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Weekly Torah portion · Deuteronomy
Vaetchanan ואתחנן
Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11
Vaetchanan (“I Pleaded”) opens as Moses describes his pleading with God to be allowed into the Land of Israel. Moses warns the Israelites not to pursue idolatry and recounts the giving of the Ten Commandments. The portion also contains the Shema, a declaration of faith and a central text in Jewish prayer.
Summary: Sefaria
How it begins
וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל־יְהוָה בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר׃
3:23 And I besought the LORD at that time, saying:
אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה אַתָּה הַחִלּוֹתָ לְהַרְאוֹת אֶת־עַבְדְּךָ אֶת־גָּדְלְךָ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ הַחֲזָקָה אֲשֶׁר מִי־אֵל בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה כְמַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶךָ׃
3:24 ’O Lord GOD, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth, that can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy mighty acts?
אֶעְבְּרָה־נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה וְהַלְּבָנוֹן׃
3:25 Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon.’
Deuteronomy 3:23–25 · 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 1Deuteronomy 3:23-4:4
- Part 2Deuteronomy 4:5-4:40
- Part 3Deuteronomy 4:41-4:49
- Part 4Deuteronomy 5:1-5:18
- Part 5Deuteronomy 5:19-6:3
- Part 6Deuteronomy 6:4-6:25
- Part 7Deuteronomy 7:1-7:11
When it’s read
- Diaspora: August 14, 2027, August 5, 2028
- Israel: August 14, 2027, August 5, 2028
Dates: Hebcal. Some years two portions are read together.