Practice Parashat Tzav with TropeTrainer
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Parashat Tzav - פָּרָשַׁת צַו
In Tzav (“Command”), God tells Moses about the sacrifices offered in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), including a meal offering brought by the high priest, guilt offerings, and offerings of thanks. Moses initiates Aaron and Aaron’s sons for priestly service in the Mishkan.
Torah Portion: Leviticus 6:1-8:36
Parashat Tzav is the 25th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on March 27th, 2027 / 18 Adar II 5787
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
6:1 - 6:11· 11 p’sukim
2:
6:12 - 7:10· 22 p’sukim
3:
7:11 - 7:38· 28 p’sukim
4:
8:1 - 8:13· 13 p’sukim
5:
8:14 - 8:21· 8 p’sukim
6:
8:22 - 8:29· 8 p’sukim
7:
8:30 - 8:36· 7 p’sukim
Maftir:
8:33 - 8:36· 4 p’sukim
Haftarah for Shabbat Parah:
Jeremiah 7:21 - 8:3· 17 p’sukim
Haftarah for Shabbat Parah:
Jeremiah 9:22 - 9:23· 2 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 1
March 28th, 2026
1:
6:1 - 6:3· 3 p’sukim
2:
6:4 - 6:6· 3 p’sukim
3:
6:7 - 6:11· 5 p’sukim
4:
6:12 - 6:16· 5 p’sukim
5:
6:17 - 6:23· 7 p’sukim
6:
7:1 - 7:6· 6 p’sukim
7:
7:7 - 7:10· 4 p’sukim
Maftir:
7:7 - 7:10· 4 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 2
March 27th, 2027
1:
7:11 - 7:15· 5 p’sukim
2:
7:16 - 7:18· 3 p’sukim
3:
7:19 - 7:21· 3 p’sukim
4:
7:22 - 7:27· 6 p’sukim
5:
7:28 - 7:31· 4 p’sukim
6:
7:32 - 7:34· 3 p’sukim
7:
7:35 - 7:38· 4 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
April 8th, 2028
1:
8:1 - 8:5· 5 p’sukim
2:
8:6 - 8:9· 4 p’sukim
3:
8:10 - 8:13· 4 p’sukim
4:
8:14 - 8:17· 4 p’sukim
5:
8:18 - 8:21· 4 p’sukim
6:
8:22 - 8:29· 8 p’sukim
7:
8:30 - 8:36· 7 p’sukim
Maftir:
8:33 - 8:36· 4 p’sukim
About Parashat Parashat Tzav
Where the prior portion told the people what to bring, Tzav turns to the priests and details how each offering is actually carried out — the burnt, meal, sin, guilt, and peace offerings, including the daily meal offering of the high priest and the thanksgiving (todah) offering. A recurring motif is the perpetual fire on the altar, which the priests must keep continually burning and never let go out, along with the daily, ritualized removal of ashes. The parashah then shifts from sacrificial law to sacred biography, narrating the seven-day ordination of Aaron and his sons, when Moses washes, dresses, and anoints them and the Tabernacle. Taken together, the portion elevates the sacrificial order from theory into disciplined practice, stressing holiness, exact obedience, gratitude, and the consecration of those who serve God on the community's behalf.
The Haftarah
The regular haftarah for Tzav is from Jeremiah (commonly Jeremiah 7:21-8:3 together with 9:22-23, though some communities mark the span slightly differently), read in both Ashkenazi and Sephardi rites. It forms a prophetic counterpoint to the portion's intricate sacrificial laws: Jeremiah declares that at the Exodus God did not primarily command burnt offerings but obedience to His voice, insisting that ritual without ethical conduct is hollow, and closing with the famous call to boast not in wisdom, strength, or wealth but in knowing God. In most years, however, Tzav falls on Shabbat HaGadol (the Shabbat before Passover), and the regular reading is replaced by the special haftarah from Malachi (3:4-24), which looks ahead to redemption and ends with the promise of Elijah's return before the great Day of the Lord.
Notable passages and verses
Tzav is best known for the command to keep a perpetual fire continually burning on the altar that must never go out (Leviticus 6:6), a verse often quoted symbolically. It also describes the dramatic ordination ritual in which sacrificial blood is placed on the right ear, right thumb, and right big toe of Aaron and his sons (Leviticus 8:23-24). The laws of the thanksgiving (todah) offering are frequently cited as a precursor to later communal expressions of gratitude. Tzav very often coincides with Shabbat HaGadol, the "Great Sabbath" before Passover, giving it special status in most years. By traditional count the parashah has 97 verses, and it is the 25th weekly portion overall and the second in the Book of Leviticus.
Frequently asked questions
What is Parashat Tzav about?
Tzav (Leviticus 6:1-8:36), meaning "Command," instructs the priests on how the offerings of the Mishkan are actually performed — the burnt, meal, sin, guilt, and peace offerings, including the high priest's daily meal offering and the thanksgiving (todah) offering. It commands that a perpetual fire be kept burning on the altar and never go out, and then narrates the seven-day ordination of Aaron and his sons by Moses. On TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading with its trope (cantillation).
What is the Haftarah for Tzav?
The regular haftarah is from Jeremiah (commonly Jeremiah 7:21-8:3 and 9:22-23), read in both Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities, with minor variation in exactly where some communities begin and end. Because Tzav usually falls on Shabbat HaGadol, the Shabbat before Passover, the haftarah is in most years replaced by Malachi 3:4-24, which closes with the prophecy of Elijah's return. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice the haftarah with trope.
What are the main themes of Tzav?
Tzav shifts the sacrificial system from what the people bring to how the priests perform it, emphasizing exact obedience, holiness, and gratitude — seen especially in the thanksgiving offering and the eternal flame that must never be extinguished. Its second half consecrates Aaron and his sons for priestly service, underscoring the theme of dedicating those who serve God on the community's behalf. You can hear and practice the full reading with trope on TropeTrainer.
Why does Tzav often fall on Shabbat HaGadol?
In most years Tzav is read on Shabbat HaGadol, the "Great Sabbath" immediately before Passover, because of where it sits in the annual cycle — though the exact alignment varies year to year and should be confirmed against a current Jewish calendar. When this happens, the special Malachi haftarah is read in place of the regular Jeremiah reading. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice either reading with its trope.
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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