How to Read a Torah Portion

Why Read the Weekly Portion?

Every Shabbat, Jewish communities around the world read the same Torah portion — the same chapters, the same verses, the same ancient words. This synchronization means that a Jew in Tokyo, a Jew in Buenos Aires, and a Jew in Jerusalem are all engaging with the same text on the same week. It is one of the most powerful expressions of Jewish unity across geography and denomination.

The Torah is divided into 54 portions (parashiyot), read sequentially over the course of a year. Whether you are a seasoned scholar or picking up the text for the first time, engaging with the weekly parashah connects you to a conversation that has been ongoing for millennia. Here is how to begin.

Step 1: Find This Week’s Portion

The easiest way to find the current Torah portion:

• Sefaria.org — A free, comprehensive Jewish text library with the Torah in Hebrew and English, plus thousands of commentaries. The weekly portion is featured on the homepage.
• Chabad.org/parshah — Provides the full text with extensive commentary, audio readings, and multimedia content.
• MyJewishLearning.com — Offers accessible summaries and essays on each portion.
• A printed Chumash (Torah with commentary) — The most traditional approach. Popular editions include the Artscroll Stone Edition, the JPS Torah Commentary, and Etz Hayim (used in Conservative congregations).

Each portion has a name, taken from a distinctive word near its beginning. For example, Bereishit (“In the Beginning”) is the first portion, covering Genesis 1-6:8.

Step 2: Read the Text Itself

Start by simply reading the portion from beginning to end. Don’t worry about commentaries yet — get the story, the laws, the flow of the narrative. A typical portion takes 20-40 minutes to read in English.

As you read, notice:

• The narrative arc: What happens? Who are the characters? What choices do they make?
• The laws: Many portions include legal material. What behaviors are commanded or prohibited? What principles seem to underlie them?
• Repetitions and patterns: The Torah often repeats words, phrases, or structures for emphasis. What words keep appearing?
• Questions that arise: What confuses you? What seems unfair, beautiful, strange, or incomplete? These questions are the doorway to deeper study.

Step 3: Read the Haftarah

Each Torah portion is paired with a selection from the Prophets called the Haftarah. The connection is sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle. Reading the Haftarah alongside the Torah portion adds a second layer of meaning — the prophets often offer commentary, correction, or expansion on the themes of the parashah.

Step 4: Engage with Commentary

The Torah was never meant to be read in isolation. Jewish tradition has produced an ocean of commentary spanning over two thousand years. Here are the essential layers:

Rashi (1040-1105): The most fundamental commentator. Rashi’s explanations appear in virtually every printed edition of the Torah. He combines grammatical analysis, midrashic interpretation, and practical insight in remarkably concise notes. Start here.

Ramban/Nachmanides (1194-1270): Often responds to and expands upon Rashi, adding philosophical and mystical dimensions.

Modern Commentaries: Contemporary scholars like Nehama Leibowitz, Avivah Zornberg, and Jonathan Sacks offer readings that connect the ancient text to modern concerns.

Midrash: Rabbinic legends and interpretations that fill in the Torah’s famous gaps — what was Abraham thinking? What did Sarah feel? Why did Moses stutter? Midrash transforms the text from a document into a living conversation.

Step 5: Discuss and Share

Torah study is traditionally done with a partner (chavruta) or in a group. If possible, find someone to study with — a friend, a family member, a synagogue study group. The exchange of perspectives, questions, and insights is central to how Torah has been studied for millennia.

Many synagogues offer Shabbat morning Torah discussions (often called “parsha class” or “Torah study”). These are usually open to all levels and provide an ideal setting for engaging with the text in community.

Step 6: Make It Personal

The deepest level of Torah reading is personal application. After reading, studying, and discussing, ask yourself:

• What does this portion say to my life right now?
• Is there a character whose situation resonates with mine?
• Is there a law or ethical principle I want to take more seriously?
• What question does this portion leave me with?

The rabbis taught that the Torah is not merely a record of the past but a living text that speaks to every generation. The weekly parashah is an invitation to hear what it is saying to you, this week, in your circumstances.

The Practice of Shnayim Mikra

A traditional practice called shnayim mikra v’echad targum (“reading the text twice and the translation once”) involves reading each verse of the parashah twice in Hebrew and once in Aramaic translation (or, today, any vernacular translation) during the week before Shabbat. This practice ensures that you arrive at synagogue already familiar with the text — transforming the public reading from passive listening into active recognition.

Even in simplified form — reading the portion once in English during the week — this practice of preparation transforms the Shabbat experience from a spectator event into a personal encounter with the text.