodus 18:1–20:23 | Haftarah: Isaiah 6:1–7:6; 9:5–6
• Mishpatim — Exodus 21:1–24:18 | Haftarah: Jeremiah 34:8–22; 33:25–26
• Terumah — Exodus 25:1–27:19 | Haftarah: 1 Kings 5:26–6:13
• Tetzaveh — Exodus 27:20–30:10 | Haftarah: Ezekiel 43:10–27
• Ki Tisa — Exodus 30:11–34:35 | Haftarah: 1 Kings 18:1–39
• Vayakhel — Exodus 35:1–38:20 | Haftarah: 1 Kings 7:40–50
• Pekudei — Exodus 38:21–40:38 | Haftarah: 1 Kings 7:51–8:21

Leviticus — Vayikra

• Vayikra — Leviticus 1:1–5:26 | Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21–44:23
• Tzav — Leviticus 6:1–8:36 | Haftarah: Jeremiah 7:21–8:3; 9:22–23
• Shemini — Leviticus 9:1–11:47 | Haftarah: 2 Samuel 6:1–7:17
• Tazria — Leviticus 12:1–13:59 | Haftarah: 2 Kings 4:42–5:19
• Metzora — Leviticus 14:1–15:33 | Haftarah: 2 Kings 7:3–20
• Achrei Mot — Leviticus 16:1–18:30 | Haftarah: Amos 9:7–15
• Kedoshim — Leviticus 19:1–20:27 | Haftarah: Ezekiel 22:1–19
• Emor — Leviticus 21:1–24:23 | Haftarah: Ezekiel 44:15–31
• Behar — Leviticus 25:1–26:2 | Haftarah: Jeremiah 32:6–27
• Bechukotai — Leviticus 26:3–27:34 | Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19–17:14

Several portions in Leviticus frequently coincide with Shabbat Zachor, Shabbat Parah, Shabbat HaChodesh, or Shabbat HaGadol. Those special Sabbaths may replace the baseline Haftarah listed here.

Numbers — Bamidbar

• Bamidbar — Numbers 1:1–4:20 | Haftarah: Hosea 2:1–22
• Naso — Numbers 4:21–7:89 | Haftarah: Judges 13:2–25
• Beha’alotcha — Numbers 8:1–12:16 | Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14–4:7
• Shelach — Numbers 13:1–15:41 | Haftarah: Joshua 2:1–24
• Korach — Numbers 16:1–18:32 | Haftarah: 1 Samuel 11:14–12:22
• Chukat — Numbers 19:1–22:1 | Haftarah: Judges 11:1–33
• Balak — Numbers 22:2–25:9 | Haftarah: Micah 5:6–6:8
• Pinchas — Numbers 25:10–30:1 | Haftarah: 1 Kings 18:46–19:21
• Matot — Numbers 30:2–32:42 | Haftarah: Jeremiah 1:1–2:3
• Masei — Numbers 33:1–36:13 | Haftarah: Jeremiah 2:4–28; 3:4

From the fast of the 17th of Tammuz through the weeks following Tisha B’Av, the Haftarah cycle becomes strongly connected to the Jewish calendar. This means that the normal thematic Haftarah attached to a parashah may not be the one actually read that year.

Deuteronomy — Devarim

• Devarim — Deuteronomy 1:1–3:22 | Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1–27
• Va’etchanan — Deuteronomy 3:23–7:11 | Haftarah: Isaiah 40:1–26
• Eikev — Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25 | Haftarah: Isaiah 49:14–51:3
• Re’eh — Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17 | Haftarah: Isaiah 54:11–55:5
• Shoftim — Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9 | Haftarah: Isaiah 51:12–52:12
• Ki Teitzei — Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19 | Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1–10
• Ki Tavo — Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8 | Haftarah: Isaiah 60:1–22
• Nitzavim — Deuteronomy 29:9–30:20 | Haftarah: Isaiah 61:10–63:9
• Vayeilech — Deuteronomy 31:1–30 | Haftarah: Isaiah 55:6–56:8
• Ha’azinu — Deuteronomy 32:1–52 | Haftarah: 2 Samuel 22:1–51
• Vezot Haberakhah — Deuteronomy 33:1–34:12 | Haftarah: Joshua 1:1–18

Vezot Haberakhah is different from the other portions: it is normally read on Simchat Torah rather than as an ordinary weekly Shabbat reading. Immediately afterward, the annual Torah cycle begins again with Bereshit.

Why are portions sometimes combined?

There are 54 parashot, but the number of ordinary Sabbaths available for the weekly cycle changes from year to year. Festivals sometimes fall on Shabbat and have their own Torah readings, and a Jewish leap year has an additional month.

To keep the Torah cycle synchronized with the Jewish calendar, several portions can therefore be read together:

• Vayakhel–Pekudei
• Tazria–Metzora
• Achrei Mot–Kedoshim
• Behar–Bechukotai
• Chukat–Balak in certain Diaspora years
• Matot–Masei
• Nitzavim–Vayeilech

Special Sabbaths can change the Haftarah

The regular Haftarah may be replaced or modified on occasions such as Rosh Chodesh, Machar Chodesh, Hanukkah, Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Zachor, Shabbat Parah, Shabbat HaChodesh, Shabbat HaGadol, Shabbat Shuvah, and festival Sabbaths.

There are also differences between Jewish communities. The Haftarah used by an Ashkenazi congregation may occasionally differ from the one used in a Sephardi or Yemenite congregation.