All possible links were tested for this update: apologies for any that fail.
<big>Copypasteable optional DvarTorah “boilerplate” is below in blue</big> based on Elders of Zion dk5 HOMEPAGE text (same as our dk4 page) based in turn on EofZ’s founding diary by WiscMass, also linked at our homepage[s]. Many DK series & groups put boilerplate in each post to convey acceptable comment parameters/expectations and what won’t be tolerated — ya can’t expect people to comply if they have no clue, and complaints to HelpDesk about comments violating group/series limits are stronger if boilerplate has given fair warning. The image in this blue box is deletable in usual way if desired, and other images can be added likewise. Note that the font within colorboxes is smaller than normal text and may need enlargement using simple HTML code.
[1] Position your cursor just before the 3 bulletblocks at the end of these instructions and before the blue box itself. [2] highlight starting there, including the bulletblocks, and drag down the entire colorbox; [3] position your cursor wherever in your draft you want the boilerplate colorbox to go (most writers put it at the very end of diary text); [4] paste in, and then delete the bullet blocks ■■■
We are a study community, naming our DK series for the Dvar Torah tradition.
No great level of scholarship is required, but respect, friendliness, and a willingness to learn from Judaic perspective ARE.
Newcomers and vistors can get their bearings from our host-group’s profile/ statement HERE and from recent & past posts (approx. date order).
To add our series’ posts to your activity stream, click on DvarTorah in the tag-list at the foot of any of our diaries, and you’ll get our dk tag-page where you can click on the FOLLOW button.
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[5] Once the boilerplate is in your draft, you can edit the text if you wish. The HERE link in it goes to the E of Z homepage (dk4 format) prominently displaying group description including a section “Dealing with Trolls.”
Wikipedia’s Weekly Torah Readings gives a link to a page for each parsha including haftarah — replicated in the last 1/3 of this diary — plus Special Shabbatot. For dates of parashot and all holidays etc observed by the orthodox, see Etz Chayim calender of liturgical readers including holidays for 5784 (2023-2024) and Etz Chayim 5785 (2024-2025). Forblock/wall calendar style for parashot only, try HebCal.com.
Parashat Bereshiyt 2024 will be October 26.
For Sephardic & Mizrachi chanting see Weekly Maqam.
For Authoritative and helpful Judaic sources online see that heading/section several paragraphs below.
Note: copypasteable Kaddish in Hebrew letters of the Aramaic text, transliteration, and progressive translation, and other mourners’ & rememberance material incl’g music videos of misheberach, el molei rachamim, etc, are <big>HERE. </big> The copypasta Kaddish may need slight adjustments to fit the width of a published dk diary due to recent site changes.
This image is “Shabbat Shalom” in Hebrew: many DvarTorah diarists end with those words. Find it in the dk image library by typing DvarTorah in the search box. Position in the diary align-right, of course.
<big>Virtually all original-series DK divrei-Torah posts and holiday/khag(chag posts have been tagged </big> by both parsha name alone and the name prefixed by Parashat. Going forward, findability depends upon how well diaries and TU commenters apply tags. Find them like this:
1. Click this pageful of DK parsha tags.
2. Click on the word TAG at the head of the leftmost column on that page to get alphabetical order.
3. Click on the parsha you’re interested in to get a page of links to the diaries on it. Most parashot have at least one diary/post and some have several.
<big>Other findability tags usually or often put on these diaries</big> and the posts on Jewish heritage, holidays, world Jewish music, food, and so on, are, as appropriate: ■ <big>DvarTorah</big> ■ Judaism ■ Jews ■ Jewish ■community ■ religion ■ teaching ■ Torah ■ Talmud ■ Tanakh ■ Bible … even sometimes which book of Tanakh, concepts a writer may have especially focused on —e.g., socialJustice or religiousfreedom or etc. And <big>SongOfZion</big> on most or all our posts starting in 2023.
<bib>Tags specific to the high holidays:</big> “HighHolidays” ■ “Selichot“ (a.k.a. slichos — see also Parashat Ki Tavo) ■ a dozen or so that begin with RoshHashanah {spellings vary} (see also Parashat Nitzavim and NitzavimVayelech and Vayelech) ■ KolNidrei ■ ShofarService ■ AvinuMalkenu (or AvinuMalkeinu) ■ YomKippur ■ ShabbatShuvah ■ Sukkot ■ SimchatTorah ■ and so on.
