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Parashat Bechukotai - פָּרָשַׁת בְּחֻקֹּתַי
Bechukotai (“In My Laws”) is the final Torah portion in the Book of Leviticus. It begins describing blessings that follow obedience to God's laws and curses that come with desecration of them. It ends with laws of vows and consecration of people and property.
Torah Portion: Leviticus 26:3-27:34
Parashat Bechukotai is the 33rd weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on May 29th, 2027 / 22 Iyyar 5787
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
26:3 - 26:5· 3 p’sukim
2:
26:6 - 26:9· 4 p’sukim
3:
26:10 - 26:46· 37 p’sukim
4:
27:1 - 27:15· 15 p’sukim
5:
27:16 - 27:21· 6 p’sukim
6:
27:22 - 27:28· 7 p’sukim
7:
27:29 - 27:34· 6 p’sukim
Maftir:
27:32 - 27:34· 3 p’sukim
Haftarah:
Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14· 17 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 1
Read Together in 2026/5786
Behar and Bechukotai are read together for Triennial Year 1.
- Triennial Year 2
May 29th, 2027
1:
26:3 - 26:5· 3 p’sukim
2:
26:6 - 26:9· 4 p’sukim
3:
26:10 - 26:46· 37 p’sukim
4:
27:1 - 27:4· 4 p’sukim
5:
27:5 - 27:8· 4 p’sukim
6:
27:9 - 27:11· 3 p’sukim
7:
27:12 - 27:15· 4 p’sukim
Maftir:
27:12 - 27:15· 4 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah Part 1:
Jeremiah 16:9 - 16:15· 7 p’sukim
Alternate Haftarah Part 2:
Jeremiah 16:19 - 16:21· 3 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
Read Together in 2028/5788
Behar and Bechukotai are read together for Triennial Year 3.
About Parashat Parashat Bechukotai
At its heart, Bechukotai turns on the covenant principle of reward and consequence. The blessings section (Leviticus 26:3-13) spells out what fidelity to God's commandments yields: rain in its season, bountiful harvests, peace and security, victory over enemies, fertility, and God's very presence dwelling among the people. The counterweight is the Tochecha, or "Admonition" (26:14-46), an escalating catalogue of curses for abandoning the covenant, culminating in defeat, desolation, and exile. Yet the passage refuses to end in despair: even amid punishment, God vows to remember His covenant with the patriarchs and never wholly reject Israel. The concluding chapter (Leviticus 27) shifts subject entirely to the laws of vows and consecration, including the fixed valuations (arachin) for people dedicated to the Sanctuary and rules for redeeming animals, houses, fields, and tithes, threading the sanctity of dedicated things into the book's close.
The Haftarah
In most communities, both Ashkenazi and Sephardi, the Haftarah for Bechukotai is Jeremiah 16:19-17:14. Its thematic link to the portion is direct: where Leviticus 26 binds Israel's flourishing or exile to faithfulness to the covenant, Jeremiah draws the same contrast on a personal scale, "Cursed is the man who trusts in man" (17:5) against "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord" (17:7), likening the faithful to a tree planted by water. Note that in common (non-leap) years Bechukotai is frequently read together with the preceding portion as the combined Behar-Bechukotai; in that case the Bechukotai Haftarah (Jeremiah 16:19-17:14) is the one chanted. Calendar conditions can occasionally affect the Haftarah selection, so congregations should confirm against their local practice.
Notable passages and verses
Bechukotai is best known for the Tochecha (the "Admonition" or "Rebuke"), one of only two such passages in the Torah; the other appears in Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 28). By widespread custom the curses are chanted quietly and rapidly, and read without a pause or break in the middle. A notable exception is Leviticus 26:42 ("I will remember My covenant with Jacob..."), traditionally read in a normal voice even as the surrounding verses are read softly. Leviticus 26:44, God's promise not to reject or destroy Israel even in exile, is famously understood as the Shekhinah accompanying the people into exile. Because Bechukotai concludes the Book of Leviticus, upon its completion the congregation recites "Chazak, Chazak, v'nitchazek" ("Be strong, be strong, and may we be strengthened"). The precise verse boundaries of which curses are read softly can vary by community and reader.
Frequently asked questions
What is parashat Bechukotai about?
Bechukotai (Leviticus 26:3-27:34) is the final portion of the Book of Leviticus. It opens with the blessings promised for keeping God's commandments, rain, abundant harvests, peace, security, and God's presence among the people, then turns to the Tochecha, a severe catalogue of curses for abandoning the covenant that ends in exile, before promising that God will still remember His covenant with the patriarchs. The closing chapter sets out the laws of vows and consecration, including fixed valuations for people and property dedicated to the Sanctuary. On TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading chanted with the proper trope.
What is the haftarah for Bechukotai?
In most communities, both Ashkenazi and Sephardi, the Haftarah for Bechukotai is Jeremiah 16:19-17:14. It echoes the portion's blessing-versus-curse theme through Jeremiah's contrast of one who trusts in man with one who trusts in the Lord (17:5-7). In non-leap years Bechukotai is often read together as Behar-Bechukotai, in which case this same Haftarah is chanted; local custom and the calendar can affect the selection, so it is worth confirming. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this Haftarah with its trope.
What are the themes of Bechukotai?
The central theme is covenant and consequence: material and national wellbeing flow from fidelity to God's commandments, while abandoning the covenant brings the curses of the Tochecha, culminating in exile. Running alongside this is God's enduring faithfulness, the promise to remember the patriarchs and never utterly reject Israel even in punishment. The final chapter adds the theme of sanctity through vows and consecration of people and property. You can hear and practice the full reading with trope on TropeTrainer.
Why are the curses in Bechukotai read quietly?
By widespread custom the Tochecha (the curses in Leviticus 26:14-46) is chanted quietly and quickly, and without a pause in the middle, a practice also followed for the parallel passage in Ki Tavo. The intent is generally understood as not dwelling on the harsh content of the rebuke. An exception is Leviticus 26:42 ('I will remember My covenant with Jacob'), read in a normal voice. The exact verses read softly can vary by community and reader, so practices differ. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this reading with trope.
Where to go next
See the complete list of weekly parashot with links to every reading and detail page.
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