Torah Portions

What Is a Torah Portion?

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." - Joshua 1:8

When someone chooses to follow Yeshua, and become Netzarim, a natural question often arises: What’s next? Practically speaking, how does one begin to grow into the likeness of the Master? The most common advice is simple yet profound: pray and read the Bible.

These are excellent answers. For centuries, God’s people have recognized these practices as two of the most vital and effective means of spiritual growth. However, many disciples find these disciplines challenging to implement consistently—despite sincere efforts. Bible study, in particular, can feel overwhelming. With tens of thousands of verses spanning its pages, where should one start? How much time should one dedicate each day? And what happens when encountering passages that are difficult to understand?

The Jewish people have long confronted these same questions and developed a beautiful, community-wide practice to address them: reading through the Torah annually.

The Torah, consisting of the first five books of the Bible, is the foundational revelation of God to the Jewish people and, through them, to the entire world. It reveals God’s character and will with exceptional clarity, serving as a “lamp to our feet” (Psalm 119:105) and the “two-edged sword” that discerns the intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). To make this rich, sacred text accessible, the Jewish people divided the Torah into fifty-four portions, assigning each portion to a specific week of the year. These portions, often referred to by their Hebrew names (taken from key words in the first verse), make the study of the Torah structured and manageable. While the names are in Hebrew, anyone can participate by reading a few chapters in their preferred language each week.

This disciplined approach to Torah study dates back to the time of Yeshua. “As was his custom” (Luke 4:16), Yeshua attended synagogue every Sabbath. A central part of the service was the reading of a prescribed portion of the Torah, accompanied by a relevant section from the Prophets. This tradition continues in synagogues today. For example, when Yeshua returned to Nazareth after his forty days in the wilderness, he was handed the scroll of Isaiah, corresponding to the prophetic reading for that day (Luke 4:17).

By studying the Torah portions in their prescribed order throughout the Jewish year, a disciple of Yeshua, or Nezarim, steps into the same rhythm of spiritual formation practiced by the Master and his first disciples. This practice also connects us to the Jewish people, who have faithfully safeguarded God’s revelation from Mount Sinai and continue to study the Torah portion each week.

Most importantly, engaging with the Torah in this way lays a strong foundation for discipleship. The Torah reveals essential truths about the identity and attributes of God, his promises to the patriarchs, and his covenant with Israel—truths that form the bedrock of our faith. Regular, disciplined study of the Torah provides the context needed to fully understand and apply the teachings of the New Testament. By mastering these basics, we build a firm foundation for a life of spiritual growth and service.