Readings
In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parshah is divided into seven readings, or עליות, aliyot. In the Masoretic Text of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), Parshah Ki Tavo has four "open portion" (פתוחה, petuchah) divisions (roughly equivalent to paragraphs, often abbreviated with the Hebrew letter פ (peh), roughly equivalent to the English letter “P”). Parshah Ki Tavo has several further subdivisions, called "closed portion" (סתומה, setumah) divisions (abbreviated with the Hebrew letter ס (samekh), roughly equivalent to the English letter "S") within the open portion (פתוחה, petuchah) divisions. The first open portion (פתוחה, petuchah) spans the first three readings (עליות, aliyot). The second open portion (פתוחה, petuchah), contains all of the fourth and fifth readings (עליות, aliyot) and part of the sixth reading (עליה, aliyah). The third open portion (פתוחה, petuchah) constitutes the balance of the sixth reading (עליה, aliyah), which enumerates a series of curses. The fourth open portion (פתוחה, petuchah) is identical with the seventh reading (עליה, aliyah). Closed portion (סתומה, setumah) divisions coincide with the first two readings (עליות, aliyot). Closed portion (סתומה, setumah) divisions further divide the fourth, fifth, and sixth readings (עליות, aliyot), and a string of 11 closed portion (סתומה, setumah) divisions set off a series of curses in the fifth reading (עליה, aliyah).
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