Parashat Balak / פָּרָשַׁת בָּלָק

Parashat Balak is the 40th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read in Israel on / 16 Tamuz 5785.

This page displays the Israel Torah reading for Balak. The Diaspora schedule is used by Jews living outside of modern Israel.

Torah Portion: Numbers 22:2-25:9

Balak tells the story of the Moabite king Balak, who hires Balaam to curse the Israelites. Balaam’s donkey speaks along the way, and Balaam ends up blessing the Israelites. The portion ends with a story about Israelite men sinning with Moabite women and the stabbing of an Israelite and a Midianite. [1]

Full Kriyah
  1. 1: 22:2-12 · 11 p’sukim
  2. 2: 22:13-20 · 8 p’sukim
  3. 3: 22:21-38 · 18 p’sukim
  4. 4: 22:39-23:12 · 15 p’sukim
  5. 5: 23:13-26 · 14 p’sukim
  6. 6: 23:27-24:13 · 17 p’sukim
  7. 7: 24:14-25:9 · 21 p’sukim
  8. maf: 25:7-9 · 3 p’sukim

Haftarah: Micah 5:6-6:8 · 17 p’sukim

Triennial Year 1
  1. 1: 22:2-4 · 3 p’sukim
  2. 2: 22:5-7 · 3 p’sukim
  3. 3: 22:8-12 · 5 p’sukim
  4. 4: 22:13-20 · 8 p’sukim
  5. 5: 22:21-27 · 7 p’sukim
  6. 6: 22:28-30 · 3 p’sukim
  7. 7: 22:31-38 · 8 p’sukim
  8. maf: 22:36-38 · 3 p’sukim

Alternate Haftarah: Micah 6:1-8 · 8 p’sukim

Triennial Year 2
  1. 1: 22:39-41 · 3 p’sukim
  2. 2: 23:1-3 · 3 p’sukim
  3. 3: 23:4-6 · 3 p’sukim
  4. 4: 23:7-12 · 6 p’sukim
  5. 5: 23:13-15 · 3 p’sukim
  6. 6: 23:16-18 · 3 p’sukim
  7. 7: 23:19-26 · 8 p’sukim
  8. maf: 23:19-26 · 8 p’sukim

Alternate Haftarah: Micah 5:1-8 · 8 p’sukim

Triennial Year 3
  1. 1: 23:27-30 · 4 p’sukim
  2. 2: 24:1-9 · 9 p’sukim
  3. 3: 24:10-13 · 4 p’sukim
  4. 4: 24:14-19 · 6 p’sukim
  5. 5: 24:20-25 · 6 p’sukim
  6. 6: 25:1-6 · 6 p’sukim
  7. 7: 25:7-9 · 3 p’sukim
  8. maf: 25:7-9 · 3 p’sukim

Alternate Haftarah: Joshua 24:1-14 · 14 p’sukim

Weekday for Shabbat afternoon, Monday & Thursday
  1. 1: 22:2-4 · 3 p’sukim
  2. 2: 22:5-7 · 3 p’sukim
  3. 3: 22:8-12 · 5 p’sukim

Commentary and Divrei Torah

Balak: The JPS B’nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary by Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin (paid link)

Balak: The JPS B’nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS Study Bible)

List of Dates

Parashat Balak is read in Israel on:

References

Parashat Balak from Sefaria.org
Sefaria, Inc.
Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9) and Haftarah (Micah 5:6-6:8): The JPS B’nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS Study Bible) (paid link)
Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, Jewish Publication Society, 2017
The Chumash: The Stone Edition (Artscroll Series) (paid link)
Nosson Scherman, Mesorah Publications, 1993
A Complete Triennial System for Reading the Torah
Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, 1988
Modification of the Triennial Cycle Readings for Combined Parashot in Certain Years
Rabbi Miles B. Cohen, 2020
Haftarot for a Triennial Cycle Torah Reading
Avram Israel Reisner, 2014

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