General DK diary-writing guidance:
Copyright, Fair Use, & All That ■ Authorial Matters, References, Plagiarism &IN Copyright ■ Diaries by admins&editors of the New Diarists group ■ DAILY KOS RULES OF THE ROAD including using images without stealing them. ■ a fully-illustrated, step-by-step How To Queue Drafts to Groups You're In, to Publish'em There; & How To Republish/Reblog Diaries too which includes links to other similar tutorials by other skilled kosaks ■ How to Copy Images already in the DK Image Library into Your Diary or Comment
AUTHORITATIVE & helpful Judaic Sources Online
- <big>Dvar Tzedek archive of “What can the weekly Torah portion teach us about social justice?”</big> — writing by women and men in today’s world, links to the On1Foot Project of Jewish texts, etc, for Judaic-based justice education and study in social justice, sustainable development, women’s rights, human rights, and intercultural appreciation and solidarity.
- <big>MyJewishLearning.com — a transdenominational website</big> — scroll down at that site for commentaries on Social Action and Environmentalism, Pluralism and Outreach, Text Studies, “From the Denominations”, and to find resources such as Jewish food blog, their guidance for “How to Write a Dvar” (a little scroll-ways down at this page, etc.
- <big>Torah Commentary from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America</big>(wikipedia page that links further) — Conservative Judaism, lots of women writers, (they ordain women rabbis, too).
- <big>www.mechon-mamre.org supplies public domain online Tanakh text in parallel Hebrew/English (among other languages)</big> —our longtime scholar/writer (unfortunately banned for unknown reasons) charliehall2 said in 2013, “...Their English translation is from the 1917 Jewish Publication Society translation, which isn't the best but [may be the only Jewish translation in parallel hebrew/English text in the public domain.” ramara added, “[It’s] largely based on the King James [Version]. I like the modern JPS better for accuracy, but the [KJV] is so beautiful I can't give it up completely.” Navy Vet Terp said “...Shakespeare may have written parts — see KJV psalm 46, Shake is the 46th word from the beginning, spear the 46th from the end.”
- <big>At Chabad.org:</big> ■ Complete Tanakh (Jewish Bible) with Rashi Commentary, side by side Hebrew & English text • Parsha studies • About the Talmud itself (with collected stories from Talmud) ■ Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) — “The Torah’s view on ethics and interpersonal relationships (includes audios and stories) ■ Mishneh Torah of the Rambam ("Rabbeinu Moshe Ben Maimon" — Maimonides) ■ and more. Rashi (wikipedia link)(RAbbi SHlomo Itzhaki) “11th century France/Germany...the most important biblical and talmudic commentator”, highly recommended by charliehall2.
- He also recommends this<big> online English translation of the Babylonian Talmud in pdf format</big> (that’s Halakha.com, also viewable here in a slightly different on-line format I personally find easier to use, not sure why)
“...done years ago by British Jewish scholars. It doesn’t translate the commentaries on the Talmud, its footnotes aren’t as extensive as the [recommended for purchase] Artscroll Talmud [although it has “an annoying right wing bias”] but its footnotes give the sources for Rashi’s comments] and it doesn’t have as much background material as the Steinsaltz Talmud Bavli, [also recommended for purchase] but it is free !
- <big> Sefaria.org </big> - a wealth of traditional/heritage literature, including intercalated Hebrew/English (among other translations) Tanakh text, and has a self-updating section in the righthand side with links for each week’s upcoming parsha: ■ Tanakh ■ Mishnah ■ Talmud ■ Halakhah ■ Kabalah ■ Liturgy ■ Philosophy ■ Tosefta ■ Chasidut ■ Musar ■ Responsa ■ Apocrypha ■ Modern Works ■ Other ■ Daf Yomi (daily page).
