The Torah is the foundation of all Scripture. This being the case, an inadequate or erroneous understanding of the Torah makes it much more difficult to come to a proper understanding of the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures, not to mention the New Testament. For this reason the Jewish sages devised a system for studying the Torah. According to ancient records, this practice was begun by Ezra (a Priest and Scribe) after the Jewish captives had returned from Babylon. Over the years different reading cycles have been used.
    During the time of Yeshua, two different cycles of reading were in use; one cycle was accomplished in one year’s time; the other took three years to complete.

~ Torah Reading Forbidden ~

    During the reign of Antiochus Epiphanies, the Jewish people were not allowed to read the Torah, or to circumcise their children. Anyone caught doing so was put to death, and many were martyred because they circumcised their children. However, they managed to get around the prohibition concerning Torah reading in a very resourceful way. They set up a cycle of readings in the Nevi’im (The Prophets) that reminded them in some way of the Torah portion that was supposed to be read that particular week. The connection might be a reference to a story found in the Torah reading or even a single word that reminded them of that week’s Torah passage (called a parasha in Hebrew). After reading this Torah substitute, one of the men would say; "Oh, that reminds me of the story about..." and off they would go into a discussion about that week’s Torah portion without ever breaking the law against reading Torah. These portions from the Nevi’im became known as the Haftarah, which means "other readings."

~ Yeshua Read the Haftarah ~

    In Yeshua’s day it was customary (as it is today in orthodox synagogues) for both the weekly Torah and Haftarah portions of scripture to be read each Sabbath. This provided the basis for discussion by anyone who might want to comment upon them. It was also common to invite a distinguished guest to participate in the Torah or Haftarah readings and make whatever comments they deemed appropriate.
    This was the situation in which Yeshua found Himself when He visited his hometown of Nazareth, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as His custom was. (Luke 4:16). The passage He was given to read is not found in the Haftarah readings of today. (Isa. 61:1-2 may have been removed by the rabbinic Jews due to the great distress and persecution they had received at the hands of the followers of Jesus [the so-called Christians] over the centuries. However, we have included it in this schedule of Torah readings.)
    Our point is this: In the first century, Torah and Haftarah reading was common practice (as it is today), and was in fact the practice of Yeshua, who held to many of the traditions of the Jews, which did not contradict the Scriptures. The Brit Chadasha attests to the fact that He both attended and participated in synagogue service on the Sabbath day, as did the Apostle Paul.

~ The Torah Cycle ~

    The common practice today is to read the entirety of the Torah, and the companion Haftarah scriptures in a one year cycle. This cycle begins on the first Sabbath after the Festival of Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles) with the very first reading which begins in Genesis 1 :1.
    Believers who are currently gathering in homes, or small fellowship groups, might want to begin using the Torah readings as a basis for their Sabbath study. Many Jewish comrnentaries are available that can aid in this study; however, if you wish to have a written study and audio tape that directs its teaching of the Torah toward Yeshua HaMashiach, we recommend that you contact: First Fruits of Zion, P0 Box 280827, Lakewood, CO 80228-0827, and ask about their Torah Club. They also publish a fine magazine, called First Fruits of Zion, which contains some commentary on the weekly Torah readings.

~ Readings for the Year 6000 ~

    Included in this year’s reading list are selected passages front the Brit Chadasha (Breet Hah-dah-shaw New Testament or Renewed Covenant) that have some connection with the Torah portions. We encourage you to find other Brit Chadasha portions that might also apply directly or indirectly to the parasha (weekly readings). If you would like to share your findings with us, perhaps some of them can be included in next year’s list.
    Readings are also included for each of the Moed, the Festivals of the LORD. (Mow-ed = appointed times) In addition, special readings of the Megilloth are included. (Meh-gil-loat = scrolls of: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecciesiastes and Esther.) Three of the Megilloth are read on or during the annual Festivals. Lamentations is read on the Ninth of Av (see Hebrew Roots Issue 96-2) and Esther is read during the Festival of Purim. While the Ninth of Av and Purim are not commanded Festivals, they are important days in the history of the Jewish people and have therefore been included as well. For Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication (see John 10:22), we are preparing a special booklet entitled Scripture Readings for Hanukkah which may be requested by name.
    It is our sincere hope that you will use this reading list as a basis for your own weekly Torah studies, for it is only by becoming well grounded in the instructions of the Torah that we, as Believers, can fully understand the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Yeshua HaMashiach.
    Therefore we exhort you to study "... the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." For "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
(11 Tim. 3:15b-17)

    Study and Be Blessed!

