The word Tanach, in Yehudit, is an accronym for Torah (the Five Books of Mosheh), Neviyim (History and Prophets), and Ketuvim (Literature), these being the three parts that make up what is generally misnamed "The Hebrew Bible" (though this is not as bad, and please stop using it, as "The Old Testament").
Since Biblical times, it has been traditional for Jews to read the Torah (the Five Books of Law: Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy) in an annual cycle in synagogue.
This cycle begins in the autumn with a celebration known as Simchat Torah (שמחת תורה) - the Joy of the Torah. On the eve of the festival the last section of Deuteronomy is read; the following morning the first fragment of Genesis - though many Reform synagogues in America, absolutely confident of a large gathering in the evening but equally confident of an empty house the following morning, will read both texts before the ice cream and pizzas (the orthodox do whisky; Simchat Torah and Purim are the two occasions in the year when Jews are officially licensed to party).
The reading of the Law takes place on Mondays and Thursdays, because those were market-days in Yeru-Shala’im, when Ezra ordered the public reading to take place, and Saturdays, because that is the Shabat (Sabbath), as well as on festivals. The full reading takes one lunar year, beginning and ending on Simchat Torah, after the end of the festival of Sukot; though some modern Conservative synagogues have developed a triennial cycle.
To achieve this, the Torah is subdivided into fifty-four weekly sedrot (סדרות) or portions, each of which is then further broken down into seven parashot.
With each weekly "Parasha" a "Haftarah" (or Haf-Torah in the modern European mispronunciation) is read, a relevant or at least a connected fragment from one of the other books of the Tanach. The word "Haftarah" looks and sounds as though it is etymologically connected to the word "Torah", hence the modern mis-pronunciation; but this is not in fact the case. It comes from the verb "le-haftir" (להפטיר) which means "to bring to a conclusion"; the final portion of the Torah read in synagogue is known as the "Maftir", precisely because it leads into the Haftarah.
In earliest times there was no Haftarah, though when and why it was introduced remains a matter of dispute among the Rabbis and scholars. Almost certainly it was a response to the ordinance of a conqueror, banning the recitation of Torah as a means of suppressing the religion; by selecting another piece of scripture that had at least some connection with the Torah portion for that week, it became possible to fulfil the commandment to read and study Torah, while not actually breaking the despotic law. What is disputed is whether this happened at the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, and was introduced by the Maccabees, or later, under the Romans, or both.
Under the rule of the Greeks (332-168 BCE), the reading of the Law was forbidden; it became the practice to read another section of the Tanach in its place, selecting on each occasion a fragment that related to the Torah fragment that should have been read that day. These surrogate readings were called Haphtarah (הפטרה). Although the reading of the Law was reinstituted many centuries ago, the Haphtarah continues to be read as a supplement.
Note that the chapter divisions do not coincide with those in most English versions; this is because the chapter headings are a relatively modern and entirely artificial addition (attributed to Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury in the early 13th century). Hand-written Torah scrolls have paragraph divisions, but are not subdivided into either chapters or verses.
The full cycle of readings by Sedra:
Sedra
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Chapters
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Haphtarah
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Bere'shit
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Gen 1:1-6:8
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Isaiah 42:5-43:10
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No'ach
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Gen 6:9-11:32
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Isaiah 54:1-55:5
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Lech Lecha
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Gen 12:1-17:27
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Isaiah 40:1-41:16
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Va Yera
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Gen 18:1-22:24
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2 Kings 4:1-37
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Chayey Sarah
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Gen 23:1-25:18
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1 Kings 1:1-31
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Toldot
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Gen 25:19-28:9
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Malachi 1:1-2:7
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Va Yets'e
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Gen 28:10-32:3
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Hosea 12:13-14:10
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(Sephardim use Hosea 11:7-12:2 as their Haphtarah for Va Yets'e)
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||
Va Yishlach
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Gen 32:4-36:43
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Hosea 11:7-12:12
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(Sephardim use The Book of Obadiah as their Haphtarah for Va
Yishlach)
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||
Va Yeshev
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Gen 37:1-40:23
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Amos 2:6-3:8
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Mi Ketz
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Gen 41:1-44:17
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1 Kings 3:15-4:1
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Va Yigash
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Gen 44:18-47:27
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Ezekiel 37:15-28
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Va Yechi
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Gen 47:28-50:26
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1 Kings 2:1-12
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Shemot
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Ex 1:1-6:1
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Isaiah 27:6-29:23
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(Sephardim use Jeremiah 1:1-2:3 as their Haphtarah for Shemot)
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||
Va Ayra
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Ex 6:2-9:35
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Ezekiel 28:25-29:21
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Bo
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Ex 10:1-13:16
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Jeremiah 46:13-28
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Be Shalach
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Ex 13:17-17:16
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Judges 4:4-5:31
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Yitro
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Ex 18:1-20:23
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Isaiah 6:1-7:6 + 9:5/6
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Mishpatim
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Ex 21:1-24:18
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Jer 34:8/22+33:25/26
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Terumah
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Ex 25:1-27:19
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1 Kings 5:26-6:13
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Tetsaveh
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Ex 27:20-30:10
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Ezekiel 43:10-27
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Ki Tisa
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Ex 30:11-34:35