- <big>TABLET.com “A New Read on Jewish Life”</big> — an American Jewish general interest online magazine with broad scope but it might have a paywall. (Adam Kirsch there was reading a page a day —daf yomi— of the Babylonian Talmud, a worldwide practice begun in 1923 [wikipedia] that covers both sides each of the 2,711 pages in sequence, finishing every 7 ½ years (with celebration!), “in a way that makes it accessible to nonscholars” (study cycles of other materials linked at that wik pg too.)
- In the encyclopedic Jewish Virtual Library . org can be found biographies of ancient thru’ modern commentators on the Jewish canon; histories of holidays, commemorations, fasts, and other significant dates; and all kindsa other stuff.
- Also terrific is the Jewish Encyclopedia [online], the complete text as published 1901-1906 (i.e., now in the public domain) with over 15,000 articles and illustrations. “Since the original work was completed almost 100 years ago, it does not cover a significant portion of modern Jewish History (e.g., the creation of Israel, the Holocaust, etc.). However, it does contain an incredible amount of information that is remarkably relevant today.” and shows how expert scholarship and study have always been, not limited to just the past 100 years or less.
- Mayim Achronim with tabs for Books, Archaeology, Israel, Prophecy, Classes, and weekly parsha Blog. It has a sign-up form for receiving weekly Torah Insight email.
Interesting Creative Sources:
Do you like your siddur Open or Closed?
The Open Siddur Project is a volunteer-driven, non-denominational, non-prescriptive, gratis and libre Open Access archive of Jewish prayer, liturgy, and related works (historic and contemporary, familiar and obscure), composed in every era, region, and language Jews have ever prayed. Have a favorite prayer, piyyut, or praxis? If it’s not yet in the archive, please share it and make it available to others studying Jewish prayer or crafting their own prayerbooks. (If you’d like to improve this website or help build our next-generation siddur building application, please contact us and join us on github.)
We call our Siddur Project “open” because we adhere to the definition of open content and open data as maintained by the Open Knowledge Foundation and the definition of open-source as maintained by the Open Source Initiative. We adhere to the values of “free culture” as defined by the Free Culture Foundation and we aspire to be a resource as open and free as the Torah of Kindness (תּוֹרָת חֶסֶד) described in the Babylonian Talmud (Sukkah 49b). In addition to text that we carefully transcribe and proofread from works in the Public Domain, our community of contributors make their own copyrighted work available for your adaptive reuse under their choice of Open Content license.
☞ Read more about our mission, vision, and project history. If your question isn’t answered there or in our FAQ, please contact us. (A technical summary of this project is available in a slide presentation given before the EVA/Minerva Digital Humanities conference in Jerusalem.)
Not-solely-Judaic sources:
- Google Scholar can be great for finding academic and professional journal articles — search by your parsha name or the names of individuals in the text, and you get archaeology, linguistics, all kinds of fascinating scholarly stuff such as from Journal Storage/a.k.a. JSTOR:
a digital library founded in 1995. Originally containing digitized back issues of academic journals, it now also includes books and other primary sources, and current issues of journals.[4] It provides full-text searches of almost 2,000 journals. As of 2013, more than 8,000 institutions in more than 160 countries had access to JSTOR;[5] most access is by subscription, but some of the site's public domain and open access content is available at no cost to anyone.[6]
Sometimes Google Scholar also gets you material from the Jewish Women's Archive and other popularly-mostly-unknown-of publications/sources.
From here on the updating became impossible because it’s a heavy amt of work, so it’s just the list of text coverage, with links to wikipedia’s parsha pages. Wikipedia pages are good atr getting current dates & sunset/sundown info for holidays but they leave you at sea for what date/Saturday in the current year is correct for what parsha, hence the links to EtzChayim’s calendars at the top of this post.