10-17-98 - Bereshit "In the beginning"
Genesis 1:1 - 6:8
Isaiah 42:5 -43:10
John 1:1-18
Romans 5:12-21

10-24-98 - Noach "Noah"
Genesis 6:9 - 11:32
Isaiah 54:1 - 55:5
Matthew 24:1-44
I Peter 3:8-22
II Peter 1:3-2:22

10-31-98 - Lech Lecha "Go out"
Genesis 12:1 - 17:27
Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16
Galatians 3:6-29
Romans 4:1 - 5:11

11-7-98 - Vayera "And appeared"
Genesis 18:1 - 22:24
II Kings 4:1-37
Galatians 4:1 - 5:6

11-14-98 - Hayei Sarah "And Sarah’s life"
Genesis 23:1 - 25:18
I Kings 1:1-31
John 4:1-42

11-21-98 - Toledot "Generations"
Genesis 25:19 - 28:9
Malachi 1:1 - 2:7
Romans 9:l- 10:21

11-28-98 - Vayetze "And went out"
Genesis 28:10 - 32:3
Hosea 12:13 - 14:10
John 1:19-51

12-5-98 - Vayishlach "And he sent"
Genesis 32:4 - 36:43
Hosea 11:7- 12:12
Hebrews 11:1-40

12-12-98 - Vayeshev "And he dwelt"
Genesis 37:1 - 40:23
Amos 2:6 - 3:8
Revelation 12:1-17

12-14-98 - 12-21-98 - Hanukkah "Dedication"
(Please write for our special booklet entitled:
Scripture Readings for Hanukkah.)

12-19-98 - Miketz "At the end"
Genesis 41:1 - 44:17
I Kings 3:15 - 4:1
Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7
John 6:1-71

12-26-99 - Vayigash "And came near"
Genesis 44:18 - 47:27
Ezekiel 37:15-28
Colossians 1:1-29
II Corinthians 5:1-21

1-2-99 - Vayechi "And he lived"
Genesis 47:28 - 50:26
I Kings 2:1-12
Revelation 7:1-17, 14:1-7

1-9-99 - Shemot "Names"
Exodus 1:1 - 6:1
Isaiah 27:6 - 28:13, 29:22-23
Acts 9:1-30

1-16-99 - Va‘eira "And I appeared"
Exodus 6:2 - 9:35
Ezekiel 28:25 - 29:21
Revelation 6:1-17, 8:1-21

1-23-99 - Bo "Come"
Exodus 10:1 - 13:16
Jeremiah 46:13-28
Matthew 26:17 - 27:66

1-30-99 - Beshalach "When he sent"
Exodus 13.17- 17:16
Judges 4:4 - 5:31
Romans 6:1-23

2-6-99 - Yitro "Jethro"
Exodus 18:1 - 20:23
Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6, 9:5-6
Matthew 5:1-48, 19: l6-22

2-13-99 - Mishpatim "Judgments"
Exodus 21:1 -24:18
Matthew 12:1-15
Romans 2:7-29

Shabbat* Shekelim
Exodus 30:11-16
II Kings 12:1-17
[* According to traditional practice, special Sabbath’s, such as Shekelim, have the normal Haftarah reading replaced by another.]

2-20-99 - Terumah "Heave offering"
Exodus 25:1 -27:19
I Kings 5:26 - 6:13
Hebrews 8:3 - 9:5

2-27-99 - Tetzaveh "You shall command"
Exodus 27:20 - 30:10
Romans 12:1 - 13:14

Shabbat Zachor
Deuteronomy 25:17-19
I Samuel 15:2-34

3-2-99 - Purim "Feast of Lots"
Exodus 17:8-16
Esther (all)
Titus 3:1-14

3-6-99 - Ki Thisa "When you take"
Exodus 30:11- 34:35
ICorinthians 10:1 - 11:1

Shabbat Parah
Numbers 19:1-22
Ezekiel 36:16-38

3-13-99 - (Double Reading)
Vayakhel "And assembled"
Exodus 35:1 - 38:20
II Corinthians 8:1 - 9:15

