Parashot in The Torah
Due to the influence of Maimonides, parashah divisions in the Torah have become highly standardized, and there is close to exact agreement among Torah scrolls, printed Jewish bibles, and similar online texts. The following list thus presents the parashah divisions as found in (a) modern Torah scrolls, (b) Maimonides' Mishneh Torah, and (c) the Aleppo Codex (based on several witnesses besides Maimonides to the parashot in its missing parts). Rare inconsistencies between these three sources are explained in footnotes.
The list is constructed as follows:
- Only breaks between two sections are listed: Any open or closed parashah break, {P} or {S}, must always appear between two biblical sections. The symbols {P} and {S} always indicate the status of the following section. In Genesis, for instance, {S} 5:32-6:4 {P} indicates a closed section (setumah) because it begins with {S}. Therefore, no section break is indicated before the first portion of a biblical book, or after its last portion.
- The five books of the Torah have been broken down into their weekly Torah readings for convenience. The weekly Torah readings always begin at a parashah break, with the single exception of Vayechi (Genesis 47:28). The division into weekly readings is a prominent feature of the Tiberian masoretic codices along with the division into smaller parashot, and they are indicated with a special flourish in the margin parallel to the line in which each one begins.
- Special series of parashot used for special types of text (such as chronologies, lists, step-by-step sequences, repeating formulas) are indicated.
- When a parashah ignores a chapter break, this is indicated for convenience by spelling out the exact verses from each chapter found in that parashah; for instance: {P} 32:4-33;33:1-17 {S}. This system allows for immediate calculation of the number verses in the parashah, and also facilitates easier comparison between the parashot and the chapter divisions.
- Variations found in alternative masoretic traditions (such as in the Leningrad Codex) are provided separately at the end of each book.
- Unusual data (such as an unusually lengthy parashah) is underlined to draw special attention, followed by a parenthetical note identifying the contents of the parashah at hand.
- The first words of a parashah are sometimes provided in Hebrew for clarity, especially for parashot that appear within a verse. A prominent example is for the Ten Commandments. The titles of prominent parashot mentioned rabbinic in literature are also sometimes given.
Symbols:
- {P} = parashah petuhah ("open portion"), typically resembles a new paragraph
- {S} = parashah setumah ("closed portion"), typically represented as a blank space in the middle of a line
- {-} = no parashah break indicated
- {SONG} = Special format for songs; details of the special layout will be described in separate sections.
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