The Festival Torah Lectionary

By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)

 

 

The Jewish Festival Lectionary is perhaps the most ancient of all Lectionaries with some minor modifications since its inception at Mt. Sinai. The Festival Torah readings are totally independent of the Annual or Triennial / Septennial weekly Torah Lectionaries.

 

When a Festival, or minor festival, or a special Shabbat takes place, the normal weekly Torah Lectionary is set aside and, the Festival Torah Lectionary comes into effect. This is a key principle in all Jewish Lectionaries, and one that many fail to recognize and / or adhere to.

 

Therefore, there is no such literal “Triennial Lectionary” in practice, but the norm is that the outcome must be two cycles of “Triennial Lectionary” + “Festival Torah Lectionary” = Septennial lectionary cycle.

 

It is therefore impossible to have strictly two, three and a half year cycles or an annual Torah Lectionary divorced from the Festival Lectionary. 

 

The weekly Torah Readings in a normal Triennial Lectionary

does not supersede the Festival readings unless the Festival Lectionary demands that the weekly Torah Seder be read, but the Festival Ashlamatah always supersedes the “weekly” prescribed Ashlamatah. Having said this, a case may be made that the weekly Torah Sedarim and Ashlamatot immediately before or after a festival or fast provides a hint that a festival or fast will arrive, or arrived before that particular Shabbat.

 

The following table details the specific passages for both the Torah and the Ashlamatot (Haftarah) readings.


OCCASION

TORAH READING

HAFTARAH READING

Weekday

Rosh Hashanah, first day

Weekday: Genesis 21:1-34

(1)  Gen. 21:1-4

(2)  Gen. 21:5-12

(3)  Gen. 21:13-21

(4)  Gen. 21:22-27

(5)  Gen. 21:28-34

(M) Numbers 29:1-6

I Samuel 1:1-2:10

Shabbat

Rosh Hashanah, first day

Shabbat: Genesis 21:1-34

(1)  Gen. 21:1-4

(2)  Gen. 21:5-8

(3)  Gen. 21:9-12

(4)  Gen. 21:13-17

(5)  Gen. 21:18-21

(6)  Gen. 21:22-27

(7)  Gen. 21:28-34

(M) Numbers 29:1-6

I Samuel 1:1-2:10

Rosh Hashanah, second day

Weekday: Genesis 22:1-24

(1)  Gen. 22:1-3

(2)  Gen. 22:4-8

(3)  Gen. 22:9-14

(4)  Gen. 22:15-19

(5)  Gen. 22:20-24

(M) Numbers 29:1-6

Jeremiah 31:1-19

Shabbat Shuvah

Normal weekly Torah Seder

 

Sefardim:

  Hosea 14:2-10;

  Micah 7:18-20

Ashkenazim:

  Hosea 14:2-10;

  Joel 2:15-17

 

These Ashlamatot must be recited by the greatest Torah scholar available to the congregation.

Fast of Gedaliah

Exodus 32:11-14; 34:1-11

(1)  Ex. 32:11-14

(2)  Ex. 34:1-4

(3)  Ex. 34:6-11

 

Isaiah 55:6 – 56:8

 

Weekday

Yom Kippur morning

Leviticus 16:1-34

(1) Lev. 16:1-6

(2) Lev. 16:7-11

(3) Lev. 16:12-17

(4) Lev. 16:18-24

(5) Lev. 16:25-30

(6) Lev. 16:31-34

(M) Numbers 29:7-11

Isaiah 57:14-58:14

Shabbat

Yom Kippur morning

Shabbat: Leviticus 16:1-34

(1)  Lev. 16:1-3

(2)  Lev. 16:4-7

(3)  Lev. 16:7-11

(4)  Lev. 16:12-17

(5)  Lev. 16:18-24

(6)  Lev. 16:25-30

(7)  Lev. 16:31-34

(M) Numbers 29:7-11

Isaiah 57:14-58:14

Yom Kippur afternoon

Leviticus 18:1-30

(1)  Lev. 18:1-5

(2)  Lev. 18:6-21

(3)  Lev. 18:22-30

(M) Lev. 18:22-30

Ashkenazim:

