Practice Parashat Vayera with TropeTrainer
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Parashat Vayera - פָּרָשַׁת וַיֵּרָא
Vayera (“He Appeared”) opens as guests inform Abraham that Sarah will give birth. Despite Abraham’s attempts to convince God otherwise, God destroys the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sarah gives birth to Isaac, and Abraham sends away Hagar and Ishmael. At God’s command, Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac, but an angel of God tells Abraham to offer a ram instead.
Torah Portion: Genesis 18:1-22:24
Parashat Vayera is the 4th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on October 31st, 2026 / 20 Cheshvan 5787
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
18:1 - 18:14· 14 p’sukim
2:
18:15 - 18:33· 19 p’sukim
3:
19:1 - 19:20· 20 p’sukim
4:
19:21 - 21:4· 40 p’sukim
5:
21:5 - 21:21· 17 p’sukim
6:
21:22 - 21:34· 13 p’sukim
7:
22:1 - 22:24· 24 p’sukim
Maftir:
22:20 - 22:24· 5 p’sukim
Haftarah for Sephardim:
II Kings 4:1 - 4:23· 23 p’sukim
Haftarah for Ashkenazim:
II Kings 4:1 - 4:37· 37 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 1
November 8th, 2025
1:
18:1 - 18:5· 5 p’sukim
2:
18:6 - 18:8· 3 p’sukim
3:
18:9 - 18:14· 6 p’sukim
4:
18:15 - 18:21· 7 p’sukim
5:
18:22 - 18:26· 5 p’sukim
6:
18:27 - 18:30· 4 p’sukim
7:
18:31 - 18:33· 3 p’sukim
Maftir:
18:31 - 18:33· 3 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah:
II Kings 4:8 - 4:17· 10 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 2
October 31st, 2026
1:
19:1 - 19:11· 11 p’sukim
2:
19:12 - 19:20· 9 p’sukim
3:
19:21 - 19:29· 9 p’sukim
4:
19:30 - 19:38· 9 p’sukim
5:
20:1 - 20:8· 8 p’sukim
6:
20:9 - 20:14· 6 p’sukim
7:
20:15 - 20:18· 4 p’sukim
Maftir:
20:15 - 20:18· 4 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah:
II Kings 6:8 - 6:23· 16 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
November 20th, 2027
1:
21:1 - 21:4· 4 p’sukim
2:
21:5 - 21:13· 9 p’sukim
3:
21:14 - 21:21· 8 p’sukim
4:
21:22 - 21:34· 13 p’sukim
5:
22:1 - 22:8· 8 p’sukim
6:
22:9 - 22:19· 11 p’sukim
7:
22:20 - 22:24· 5 p’sukim
Maftir:
22:20 - 22:24· 5 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah:
II Kings 4:18 - 4:36· 19 p’sukim
About Parashat Parashat Vayera
Beyond its plot, Vayera (Genesis 18:1–22:24) is woven from several episodes that explore the cost and meaning of covenant. It opens with a celebrated model of hospitality, as Abraham runs to welcome three strangers in the heat of the day, and it dwells on the tension between divine justice and mercy when Abraham bargains with God to spare Sodom for the sake of its righteous. The portion also confronts difficult, morally complex material, including the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot's flight and the incident with his daughters, the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, and disputes over wells. It culminates in the Akedah, the Binding of Isaac, traditionally counted as the tenth and most severe of Abraham's ten tests, which became a central paradigm in Jewish thought for faith, obedience, and the relationship between devotion to God and human morality.
The Haftarah
In most Ashkenazi communities the Haftarah is II Kings 4:1–37, while many Sephardi communities read the shorter II Kings 4:1–23; exact verse boundaries can vary by community and chumash. The reading tells of the prophet Elisha and the hospitable Shunammite woman, who is promised and then bears a son despite her childlessness and aging husband. The thematic link is direct: just as angelic guests receive Abraham and Sarah's hospitality and announce that the elderly, barren Sarah will bear Isaac, so Elisha rewards the Shunammite's hospitality with the miraculous gift of a child. The Ashkenazi version continues the narrative arc through the boy's death and Elisha's miraculous revival of him, whereas the abbreviated Sephardi reading ends earlier, on a note of "shalom."
Notable passages and verses
The portion's most famous passage is the Akedah, the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), in which God commands Abraham to offer Isaac and then stays his hand, providing a ram caught in a thicket instead. It is among the most frequently encountered narratives in Judaism: it appears in the weekly Torah cycle here, is read again on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, and is traditionally recited daily in the preliminary portion of the morning service (Shacharit). The portion gives us Abraham's one-word reply "Hineni" ("Here I am," Genesis 22:1), an expression of immediate readiness to answer God's call, as well as his plea over Sodom, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do justice?" (Genesis 18:25). Vayera carries no special-Shabbat designation.
Frequently asked questions
What is Parashat Vayera about?
Vayera (Genesis 18:1–22:24) is the fourth weekly portion in the book of Genesis and gathers several episodes from Abraham's life: his hospitality to three visitors, the announcement and birth of Isaac, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael, and the Binding of Isaac (the Akedah). Its name means "And He Appeared," from the opening words describing God appearing to Abraham. With TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading with its trope.
What is the Haftarah for Vayera?
In most Ashkenazi communities the Haftarah is II Kings 4:1–37, while many Sephardi communities read the shorter II Kings 4:1–23; the exact verse boundaries can vary by community. It tells of the prophet Elisha and the Shunammite woman, who is promised a son, paralleling the angelic announcement of Isaac's birth to Sarah. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice the Haftarah with its trope.
What are the main themes of Vayera?
Vayera's major themes include hospitality (Abraham welcoming the strangers), faith and obedience to God, divine justice tempered by mercy (Abraham bargaining over Sodom), the fulfillment of God's covenant through Isaac's birth, and the complexity of human relationships. These culminate in the Akedah, traditionally the last and most severe of Abraham's ten tests. With TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading with trope.
What is the Akedah, and why is it so important?
The Akedah, or Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), is the account in which God commands Abraham to offer Isaac and then stays his hand, providing a ram instead. It is one of Judaism's most-read narratives, appearing in the weekly cycle here, again on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, and traditionally in the daily morning prayers. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this 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.
Work through guided lessons on Torah trope cantillation, from basic symbols to advanced phrase patterns.