Pekude "Accounts"
Exodus 38:2 1 - 40:38
I Corinthians 2:6 - 3:17

Shabbat HaHodesh
Exodus 12:1-20
Ezekiel 45:16 - 46:18

3-20-99 - Vayikra "And he called"
Leviticus 1:1 - 5:26
Isaiah 43:21 - 44:23
Hebrews 10:1-39

3-27-99 - Tzav "Command"
Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36
Hebrews 13:10-16
I Timothy 2:1-10

Shabbat HaGadol
Malachi 3:4-24

4-1-99 - First Day of Unleavened Bread
Exodus 12:21-51
Joshua 3:5-7, 5:2 - 6:1, 6:27
Numbers 28:16-25
Leviticus 22:26 - 23:44
II Kings 23:1-9, 2 1-25
Luke 21:37 - 23:56

4-3-99 - Passover Sabbath
Exodus 33:12 - 34:26
Numbers 28:19-25
Ezekiel 36:37 - 37:14
Song of Songs (all)
Matthew 16:1-28

4-2-99 - Omer Wave Offering
I Corinthians 15:1-58
Matthew 28:1-20
Mark 16:1-20
Luke 24:1-53
John 20:1 -21:25

4-7-99 - Last Day of Unleavened Bread
Exodus 13:17 - 15:26
II Samuel 22:1-51
Numbers 28:19-25
Deuteronomy 15:19 - 16:17
Isaiah 10:32 - 12:6
I Corinthians 10:1-33

4-10-99 - Shemini "Eighth"
Leviticus 9:1 - 11:47
II Samuel 6:1 - 7:17
Acts 10:1 - 11:18

4-17-99 - (Double Reading,)
Tazria "Conceived"
Leviticus 12:1 - 13:59
II Kings 4:42-5:19
Mark 5:1-43

Metzora "Leper"
Leviticus 14:1 - 15:33
II Kings 7:3-20
Luke 17:1-37

4-24-99 - (Double Reading)
Ahare Mot "After the death"
Leviticus 16:1 - 18:30
Ezekiel 22:1-19
Hebrews 9:6-28

Kedoshim "Holy"
Leviticus 19:1 - 20:27
Amos 9:7-15
Romans 1:18-32

5-1-99 - Emor "Say"
Leviticus 21:1 -24:23
Ezekiel 44:15-31
Mark 2:23-28
Luke 4: 14-32

5-8-99 - Behar "On Mount Sinai"
Leviticus 25:1 - 26:2
Jeremiah 32:6-27
Philemon (all)

5-15-99 - Behukotai "In My statutes"
Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34
Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14
Matthew 23:l -24:2

5-22-99 - Bamidbar "In the wilderness"
Numbers 1:1 -4:20
Hosea 2:1-22
Luke 2:1-52

5-23-99 - Shavu’ot "Pentecost"
Exodus 19:1 - 20:23
Ezekiel 1:1-28, 3:12
Numbers 28:26-31
Deut. 15:19- 16:17
Habakikuk 3:1-19
Ruth (All)
Acts 1:1 -2:47

5-29-99 - Naso "Make an accounting"
Numbers 4:21 - 7:89
Judges 13:2-25
Acts 18:18, 21:17 - 22:29

6-5-99 - Beha’alotekha "When you set up"
Numbers 8:1 - 12:16
Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7
I Corinthians 12:1 - 14:40

6-12-99 - Shelach "Send thou"
Numbers 13:1 - 15:41
Joshua 2:1-24
Hebrews 3:1 -4:16

6-19-99 - Korach "Korah"
Numbers 16:1 - 18:32
ISamuel 11:14- 12:22
II Timothy 3:1 - 4:5
II John 1-13

6-26-99 - (Double Reading)
Hukat "Statute"
Numbers 19:1 - 22:1
Judges 11:1-33
John 3:1-21

Balak "Balak"
Numbers 22:2 - 25:9
Micah 5:6 - 6:8
Jude 1-25
II Peter 2:1-22

7-3-99 - Pinhas "Phineas"
Numbers 25:10 - 30:1
I Kings 18:46 - 19:21
Colossians 2:8 - 4:6

7-10-99 - (Double Reading)
Matot "Tribes"
Numbers 30:2 - 32:42
Jeremiah 1:1-2:3
James 4:1 - 5:20

