Practice Parashat Tetzaveh with TropeTrainer
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Parashat Tetzaveh - פָּרָשַׁת תְּצַוֶּה
Tetzaveh (“You Shall Command”) opens as God instructs Moses to appoint Aaron and his sons as priests. God details how to make the priestly clothing, how to sanctify the priests and offer sacrifices during the seven days of inauguration in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), and how to build the golden altar.
Torah Portion: Exodus 27:20-30:10
Parashat Tetzaveh is the 20th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on February 20th, 2027 / 13 Adar I 5787
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
27:20 - 28:12· 14 p’sukim
2:
28:13 - 28:30· 18 p’sukim
3:
28:31 - 28:43· 13 p’sukim
4:
29:1 - 29:18· 18 p’sukim
5:
29:19 - 29:37· 19 p’sukim
6:
29:38 - 29:46· 9 p’sukim
7:
30:1 - 30:10· 10 p’sukim
Maftir:
30:8 - 30:10· 3 p’sukim
Haftarah:
Ezekiel 43:10 - 43:27· 18 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 1
February 28th, 2026
1:
27:20 - 28:5· 7 p’sukim
2:
28:6 - 28:9· 4 p’sukim
3:
28:10 - 28:12· 3 p’sukim
4:
28:13 - 28:17· 5 p’sukim
5:
28:18 - 28:21· 4 p’sukim
6:
28:22 - 28:25· 4 p’sukim
7:
28:26 - 28:30· 5 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 2
February 20th, 2027
1:
28:31 - 28:35· 5 p’sukim
2:
28:36 - 28:38· 3 p’sukim
3:
28:39 - 28:43· 5 p’sukim
4:
29:1 - 29:4· 4 p’sukim
5:
29:5 - 29:9· 5 p’sukim
6:
29:10 - 29:14· 5 p’sukim
7:
29:15 - 29:18· 4 p’sukim
Maftir:
29:15 - 29:18· 4 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah:
Haggai 1:1 - 1:12· 12 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
March 11th, 2028
1:
29:19 - 29:21· 3 p’sukim
2:
29:22 - 29:25· 4 p’sukim
3:
29:26 - 29:30· 5 p’sukim
4:
29:31 - 29:34· 4 p’sukim
5:
29:35 - 29:37· 3 p’sukim
6:
29:38 - 29:46· 9 p’sukim
7:
30:1 - 30:10· 10 p’sukim
About Parashat Parashat Tetzaveh
Where the previous portion describes the Tabernacle's physical structure, Tetzaveh turns to the people and the perpetual service within it, establishing the Aaronic priesthood as the human apparatus of worship. The portion opens with the command to bring pure beaten olive oil for the Ner Tamid, the eternal lamp tended from evening to morning, which became the model for the perpetual light still found in synagogues. It then dwells at length on the priestly vestments made "for honor and for splendor" and on a seven-day ordination rite (miluim) that consecrates Aaron and his sons through sacrifices, anointing oil, and blood placed on the ear, thumb, and toe. Recurring motifs of holiness, dedication, continual divine presence, and atonement bind the portion together, culminating in the daily tamid offering of two lambs and the golden incense altar on which annual Yom Kippur atonement is made.
The Haftarah
The regular Haftarah for Tetzaveh is Ezekiel 43:10-27, read in both Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities, in which the prophet envisions the altar of the future Temple and a seven-day dedication ceremony that mirrors the portion's own inauguration of the Tabernacle altar and priests. Both passages center on constructing an altar and consecrating it, and Ezekiel's post-destruction vision links the ancient wilderness service to the hope of a restored Temple. When Tetzaveh coincides with Shabbat Zachor, the Sabbath before Purim, this Haftarah is replaced by the Amalek reading from 1 Samuel 15 (most Ashkenazi communities begin at 15:2, while many Sephardi communities begin one verse earlier at 15:1). Because the exact reading and starting verse depend on rite and on the calendar year, communities should confirm with their own custom.
Notable passages and verses
Tetzaveh's most famous feature is what it lacks: Moses's name appears nowhere in the portion, the only parsha from the start of Exodus through the end of Deuteronomy in which he goes unnamed. Traditional explanations are aggadic rather than drawn from the plain text and differ among commentators, ranging from its proximity to the anniversary of Moses's death (7 Adar), to his plea after the Golden Calf to "blot me out of Your book" (Exodus 32:32), to deference toward Aaron in the portion devoted to the priesthood. Other celebrated elements include the opening command for the Ner Tamid (Exodus 27:20), origin of the synagogue's eternal light; the choshen (breastplate of judgment) set with twelve gemstones for the twelve tribes and holding the Urim and Thummim; and the golden tzitz worn on the High Priest's forehead, inscribed "Kodesh la-Hashem" (Holy to the LORD).
Frequently asked questions
What is Parashat Tetzaveh about?
Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10) continues the Tabernacle instructions by focusing on its service and personnel rather than its structure. It commands the pure olive oil for the Ner Tamid (eternal lamp), describes the priestly garments for Aaron and his sons, details a seven-day ceremony consecrating them as priests, and prescribes the daily tamid offering and the golden incense altar. With TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading with its trope (cantillation).
What is the haftarah for Tetzaveh?
The regular Haftarah is Ezekiel 43:10-27, in which the prophet envisions the altar of the future Temple and its seven-day dedication, paralleling the portion's consecration of the Tabernacle altar and priests. When Tetzaveh falls on Shabbat Zachor (the Sabbath before Purim), most communities instead read the Amalek passage from 1 Samuel 15, with the exact starting verse varying by rite, so confirm your community's custom. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice the Haftarah with its trope.
What are the themes of Tetzaveh?
Its central themes are the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood, holiness and dedication, the continual presence of God symbolized by the eternal light and the daily tamid offering, and atonement through the incense altar and the ordination sacrifices. Together they complete the Tabernacle's structure with the people and rituals that bring it to life. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this reading with trope.
Why is Moses's name missing from Tetzaveh?
Tetzaveh is the only Torah portion from the start of Exodus through the end of Deuteronomy in which Moses is never named, and the explanations are traditional and interpretive rather than stated in the text. Commentators variously connect it to the anniversary of Moses's death, to his plea after the Golden Calf to be blotted out, or to deference toward Aaron in the portion about the priesthood. You can hear and practice the reading with its trope on TropeTrainer.
Where to go next
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