BERESHIYT / Genesis (usually late Sept/Oct)
- Parashat Bereshiyt Gen.1:1-6:8, Isa. 42:5–43:10 [Isa. 42:5-21] BY _________
- Noach Gen. 6:9-11:32, Isa. 54:1–55:5 [Isa. 54:1-10] BY_____________
- Lech-Lecha Gen. 2:1-17:27, Isa. 40:27–41:16 BY______________
- Vayeira Gen. 18:1-22:24, 2 Kgs. 4:1-37 [2 Kgs. 4:1-23] BY_______________
- Chayei Sarah Gen. 23:1-25:18, 1 Kgs. 1:1-31 BY_______________
- Toldot Gen. 25:19-28:9, Mal. 1:1–2:7 BY_______________
- Vayetze Gen. 28:10-32:3, Hos. 12:13–14:10 Opt. subst. Mic. 7:18 [Hos. 11:7–12:12] BY_____________
- Vayishlach Gen. 32:4-36:43, Obad. 1:1-21 Opt. Hos. 11:7–12:12 [Obad. 1:1-21] BY ____________
- Vayeshev Gen. 37:1-40:23, Amos 2:6–3:8 BY_______________
■ ____________ sunset Erev Chanukah 1st Candle ________
■ ____________ Chanukah I , 2nd Candle_______
etc.
- Miketz Gen. 41:1-44:17, maf. Num. 7:48-59, Zech. 2:14–4:7 BY __________________
- Vayigash Gen. 44:18-47:27, Ezek. 37:15-28 BY_______________
- Vayechi Gen. 47:28-50:26, 1 Kgs. 2:1-12 BY______________
SHEMOT / Exodus (heading into winter)
Tu B’shvat is 17 January 21, 2022
- Parashat Shemot Ex.1:1-6:1, Isa. 27:6–28:13; 29:22-23 [Jer. 1:1–2:3] BY_____________
- Vaera Ex. 6:2-9:35, maf. Num. 28:9-15, Isa. 66:1-24 BY__________
- Bo Ex.10:1-13:16, Jer. 46:13-28 BY______________
- Beshalach Ex. 13:17-17:16, Judg. 4:4–5:31 [Judg. 5:1-31] BY___________
- Yitro Ex.18:1-20:23, Isa.6:1–7:6; 9:5-6 [Isa. 6:1-13] BY______________
- Mishpatim Ex. 21:1-24:18, 2 Kgs.12:1-17 [2 Kgs. 11:17–12:17] BY_____________
- Terumah Ex.25:1-27:19, 1 Kgs. 5:26–6:13 BY______________
- Tetzaveh Ex. 27:20-30:10, maf. Deut. 25:17-19, 1 Sam. 15:2-34 [1 Sam. 15:1-34] BY____________
- Ki Tisa Ex.30:11-34:35, Ezek. 36:16-38 [Ezek: 36:16-36] BY___________
- ??? Vayakhel in certain years combined with Pekudei — check at EtzHayim link up top.
- -Pekudei Ex.35:1–40:38, maf. Num. 19:1-22, Ezek. 36:16-38 [Ezek. 36:16-36] BY__________________
VAYIKRA / Leviticus (heading into spring)
in 2024, Erev Purim is 23 March. April 22 is Ta’anit Bechorot [Fast of the Firstborn dawn to sunset] and erev Pesach — at sunset is the First Seder.
- Parashat Vayikra Lev.1:1-5:26, Isa. 43:21–44:23
- Tzav Lev. 6:1-8:36, Mal. 3:4–24
- Shemini Lev. 9:1-11:47, 2 Sam. 6:1–7:17 [2 Sam. 6:1-19] BY__________
- Tazria (in certain years combined with Metzorah — check at EtzHayim link up top.) Lev. 12:1–13:59; 2 Kgs. 4:42–5:19
- Metzorah Lev.12:1–15:33, 2 Kgs.7:3-20
- Acharei Mot Lev. 16:1–18:30; Ezek. 22:1-19 [Ezek. 22:1-16]
- Kedoshim Lev.16:1–20:27, Amos 9:7-15 [Ezek. 20:2-20] BY____________
- Emor Lev. 21:1–24:23, Ezek. 44:15-31 BY___________
- Behar Lev. 25:1–26:2; Jer. 32:6-27
- Bechukotai Lev. 25:1–26:2, Jer.16:19–17:14 BY___________
■ Pesach I - Pesach Shabbat I Ex. 12:21-51, maf. Num. 28:16-25, Josh.3:5-7; 5:2–6:1, 27,[Josh. 5:2–6:1, 27] 2nd seder@sunset_________
■ Pesach VIII - Pesach Shabbat II - Deut.14:22–16:17, maf. Num. 28:19-25, Isa. 10:32–12:6 BY_____________
