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Parashat Ki Tisa - פָּרָשַׁת כִּי תִשָּׂא
Ki-Tisa (“When You Elevate”) opens as God tells Moses to collect a half-shekel donation from all Israelites and to anoint the Mishkan (Tabernacle), its vessels, and the priests. The Israelites worship the golden calf and Moses breaks the tablets. Moses beseeches God to forgive, and returns with a second set of tablets.
Torah Portion: Exodus 30:11-34:35
Parashat Ki Tisa is the 21st weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on February 27th, 2027 / 20 Adar I 5787
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
30:11 - 31:17· 45 p’sukim
2:
31:18 - 33:11· 47 p’sukim
3:
33:12 - 33:16· 5 p’sukim
4:
33:17 - 33:23· 7 p’sukim
5:
34:1 - 34:9· 9 p’sukim
6:
34:10 - 34:26· 17 p’sukim
7:
34:27 - 34:35· 9 p’sukim
Maftir:
34:33 - 34:35· 3 p’sukim
Haftarah for Sephardim:
I Kings 18:20 - 18:39· 20 p’sukim
Haftarah for Ashkenazim:
I Kings 18:1 - 18:39· 39 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 1
March 7th, 2026
1:
30:11 - 30:13· 3 p’sukim
2:
30:14 - 30:16· 3 p’sukim
3:
30:17 - 30:21· 5 p’sukim
4:
30:22 - 30:33· 12 p’sukim
5:
30:34 - 30:38· 5 p’sukim
6:
31:1 - 31:11· 11 p’sukim
7:
31:12 - 31:17· 6 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 2
February 27th, 2027
1:
31:18 - 32:6· 7 p’sukim
2:
32:7 - 32:11· 5 p’sukim
3:
32:12 - 32:14· 3 p’sukim
4:
32:15 - 32:24· 10 p’sukim
5:
32:25 - 32:29· 5 p’sukim
6:
32:30 - 33:6· 12 p’sukim
7:
33:7 - 33:11· 5 p’sukim
Maftir:
33:9 - 33:11· 3 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah:
I Kings 18:20 - 18:39· 20 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
March 18th, 2028
1:
33:12 - 33:16· 5 p’sukim
2:
33:17 - 33:23· 7 p’sukim
3:
34:1 - 34:9· 9 p’sukim
4:
34:10 - 34:17· 8 p’sukim
5:
34:18 - 34:21· 4 p’sukim
6:
34:22 - 34:26· 5 p’sukim
7:
34:27 - 34:35· 9 p’sukim
About Parashat Parashat Ki Tisa
Beyond the calf narrative, Ki Tisa is a meditation on covenant broken and restored. Its opening chapters gather the final practical instructions for sacred service — the bronze laver, the anointing oil and incense, the appointment of the master artisan Bezalel, and a renewed charge to keep Shabbat as the eternal "sign" of the covenant. The portion's theological climax comes after the sin, when God reveals the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy to Moses in the cleft of the rock (Exodus 34:6-7), establishing the template for divine forgiveness invoked by later generations. The arc from apostasy to atonement is the heart of the reading: even after Israel's gravest betrayal, repentance and God's mercy can renew the relationship, sealed by a second set of tablets.
The Haftarah
The haftarah is the dramatic contest between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, from I Kings 18, which ends with the people proclaiming "The Lord, He is God." In most Ashkenazi communities the longer reading (I Kings 18:1-39) is chanted, beginning with the drought and Elijah's approach to King Ahab, while many Sephardi communities read the shorter passage (I Kings 18:20-39), opening directly at the Carmel assembly; both conclude at the same verse. The connection is thematic: just as the parashah recounts Israel's lapse into idolatry with the Golden Calf, the haftarah portrays a later idolatrous crisis under Ahab and Jezebel, with Elijah publicly vindicating exclusive devotion to the one God.
Notable passages and verses
Ki Tisa contains some of the Torah's most iconic moments. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy ("The Lord, the Lord, a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and truth...") in Exodus 34:6-7 became one of the best-known liturgical passages in Judaism, recited on fast days, festivals, and throughout Selichot. Also famous are Moses shattering the first tablets at the sight of the calf and the description of his radiant face after descending Sinai, which he veiled before the people (Exodus 34:29-35). The opening half-shekel passage (Exodus 30:11-16) serves as the maftir reading for the special Shabbat Shekalim before the month of Adar, though that special Shabbat does not always coincide with the week Ki Tisa is read as the weekly portion.
Frequently asked questions
What is parashat Ki Tisa about?
Ki Tisa (Exodus 30:11-34:35) opens with the half-shekel census donation to fund the Sanctuary, along with instructions for the bronze laver, anointing oil, incense, the artisan Bezalel, and a renewed charge to keep Shabbat. Its dramatic center is the sin of the Golden Calf: while Moses is atop Mount Sinai, the people worship a molten calf, Moses shatters the tablets, and then intercedes for forgiveness, ultimately receiving a second set of tablets. With TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading with its trope.
What is the haftarah for Ki Tisa?
The haftarah is the account of Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel in I Kings 18, ending with the people declaring "The Lord, He is God." In most Ashkenazi communities the longer reading (I Kings 18:1-39) is chanted, while many Sephardi communities read the shorter passage (I Kings 18:20-39); both conclude at the same verse. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice the haftarah with its trope.
What are the themes of Ki Tisa?
The central themes are covenant, sin, and reconciliation. The portion moves from instructions for sacred service and Shabbat to Israel's idolatry with the Golden Calf, and then to atonement — Moses' intercession and God's revelation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (Exodus 34:6-7). Its message is that even after the gravest betrayal, repentance and divine mercy can restore the relationship. You can hear and practice this reading with trope on TropeTrainer.
What are the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy in Ki Tisa?
The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy appear in Exodus 34:6-7, where God passes before Moses proclaiming "The Lord, the Lord, a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and truth..." This passage became a cornerstone of Jewish liturgy, recited on fast days, festivals, and during Selichot. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this passage and the full reading with its trope.
Where to go next
See the complete list of weekly parashot with links to every reading and detail page.
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