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Weekly Torah portion · Exodus
Vaera וארא
Exodus 6:2-9:35
Vaera (“I Appeared”) opens as God promises to redeem the enslaved Israelites and bring them to the Promised Land. When Pharaoh repeatedly refuses to let the Israelites go, God sends a series of plagues: water turning to blood, frogs, lice, wild animals, death of livestock, boils, and hail.
Summary: Sefaria
How it begins
וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְהוָה׃
6:2 And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: ‘I am the LORD;
וָאֵרָא אֶל־אַבְרָהָם אֶל־יִצְחָק וְאֶל־יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם׃
6:3 and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name יהוה I made Me not known to them.
וְגַם הֲקִמֹתִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶת־אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן אֵת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר־גָּרוּ בָהּ׃
6:4 And I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, wherein they sojourned.
Exodus 6:2–4 · Hebrew: Tanach with Nikkud · English: JPS 1917 · public domain, via Sefaria
Seven daily readings
The portion is traditionally split into seven parts (aliyot), one for each day of the week.
- Part 1Exodus 6:2-6:13
- Part 2Exodus 6:14-6:28
- Part 3Exodus 6:29-7:7
- Part 4Exodus 7:8-8:6
- Part 5Exodus 8:7-8:18
- Part 6Exodus 8:19-9:16
- Part 7Exodus 9:17-9:35
When it’s read
- Diaspora: January 9, 2027, January 29, 2028
- Israel: January 9, 2027, January 29, 2028
Dates: Hebcal. Some years two portions are read together.