■ Yom HaSho'ah [Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day]
■ Yom HaZikaron [Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Memorial Day]
■ Yom Ha'atzmaut [Israel Independence Day]
■ Lag BaOmer _____________
■ Yom Yerushalayim ____________
BAMIDBAR /Numbers (heading into summer)
erev Shavu’ot Ex.19:1–20:23, maf. Num. 28:26 -31, Ezek. 1:1-28; 3:12 _____________
- June 8, 2024 Parashat Ba’Midbar Num.1:1–4:20, Hos. 2:1-22 BY_____________
- Nasso Num. 4:21–7:89, Judg. 13:2-25 BY ______________
- Beha’alotecha Num. 8:1–12:16, Zech. 2:14–4:7 BY ______________
- Sh’lach (shelach, shlach lecha) Num. 13:1–15:41, Josh. 2:1-24 BY_
- Korach Num. 16:1–18:32, 1 Sam. 11:14–12:22 BY______________
- Chukat Num. 19:1–22:1, Judg. 11:1-33 BY____________
- Balak Num. 22:2–25:9, Micah 5:6–6:8 BY _________________
- Pinchas Num.25:10–30:1 -1st Haftarah of Admonition Jer.1:1–2:3 BY________
- Matot-Masei Num. 30:2–36:13, 2nd Haftarah of Admonition Jer. 2:4-28; 3:4 [Jer. 2:4-28; 4:1-2] BY _______________
DEVARIM / Deuteronomy (heading toward autumn)
- Parashat Devarim, Shabat Chazon Deut. 1:1–3:22,3rd Haftarah of Admonition Isa. 1:1-27 BY ___________ and EREV Tisha B'Av
- Va’etchanan, Shabbat Nachamu Deut. 3:23–7:11, 1st Haftarah of Consolation Isa. 40:1-26 BY _____________
- Eikev(Ekev) Deut.7:12–11:25, 2nd Haftarah of Consolation Isa. 49:14–51:3 BY_________
- Re'eh Deut.11:26–16:17, 3rd Haftarah of Consolation Isa. 54:11–55:5 [In some congregations, Isa. 66:1-24] BY _________
- Shofetim Deut.16:18–21:9 4th Haftarah of Consolation Isa. 51:12–52:12 BY___________
- Ki Tetze Deut. 21:10–25:19, 5th Haftarah of Consolation Isa. 54:1-10 BY ___________
- Ki Tavo, Shabbat Selichot [Ashkenazim] Deut. 26:1–29:8, 6th Haftarah of Consolation, Isa. 60:1-22 BY_________
Selichot prayers begin on the Saturday night before Rosh HaShanah for Ashkenazim. If, however, the first day of Rosh HaShanah falls on Monday or Tuesday, Selichot are said beginning the Saturday night prior. [Sorry, I found no Selichot information for Sephardim or Mizrachim.]
Leil Selichot Sat. Sept 17, 2022
- Nitzavim Deut.29:9–30:20, 7th Haftarah of Consolation, Isa. 61:10–63:9 BY __________
■ sunset Sun. Sep 25, 2022 Erev Rosh HaShana
5783 at Etz Chayim liturgical readings)
5783 at HebCal
- 1 Oct 2022 Vayelech Deut. 31:1-30, Hos. 14:2-10; Mic. 7:18-20; Joel 2:15-27 [Hos. 14:2-10; Mic. 7:18-20] BY __________
■ sunset Tue, 4 Oct 2022 erev Yom Kippur 5780, Kol Nidre ________
- 8 Oct 2022 Ha’azinu Deut.32:1-32:5 , 2 Sam. 22:1-51 BY___________
■ sunset Sun, 9 Oct 2022 Erev Sukkot ___________
■ Shemini Atzeret ___________
■ diaspora erev Simchat Torah ______ V'Zot HaBerachah Deut. 33:1-34:12 — Josh. 1:1-18 [Josh. 1:1-9]
Simchat Torah is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings and the beginning of a new cycle. In Israel, Simhat Torah and Shemini Atzeret are celebrated on the same day.
Bereishiyt, 22 October 2023