Parashat Balak - פָּרָשַׁת חֻקַּת־בָּלָק
Chukat (“Law Of”) opens by describing the process of burning the red heifer and using its ashes for purification. It also tells the stories of the deaths of Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ striking of a rock to bring forth water, a plague of venomous snakes, and battles against the Emorite kings Sihon and Og. 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.
Torah Portion: Numbers 22:2-25:9
Parashat Chukat-Balak is the 39,40th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on June 27th, 2026 / 12 Tamuz 5786
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
22:2 - 22:12· 11 p’sukim
2:
22:13 - 22:20· 8 p’sukim
3:
22:21 - 22:38· 18 p’sukim
4:
22:39 - 23:12· 15 p’sukim
5:
23:13 - 23:26· 14 p’sukim
6:
23:27 - 24:13· 17 p’sukim
7:
24:14 - 25:9· 21 p’sukim
Maftir:
25:7 - 25:9· 3 p’sukim
Haftarah:
Micah 5:6 - 6:8· 17 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
July 8th, 2028
1:
22:39 - 23:5· 8 p’sukim
2:
23:6 - 23:12· 7 p’sukim
3:
23:13 - 23:26· 14 p’sukim
4:
23:27 - 23:30· 4 p’sukim
5:
24:1 - 24:13· 13 p’sukim
6:
24:14 - 24:25· 12 p’sukim
7:
25:1 - 25:9· 9 p’sukim
Maftir:
25:7 - 25:9· 3 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah:
Joshua 24:1 - 24:14· 14 p’sukim