Image: Two Jews examining a Torah Scroll. Photo by Linda Burnett.
The quick answer to the question, “What is Parashat Hashavua?” is “It’s the Torah Portion of the Week.”
We go through the year, from Simchat Torah to Simchat Torah, reading the entire Torah Scroll from end to end. The beginnings of this custom go back into the mists of history – we don’t know exactly when Jews began studying a regular portion of Torah each week, but all over the world, Jews continue to do it. Some do it alone, but more gather weekly in groups for “Parashat Hashavua study.” For some, this study is their primary form of worship.
Some might ask, isn’t it boring to read the same things again and again? An ancient rabbi known to us as Ben Bag Bag said,
Turn it and turn it, for everything is in it. – Avot 5:22
Torah deals with the most sacred and the most mundane topics, everything from the nature of God to what to do with a lost cow. Every week, the Torah portion brings us narrative, commandments and mystery.
The words remain the same, but we change. To a child, the story of Noah is about a boat full of animals. An adult might read the story with horror at the carnage. A couple having trouble conceiving will notice that many of the matriarchs and patriarchs had the same problem. As we age, the stories change again and we might feel affinity for characters who did not interest us when we were young.
The words remain the same, but history moves on. It changes the lens through which we read the stories and hear the commandments. In a year when nations rattle their sabers, we may find strength in knowing that Jews have been turning and turning that scroll for thousands of years. If we are looking for leadership, the Torah offers us role models for good leaders and examples of poor ones.
The words remain the same, but our skills grow. In the beginning, most people read for the stories, and find the directions for sacrifices almost unbearably boring. A good commentary, or better yet, study partners with varied skills can change that dynamic. The stories have depths the beginner does not suspect. The “boring parts” have subtleties that can amaze us.
For many of us today, the world is increasingly uncertain. Parashat Hashavua study offers us a mix of routine and insight that can both comfort and strengthen us. If you would like to begin, it can be done very simply with online tools:
- Go to Hebcal.com, the online Jewish calendar.
- Look at the top of the screen, after the date, and find the clickable link for the Torah portion. Click it.
- That will take you to a page with lots of information on the Torah portion of the week. Then you have options. You can:
- Scroll down to where it says “Torah Portion” and click the link.
- Use the chapter and verse to go to the Torah portion in your own Bible or commentary.
OR: Call your local synagogue, and ask when the Torah Study group meets. They will likely be a mixed group of adults, some of whom know a lot, and some who know just a little. All were beginners at one time. Show up, follow along, and participate when you feel ready. Be ready for multiple interpretations and conflicting ideas; that’s a good thing, not a problem. Torah Study groups are a way to make friends and become a part of things at your congregation; keep showing up, and you will become a regular.
The weekly study of Torah has sustained the Jews for thousands of years. Your place at the table is waiting.
I was six at the time our temple was built in Santa Barbara, CA. My favorite part of Shabbat Services was when the Torah was taken out by the Cantor and walked down the isles so one could touch the beauty. When my children began Hebrew School and attended Shabbat Services the custom had ended. After having to move to Merced, I found there are a handful of young Jewish families but there isn’t a Temple or Rabbi, and worse, there is no Torah study. I miss my community.