Bamidbar

Parshat Bamidbar, the first portion of the fourth book of the Torah, is primarily involved with the census taken of the Jewish people in the second month of their second year in the desert. After listing the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel, the Torah presents the totals of men between the ages of twenty and sixty for each tribe, the overall count being 603,550.

Naso

Parshat Naso continues where previous week's portion left off, delineating the responsibilities and tasks of the three Levite families - Gershon and Merari this week, Kehat last week - and counting all of the Levites who were of age to serve in the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

Behaalotecha

Parshat Beha'alotcha begins by briefly discussing the daily lighting of the golden menorah in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), followed by a description of the Levites' consecration ritual. The Torah then describes the celebration of Passover in the second year in the desert, complete with the bringing of the korban Pesach (Paschal lamb).

Shlach

Parshat Shelach begins with the pivotal incident of the spies' bad report about the land of Israel. As the Jewish people prepare to enter the land of Israel, they send twelve eminent leaders to survey the Promised Land, ten of whom return and deliver a bad report to the people, claiming that it would be impossible for the Jewish people to conquer the powerful nations living there.

Korach

Korach (קרח - Hebrew for the name "Korah,” which in turn means “baldness, ice, hail, or frost”) is the 38th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fifth in the book of Numbers. Its starts in chapter 8 verse 1 and ends in chapter 12 verse 16.

Chukat

After 40 years of journeying through the desert, the people of Israel arrive in the wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies and the people thirst for water. G-d tells Moses to speak to a rock and command it to give water. Moses gets angry at the rebellious Israelites and strikes the stone.

Balak

The Moabite King Balak, frightened by the strength of the children of Israel, recruits the famous prophet Balaam to curse the nation of Israel. Balaam agrees to help Balak in any way he can but notes that he will speak only as God tells him. Balaam tries three times to curse Israel and each time a blessing comes out of his mouth.

Pinchas

Aaron's grandson, Pinchas, is rewarded for his act of zealotry in killing the Shimonite prince Zimri and the Midianite princess: G-d grants him a covenant of peace and the priesthood. A census of the people counts 601,730 men between the ages of 20 and 60. Moses is instructed on how the Land is to be divided by lottery among the tribes and families of Israel.

Matot

Parshat Mattot begins with a discussion of the laws regarding vows (nedarim) and oaths (shevuot). The Torah then describes the Jewish people’s battle against and victory over the nation of Midian, followed by a detailed account of the distribution of the spoils of war.

Masei

Parshat Masei opens by summarizing the entire route traveled by the Jewish people over their forty years in the desert, beginning with their exodus from Egypt and concluding with their arrival at the banks of the Jordan River.