Parsha Guides

Navigate to any parsha below, or click on the names of each sefer for an overview of that part of Chumash.

Doubled parshiyyot are indicated with a +.

Bereshit | בראשית

Vayikra | ויקרא

  • Vayikra | וַיִּקְרָא
  • Tzav| צַו
  • Shemini | שְׁמִינִי
  • Tazria | תַּזְרִיעַ +
  • Metzora | מְצֹרָע +
  • Acharei Mot | אַחֲרֵי מוֹת +
  • Kedoshim | קְדֹשִׁים
  • Emor | אֱמֹר
  • BeHar | בְּהַר +
  • Bechukotai | בְּחֻקֹּתַי + | Posts tagged Bechukotai

Devarim | דברים

  • Devarim| דְּבָרִים
  • Va’etchanan| וָאֶתְחַנַּן
  • Eikev | עֵקֶב
  • Re’eh | רְאֵה
  • Shoftim | שֹׁפְטִים
  • Ki Tetze | כִּי תֵצֵא
  • Ki Tavo | כִּי תָבוֹא
  • Nitzavim | נִצָּבִים +
  • VaYelekh | וַיֵּלֶךְ +
  • Ha’azinu| הַאֲזִינוּ
  • Vezot Habracha | וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה

Shemot | שמות

Bemidbar | במדבר

  • Bemidbar| בַּמִּדְבָּר
  • Naso| נָשֹׂא
  • Beha’alotkha | בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ
  • Shelach (Lekha) | (שְׁלַח (לְךָ
  • Korach | קֹרַח
  • Chukat | חֻקַּת + | Posts tagged Chukat
  • Balak | בָּלָק +
  • Pinchas | פִּנְחָס
  • Matot | מַטּוֹת +
  • Mas’ei | מַסְעֵי +

About the Guides

I didn’t find the type of summary I wanted online, so I decided to create my own.

  • The goal of these summaries is to be comprehensive and analytical more so than concise and paraphrastic, breaking down each parashah into thematic units and presenting it with key terminology in Hebrew citation and transliteration. (The thematic units are informed by, but not analogous to, parshiyot in the text.)
  • Written from a Modern Orthodox perspective, these summaries mostly approach the text from a peshat (contextual) perspective. In accordance with the principle דיברה תורה כלשון בני אדם (“The Torah speaks in human language”), I present events in the text in a straightforward manner with the understanding that this reflects the limitations of human understanding and expression.
  • Without seeking to present any sort of comprehensive exegesis, l point out places in the text that serve as significant sites of interpretive activity and note major connections to Chazal, halakhah, Taryag, and parshanut.
  • Where there is an important parallel within Tanach but outside of the current parsha, I make note of it.
  • The summaries pay careful attention to timeline, place names, and other details provided in the text of the Mikra; where there is more than one authoritative opinion about these matters, this is noted.
  • For the English translations, I have mostly relied upon the NJPS version, with slight modifications.

Image: BL Ms. Or. 2696, detail of f. 3r. Chumash with Hafṭarot, masorah and Rashi’s commentary. Ashkenazi, second half the 14th century. [How to access Jewish manuscripts]