Massi "Journeys"
Numbers 33:1 - 36:13
Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:4
I John2:1 -3:24

7-17-99 - Devarim "Words"
Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22
Isaiah 1:1-27
Acts 7:2-60

7-22-99 - Ninth of Av
"Both Temples Destroyed"
Evening Reading:
Lamentations (all)

Morning Readings:
Deuteronomy 4:25-40
Jeremiah 8:13 - 9:23
John 2:13-25

Afternoon readings:
Exodus 32:11-14, 34:1-10
Isaiah 55:6 - 56:8
Hosea 14:2-10
Micah 7:18-20
John 8:1-58

7-24-99 - Va‘etchanan "And I besought"
Deuteronomy 3:23 - 7:11
Isaiah 40:1-26
Mark 12:1-44

7-31-99 - Ekev "Because"
Deuteronomy 7:12 - 11:25
Isaiah 49:15 - 51:3
Hebrews 12:1-29

8-7-99 - Re’eh "Behold"
Deuteronomy 11:26- 16:17
Isaiah 54:11 - 55:5
I Corinthians 8:1-13

8-14-99 - Shoftim "Judges"
Deuteronomy 16:18 - 21:9
Isaiah 51:12 - 53:12
Matthew 18:1-35

8-21-99 Ke Tetze "When you go"
Deuteronomy 21:10 - 25:19
Isaiah 54:1-10
Matthew 19:1-12
I Corinthians 7:1-40

8-28-99 - Ke Tavo "When you come"
Deuteronomy 26:1 - 29:8
Isaiah 60:1-22
Matthew 25:1-46
James 1:1 -2:26

9-4-99 - (Double Reading)
Nitzavim "You are standing"
Deuteronomy 29:9 - 30:20
Isaiah 6l:1 - 63:9
I John 5:1-21
I Timothy 6:1-2 1

Vayelekh "And he went"
Deuteronomy 31:1-30
Isaiah 55:6 - 56:8
Philippians 1:1 - 2:30

9-11-99 - Rosh HaShanah "Feast of Trumpets"
Genesis 21:1 - 22:24
Numbers 29:1-6
I Samuel 1:1 - 2:10
Jeremiah 3 1:1-19
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
I Corinthians 15:50-57
Revelation 11:15 - 18:24

9-18-99 - Hazinu "Give ear"
Deuteronomy 32:1-52
I Peter 1:1 -2:25

Shabbat Shuvah
Hosea 14:2-10
Micah 7:1 8-20
Joel 2:15-17

9-20-99 - Yom Kippur "Day of Atonement"
Leviticus 16:1-34, 18:1-30
Numbers 29:7-11
Isaiah 57:14 - 58:14
Jonah 1:1 - 4:11
Micah 7:18-20
Hebrews 5:1 - 7:28

9-25-99 - Succoth "Feast of Tabernacles"
Leviticus 22:26 - 23:44
Numbers 29:12-16
Zechariah 14:1-21
I Kings 8:2-2 1
Matthew 6:1-34

Shabbat Succoth
Ecelesiastes (All)

9-26-99 - 9-30-99 Succoth
Intermediate Days
Psalms 113-118
Genesis 48-49

10-1-99 - Hoshana Rabba "The Great Hoshanna"
Revelation 19:1 - 21:15

10-2-99 - Shemini Atzeret "The Eighth Day"
(A Day of New Beginnings)
Deuteronomy 14:22 - 16:17
Numbers 29:35 - 30:1
I Kings 8:54-66
Revelation 21:1 - 22:21

Simhat Torah "Rejoicing in the Torah"
(10-2-99 - in Israel)
(10-3-99 - in the Diaspora)

Vezot Haberachah "And this is the blessing"
Deuteronomy 33:1 - 34:12
Genesis 1:1 - 2:3
Numbers 29:3 5 - 30:1
Joshua 1:1-18
Luke 24:1-53

10-9-99 Start all over again!

~ Sources ~

Spier, Arthur, The Comprehensive Hebrew Calendar, Feldheim Publishers, Jerusalem / NewYork, 1986.
Stern, David H., The Jewish New Testament, Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, MD, 1989.
Tanakh - The Holy Scriptures, The Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia / New York, 1988.