  Jonah 1:1-4:11;

Sefardim:

  Jonah 1:1–4:11 &

  Micah 7: 18-20

Succoth, first day

Leviticus 22:26-23:44

(1)  Lev. 22:26 – 23:3

(2)  Lev. 23:4-14

(3)  Lev. 23:15-22

(4)  Lev. 23:23-31

(5)  Lev. 23:32-44

(M) Numbers 29:12-16

Zechariah 14:1-21

Succoth, second day

Leviticus 22:26-23:44

(1)  Lev. 22:26 – 23:3

(2)  Lev. 23:4-14

(3)  Lev. 23:15-22

(4)  Lev. 23:23-31

(5)  Lev. 23:32-44

      (M) Numbers 29:12-16

I Kings 8:2-21

Shabbat &

Succoth first or second day

Leviticus 22:26-23:44

(1)  Lev. 22:26-23:1

(2)  Lev. 23:1-3

(3)  Lev. 23:4-8

(4)  Lev. 23:9-14

(5)  Lev. 23:15-23

(6)  Lev. 23:24-32

(7)  Lev. 23:33-44

(M) Numbers 29:12-16

 

 

If first day of Succoth:

  Zechariah 14:1-21

 

If second day of Succoth:

  I Kings 8:2-21

First Intermediate

Weekday of Succoth

Numbers 29:17-22

(1)  Num. 29:17-19

(2)  Num. 29:20-22

(3)  Num. 29:23-25

(4)  Num. 29:17-22

 

Second Intermediate

Weekday of Succoth

Numbers 29:20-26

(1) Num. 29:20-22

(2) Num. 29:23-25

(3) Num. 29:26-28

(4) Num. 29:20-26

 

Third Intermediate

Weekday of Succoth

Numbers 29:23-28

(1) Num. 29:23-25

(2) Num. 29:26-28

(3) Num. 29:29-31

(4) Num. 29:23-28

 

Fourth Intermediate

Weekday of Succoth

 

Numbers 29:26-31

(1)  Num. 29:26-28

(2)  Num. 29:29-31

(3)  Num. 29:32-34

(4)  Num. 29:26-31

 

Intermediate Shabbat

during Succoth

Exodus 33:12-34:26

(1)  Ex. 33:12-16

(2)  Ex. 33:17-19

(3)  Ex. 33:20-23

(4)  Ex. 34:1-3

(5)  Ex. 34:4-10

(6)  Ex. 34:11-17

(7)  Ex. 34:18-26

(M) Shabbat 1st Int. Day

       Num. 29:17-22

       Shabbat 3rd Int. Day

       Num. 29:23-28

       Shabbat 4th Int. Day

       Num. 29:26-31

Ezekiel 38:18 – 39:16

Hoshana Raba

Numbers 29:29-34

(1) Numbers 29:22-29

(2) Numbers 29:29-31

(3) Numbers 29:32-34

(4) Numbers 29:22-31

 

Weekday

Shemini Atzeret

Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17

(1)  Deut. 15:19-23

(2)  Deut. 16:1-3

(3)  Deut. 16:4-8

(4)  Deut. 16:9-12

(5)  Deut. 16:13-17

(M) Numbers 29:35-30:1

I Kings 8:54-66

Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 12:14

Shabbat

Shemini Atzeret

Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17

(1)  Deut. 14:22-29

(2)  Deut. 15:1-6

(3)  Deut. 15:7-11

(4)  Deut. 15:12-18

(5)  Deut. 15:19-23

(6)  Deut. 16:1-8

(7)  Deut. 16:9-17

(M) Numbers 29:35–30:1

I Kings 8:54-66

Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 12:14

Simchat Torah Evening

Deuteronomy 33:1-26

(1)  Deut. 33:1-7

(2)  Deut. 33:8-12