The Torah is read through in a year, one portion each Shabbat, by Jewish communities everywhere — and by a growing number of Messianic and Torah-observant households. This page tells you where the cycle is right now and gives you a reading guide for each week.
This week: Parashat Shoftim — Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9 · Shabbat 15 August 2026
Judges, kings, prophets — and the promise of a prophet like Moses.
What is the weekly Torah portion?
The five books of Moses are divided into 54 portions — parashot — read in sequence, one each Shabbat, completing the whole Torah in a year. The cycle ends and restarts at Simchat Torah each autumn. Reading along means you are studying the same passage, the same week, as millions of others — including, in all likelihood, the synagogue Yeshua stood up to read in.
How Messianic households read it
Each portion is traditionally paired with a haftarah — a reading from the Prophets. Messianic congregations commonly add a third reading from the New Covenant writings that echoes the portion's themes. There is no single fixed Messianic lectionary; congregations differ, and the pairings we suggest on each page are common choices, not commands.
The coming weeks
| Shabbat | Portion | Torah reading |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Aug 2026 | Shoftim — “Judges” | Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9 |
| 22 Aug 2026 | Ki Teitzei — “When you go out” | Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19 |
| 29 Aug 2026 | Ki Tavo — “When you come in” | Deuteronomy 26:1–29:8 |
| 5 Sep 2026 | Nitzavim–Vayeilech — “Standing / He went” | Deuteronomy 29:9–31:30 |
| 19 Sep 2026 | Ha'azinu — “Give ear” (Shabbat Shuvah) | Deuteronomy 32 |
| 4 Oct 2026 | V'Zot HaBerachah — read at Simchat Torah | Deuteronomy 33–34 |
| 10 Oct 2026 | Bereshit — “In the beginning” · the cycle restarts | Genesis 1:1–6:8 |
No portion is listed for 12 and 26 September — those Shabbatot fall on Yom Teruah weekend and during Sukkot, when festival readings replace the weekly portion. Dates follow the rabbinic calendar.
Starting mid-cycle
You do not need to wait for Bereshit. Start with this week's portion — the cycle is a wheel, not a staircase, and everyone joins it somewhere. That said, if you want a clean beginning, the new cycle starts on 10 October 2026, the Shabbat after Simchat Torah, and starting at Genesis 1:1 with everyone else is a genuinely good way to begin a year.
Reading with children
The Alef Bet workbook keeps small hands busy at the table, and Bible Pathway Adventures publishes a weekly Torah portion activity book we are working to stock. For the adults, the Messianic Torah Devotional follows this exact cycle — a short reading for each portion.
New portion pages are added weekly. The Learning Hub has the feast calendar, teachings and a fellowship directory.