Torah Reading Cycle 2024/2025

As long as we remain teachable, He will teach us more and more! We can read the Bible over and over and over again every year until we are old and we will still learn something new every single time! With Yeshua there is always more!

Back in October 2022, I’ve had the desire in my heart to start sharing more about the Torah readings when that next reading cycle started. It’s been something which I first learned about in 2016 and have dived into deeper some years than others. At the end of 2022, I felt the prompting to dive all in and commit to it for the full year. As a tool to help keep me accountable, I decided to write blogs on FIT BEST’s website every week regarding the week’s portion. In the 2023/2024 reading cycle I also shared it on my Instagram. And now for the 2024/2025 reading cycle, it has evolved to a “guide.” A printable guide that you can either use as you follow along the next reading cycle or to follow at your own time. Whether you decide to follow along on the Hebrew calendar or to work through it on your own time - I know that it will be such a blessing to you - as it keeps on blessing me every year anew! With God there is always more, we simply have to remain teachable!

So what are Torah Readings and where does it come from?

Back in ancient times, followers of YHVH (God) read through the first 5 books of the Bible as a custom. The Torah consists of the first 5 books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy.

From some of my former blogs and things I have share over the years, you might be familiar with the concept that time in the Bible are not measured as the world measures it today.

In Biblical time frames we learn about the concept of "smittah years" - which simply means a 7 year cycle. It's a Hebrew custom to allow the land to rest every 7 years. Remember that the entire Bible is about sowing receiving a harvest. Thus, the smittah year included allowing the ground to rest. Many people who attempt to live a more Biblical lifestyle these days also choose to take a sabbatical year every 7th year. With regards to the Torah readings; every smittah cycle was divided into 3 years + 3 years + 1 year = 7 years. The followers of Abba’s instructions would read through the entire Torah (Genesis - Deuteronomy) in the three years (year 1-3). Once they made their way through it, they restart again and do the same for the next three years (years 4-6). In the 7th year (smittah), they would read the entire Torah in one year (instead of over 3 years). Since they took a full year of rest / sabbatical year - they were not planting and working like the other years. They had more time on hand and could easily work through the entire Torah in one year instead of over a three year period.

The Hebrew word Torah (תורה) is poorly translated today as "law" - but the correct translation actually is "instruction."

The use of the reading of the Torah annually dates back from the time of the Babylonian captivity. The Israelites went astray and was exhiled because of their own disobedience to YHVH’s instructions. In the book of Nehemiah we read that Nehemiah wanted to ensure that the Israelites won’t go astray again in the future. Therefor he, himself, along with Ezra, the scribe - started this custom amongst the Israelites. A scribe was a person who served as a professional copyist, they had knowledge of the law and could draft legal documents that would have to be adhered to.

The Torah was divided into weekly portions and it became a custom followed by all YHVH’s people. Today we are under no obligation to follow the Torah readings whatsoever. It’s not a legalistic thing or a law, but rather a choice that believers willingly made (then and now) to get our noses back into Scripture so that we would be able to discern how we should be living our lives. In other words, it is rooted in love as an act of obedience. There is nothing legalistic about love.

“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”

1 John 5:2-3

In the time when Yeshua lived on earth, the reading of the Torah was still a principle kept by believers all over the world. Today still, many believers (not only Jews) still read through the Torah every year.  As born-again believers, we don't read the Torah from a legalistic point of view - as a list of instructions we have to follow to obtain anything. It’s not a salvation matter! There are so much spiritual richness captured in the Torah and we are fortunate enough today to not only have the Torah, but also the rest of the Bible - which help us to understand the bigger picture even better!

"but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith YHVH, I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

Jeremiah 31:33

As born-again believers, we know that it's no longer just a custom that we follow because someone once instructed a group of people to do so. Rather, it is an action that sprouts forth from a place of deep love for the Father and because we have the desire to live according to His instructions! We are under the New Covenant through the Blood of the Lamb (Yeshua/Jesus). And the "law" (instruction) is now written on our hearts as we read in multiple places in Scripture.

If you decided to read through the Torah every year / for the first time now - the motivation should never come from a place of religiousness. Religion has no eternal value! An intimate love relationship with Yeshua is what matters!

How does the reading cycle work?

As mentioned earlier, the Torah is split into weekly portions. These portions are read consecutively, only to be “interrupted” by the Biblical feasts. The yearly reading cycle starts after Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles). Sukkot takes place in either September / October yearly - depending on the agricultural year.

The Torah portions are split up depending on their themes and thus they vary in length slightly. The portion of each week is called a “parashat” - which literally is the Hebrew word for “portion / section.” The weekly portions are then further broken down into daily portions. We read them from the first day of the week (Sunday) to the seventh day of the week (Shabbat / Saturday). These days some people still follow the daily sections, whilst others simply work through the week’s portion on their own pace throughout the week.

With this guide, you can choose which option would work best for you.

We are so fortunate to not only have the Torah, but also the rest of the Bible to read alongside the Torah and give us a more clear picture of Abba’s complete Word. Each weekly portion comes with a Haftarah portion. Haftarah is the Hebrew word for “parting / taking leave.” It’s portions of the rest of the Old Testament from the Nevi’im (Hebrew for prophets) and Ketuvim (Hebrew for Writings). The weekly portion also comes with a portion from the New Testament, often referred to as the Apostolic Writings.

The Hebrew name for the Old Testament is the “Tanakh” and it consists of the:

• Torah (meaning instructions): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.

• Nevi’im (meaning prophets / spokespersons): Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

• Ketuvim (meaning writings): Ruth, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Daniel.

The weekly Haftarah portion thus comes from some of the other books of the Old Testament, which theme matches with the theme of the week’s Torah portion. The portion from the Apostolic Writings (New Testament) is also portion. The portion from the Apostolic Writings (New Testament) is also selected based on the theme of the week’s portion.

When the custom of reading through the Torah started, the believers did not yet have the complete Bible like we do today. Therefore, the Haftarah and Apostolic Writing portions were added to the weekly Torah portions only at a later stage. It enables us to create a bigger and more detailed picture, so that we can understand the Word better.

Grewing up in church, I used to find the Old Testament to be SO boring. I was under the impression that it did no longer really apply to us as believers today, that somehow it was outdated or something. However, since I’ve started to learn more about the Hebrew context in which the Bible was written, I fell in love with the Old Testament. The chapters that used to bore me so much, suddenly became so interesting and started to give me so much background details and a basis to understand the New Testament better than before.

We can never try to understand the Old Testament from a New Testament perspective. The New Testamament was given to those who already had the Old Testament. Thus, we should be reading the New Testament from an Old Testament perspective.

Before we dive into the portions, I want to remind you once again that following the reading cycle is not about legalistic adherence. The focus should be on the immense amount of Biblical principles that we can learn from the Word. THAT is what matters and that's why I study it and encourage you to do so as well!

Torah resources which I love and can highly recommend:

• Video  Teachings: Kol Kallah by Hebrew People / Passion for Truth Ministries by Jim Staley / Houtkruis Bediening by Roelf Craig

• Podcast: Daily Bread for Busy Moms - they read the actual Torah portions alongside the Haftarah portions and also work their way through the New Testament every year.

• Calendars: Bridges for Peace - the calendar has the portions set out on it as well as the yearly biblical feast dates.

The next reading cycle kicks off today - 25 October 2024!

Join us & embark on one of the most rewarding adventures into Scripture you'll ever experience!

Get your hands on the printable study notebook here!

Torah Study Notebook 2024/2025

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