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1 Kings 18:1-39
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Va Yakhel
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Ex 35:1-38:20
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1 Kings 7:40-50
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(Sephardim use 1 Kings 7:13-26 as their Haphtarah for Va Yakhel)
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Pekudey
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Ex 38:21-40:38
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1 Kings 7:51-8:21
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Va Yikra
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Lev 1:1-5:26
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Isaiah 43:21-44:23
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Tsav
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Lev 6:1-8:36
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Jer 7:21-8:3+38:25/26
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Shemini
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Lev 9:1-11:47
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2 Samuel 6:1-7:17
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Tazri'a
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Lev 12:1-13:59
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2 Kings 4:42-5:19
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Metzora
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Lev 14:1-15:33
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2 Kings 7:3-20
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Acharey Mot
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Lev 16:1-18:30
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Ezekiel 22:1-19
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Kedoshim
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Lev 19:1-20:27 9:7-15
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Amos
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(Sephardim use Ezekiel 20:2-20 as their Haphtarah for Kedoshim)
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||
Emor
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Lev 21:1-24:23
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Ezekiel 44:15-31
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Be Har
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Lev 25:1-26:2
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Jeremiah 32:6-27
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Be Chukotai
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Lev 26:3-27:34
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Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
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Be Midbar
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Num 1:1-4:20
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Hosea 2:1-22
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Naso
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Num 4:21-7:89
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Judges 13:2-25
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Be Halotecha
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Num 8:1-12:16
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Zechariah 2:14-4:7
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Shelach Lecha
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Num 13:1-15:41
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Joshua 2:1-24
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Korach
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Num 16:1-18:32
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1 Sam 11:14-12:22
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Chukat
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Num 19:1-22:1
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Judges 11:1-33
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Balak
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Num 22:2-25:9
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Micah 5:6-6:8
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Pinchas
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Num 25:10-30:1
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1 Kings 18:46-19:21
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Matot
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Num 30:2-32:42
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Jeremiah 1:1-2:3
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Masey
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Num 33:1-36:13
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Jer 2:4-28+3:4+4:1/2
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Devarim
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Deut 1:1-3:22
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Isaiah 1:1-27
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Va Etchanan
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Deut 3:23-7:11
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Isaiah 40:1-26
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Ekev
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Deut 7:12-11:25
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Isaiah 49:14-51:3
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Re'eh
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Deut 11:26-16:17
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Isaiah 54:11-55:5
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Shoftim
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Deut 16:18-21:9
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Isaiah 51:12-52:12
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Ki Tets'e
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Deut 21:10-25:19
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Isaiah 54:1-10
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Ki Tav'o
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Deut 26:1-29:8
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Isaiah 60:1-22
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Nitsavim
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Deut 29:9-30:20
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Isaiah 61:10-63:9
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Va Yelech
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Deut 31:1-30
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Shabbat Shuvah
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Ha'azinu
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Deut 32:1-52
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2 Samuel 22:1-51
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Ve Zot Ha Beracha
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Deut 33:1-34:12
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Joshua 1:1-18
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The following Haphtarot are read on the First Day and the Shabat of Festivals, and on certain other occasions in the year, such as New Moon:
Shabat Shuva: Hosea 14:2-10 + Micah 7:18-20 + Joel 2:15-27
Shabat Rosh Chodesh: Isaiah 66:1-24
Erev Rosh Chodesh: 1 Samuel 20:18-42
Rosh Ha Shana (Day 1):1 Samuel 1:1-2:10
Rosh Ha Shana (Day 2): Jeremiah 31:2-20
Yom Kippur (morning): Isaiah 57:14-58:14
Yom Kippur (afternoon): Jonah + Micah 7:18-20
Sukot (Day 1): Zechariah 14:1-21
Sukot (Day 2):1 Kings 8:2-21
Sukot (Shabat): Ezekiel 38:18-39:16
Shemini Atseret: 1 Kings 8:54-66
Simchat Torah: Joshua 1:1-18
Shabat Chanukah (Week 1): Zechariah 2:14-4:7
Shabat Chanukah (Week 2): 1 Kings 7: 40-50
Pesach (Day 1): Joshua 5:2-6:1 + 6:27
Pesach (Day 2): 2 Kings 23:1-9 + 21-25
Shabat Pesach: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Shavuot (Day 1): Ezekiel 1:1-28 + 3:12
Shavuot (Day 2): Habakuk 2:20-3:19
Tisha Be Av: Jeremiah 8:13-9:23
Shabat Shekalim: 2 Kings 11:17-12:17
Shabat Zachor: 1 Samuel 15:1-34
Shabat Parah: Ezekiel 36:16-38
Shabat Ha Chodesh: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18
Shabat Ha Gadol: Malachi 3:4-24
Pesach (Day 7): 2 Samuel 22:1-51
Pesach (Day 8): Isaiah 10:32-12:6
All Fast Days: Isaiah 55:6-56:8
Copyright © 2019 David Prashker
All rights reserved
The Argaman Press
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