Practice Parashat Nasso with TropeTrainer
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Parashat Nasso - פָּרָשַׁת נָשׂא
Naso (“Take A Census”), the longest portion in the Torah, opens by detailing responsibilities of the Levites. It also describes laws of a woman suspected of adultery (sotah), the Nazirite, and the priestly blessing. The portion ends by listing the gifts that heads of tribes bring to the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
Torah Portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89
Parashat Nasso is the 35th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on June 19th, 2027 / 14 Sivan 5787
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
4:21 - 4:37· 17 p’sukim
2:
4:38 - 4:49· 12 p’sukim
3:
5:1 - 5:10· 10 p’sukim
4:
5:11 - 6:27· 48 p’sukim
5:
7:1 - 7:41· 41 p’sukim
6:
7:42 - 7:71· 30 p’sukim
7:
7:72 - 7:89· 18 p’sukim
Maftir:
7:87 - 7:89· 3 p’sukim
Haftarah:
Judges 13:2 - 13:25· 24 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 1
May 30th, 2026
1:
4:21 - 4:24· 4 p’sukim
2:
4:25 - 4:28· 4 p’sukim
3:
4:29 - 4:33· 5 p’sukim
4:
4:34 - 4:37· 4 p’sukim
5:
4:38 - 4:49· 12 p’sukim
6:
5:1 - 5:4· 4 p’sukim
7:
5:5 - 5:10· 6 p’sukim
Maftir:
5:8 - 5:10· 3 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah Part 1:
Joshua 6:5 - 6:14· 10 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah Part 2:
Joshua 6:12 - 6:12· 1 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 2
June 19th, 2027
1:
5:11 - 5:15· 5 p’sukim
2:
5:16 - 5:26· 11 p’sukim
3:
5:27 - 6:4· 9 p’sukim
4:
6:5 - 6:8· 4 p’sukim
5:
6:9 - 6:15· 7 p’sukim
6:
6:16 - 6:21· 6 p’sukim
7:
6:22 - 6:27· 6 p’sukim
Maftir:
6:22 - 6:27· 6 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah Part 1:
Judges 13:2 - 13:14· 13 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah Part 2:
Judges 13:24 - 13:25· 2 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
June 3rd, 2028
1:
7:1 - 7:11· 11 p’sukim
2:
7:12 - 7:23· 12 p’sukim
3:
7:24 - 7:35· 12 p’sukim
4:
7:36 - 7:47· 12 p’sukim
5:
7:48 - 7:59· 12 p’sukim
6:
7:60 - 7:71· 12 p’sukim
7:
7:72 - 7:89· 18 p’sukim
Maftir:
7:87 - 7:89· 3 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah Part 1:
Joel 1:8 - 1:13· 6 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah Part 2:
Joel 2:12 - 2:14· 3 p’sukim
About Parashat Parashat Nasso
Beyond the topics named above, Naso is held together by a single organizing idea: how holiness and order are structured in the community camped around the Mishkan. It continues the work begun in Bamidbar by completing the Levite census and assigning the Gershonite and Merarite clans their specific roles in carrying the sanctuary's components. From there it moves through a series of cases about purity and integrity in the camp, including removing those who are ritually impure and making restitution for wrongs done to others. The sotah, Nazirite, and Priestly Blessing sections then explore the boundaries of personal devotion: who is set apart for service, how suspicion and impurity are addressed, and how both leaders and ordinary individuals can consecrate themselves to God.
The Haftarah
In most Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities the haftarah for Naso is Judges 13:2-25, the angel's annunciation to Manoah and his wife of the birth of Samson. The thematic link is the Nazirite: just as the portion lays out the Nazirite vow in Numbers 6, Samson is designated a lifelong Nazirite from before birth. Both texts share the defining markers of abstaining from wine and strong drink (Numbers 6:3; Judges 13:4) and forbidding a razor to touch the head (Numbers 6:5; Judges 13:5), while contrasting a voluntary, self-imposed vow with one imposed by divine mandate. Some sources cite a slightly different ending verse for the Sephardi reading (13:24 rather than 13:25), but the standard designation across mainstream sources is Judges 13:2-25 for both rites, with no substantive divergence; confirm your community's exact verses with a local rabbi or siddur.
Notable passages and verses
Naso's most famous passage is the Priestly Blessing, Birkat Kohanim (Numbers 6:24-26): "May the LORD bless you and protect you; may the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the LORD lift up His face toward you and grant you peace." It is among the most widely recited texts in Judaism, used in synagogue worship and in the home, such as blessing children on Shabbat. An ancient version of these words was found inscribed on the silver Ketef Hinnom amulets, among the oldest known biblical texts (a detail drawn from general scholarship rather than a fresh source check). Naso also holds the distinction of being the single longest weekly Torah portion, with 176 verses, and sections of its account of the tribal chieftains' gifts (Numbers 7) are read during Hanukkah.
Frequently asked questions
What is parashat Nasso about?
Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89) is the longest weekly Torah portion. It completes the Levite census and assigns the Gershonite and Merarite clans their duties transporting the Mishkan, then addresses camp purity and restitution for wrongs, the sotah ritual for a wife suspected of adultery, the laws of the Nazirite vow, and the Priestly Blessing. It closes with the twelve tribal chieftains bringing identical dedication offerings for the altar. On TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading chanted with its trope.
What is the haftarah for Nasso?
In most Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities the haftarah is Judges 13:2-25, the annunciation of Samson's birth to Manoah and his wife. It connects to the portion through the Nazirite theme: Samson is made a Nazirite from birth, paralleling the Nazirite laws of Numbers 6, including abstaining from wine and not cutting the hair. Some sources note a minor variant ending verse for the Sephardi reading, so it is worth confirming your community's custom. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this haftarah with its trope.
What are the themes of Nasso?
Naso centers on holiness, purity, devotion, and order in the camp surrounding the Mishkan. It explores who is set apart for divine service (the Levites and their duties), how impurity and wrongdoing are managed (camp purity, restitution, and the sotah ritual), and how individuals can dedicate themselves to God (the Nazirite vow and the Priestly Blessing), before ending with the leaders' dedication gifts. You can hear and practice the full reading with trope on TropeTrainer.
Why is Nasso the longest Torah portion?
Naso has 176 verses, more than any other weekly portion, largely because of Numbers 7, which records the dedication offerings of all twelve tribal chieftains in nearly identical, repeated detail rather than summarizing them. Combined with the Levite duties, purity laws, sotah ritual, Nazirite laws, and Priestly Blessing, this makes it the Torah's longest parashah by verses, words, and letters. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this lengthy reading with its trope at your own pace.
Where to go next
Open a sample Torah reading with full Hebrew text, trope marks, and audio to see how TropeTrainer works.
See the complete list of weekly parashot with links to every reading and detail page.
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