Parashat Chukat
חֻקַּת · Numbers 19:1 to 22:1, portion 6 of 10 in the book of Numbers.
Next reading
In Israel
Saturday 10 July 2027
5 Tammuz 5787
In the Diaspora
Saturday 17 July 2027
12 Tammuz 5787
Read together with Parashat Balak
The year after
Saturday 1 July 2028
7 Tammuz 5788
In Israel and abroad
In 2027 the Diaspora reads Chukat a week after Israel. The second day of Shavuot is on Shabbat, 12 June 2027: that day the Diaspora reads the festival's own portion, while Israel, where the festival has already ended, goes on to the next portion. The two read the same portion again from 17 July 2027, when the Diaspora reads Chukat and Balak together.
What happens in Chukat
The portion opens with the red heifer, whose ashes purify those who have been in contact with the dead. Miriam dies, the people are left without water, and Moses strikes the rock instead of speaking to it and is told he will not enter the land. Aaron dies on Mount Hor. When serpents attack the camp, Moses makes a copper serpent, and Israel defeats Sihon and Og and camps on the plains of Moab.
זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה ה׳ לֵאמֹר דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִקְחוּ אֵלֶיךָ פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה תְּמִימָה אֲשֶׁר אֵין־בָּהּ מוּם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־עָלָה עָלֶיהָ עֹל
“This is the statute of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying: Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer, faultless, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke.”
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Reading this Shabbat?
Candle-lighting and havdalah times for every major city in Israel are on the Shabbat times pages, and the festival calendar lives under Jewish holidays.
Frequently asked questions
When is Parashat Chukat read in 2027?+
In Israel on Shabbat 10 July 2027 (5 Tammuz 5787), and in the Diaspora a week later, on Shabbat 17 July 2027. The year after, it is read on 1 July 2028.
What is Parashat Chukat about?+
The portion opens with the red heifer, whose ashes purify those who have been in contact with the dead. Miriam dies, the people are left without water, and Moses strikes the rock instead of speaking to it and is told he will not enter the land. Aaron dies on Mount Hor. When serpents attack the camp, Moses makes a copper serpent, and Israel defeats Sihon and Og and camps on the plains of Moab.
Why is Chukat sometimes read together with Balak?+
Most years have fewer free Shabbatot than portions: a festival that falls on Shabbat takes that Shabbat's reading, and a year without a second month of Adar is about four weeks shorter. So some neighbouring portions are read together, and Chukat with Balak is one of those pairs.
Why do Israel and the Diaspora read Chukat on different days in 2027?+
In 2027 the Diaspora reads Chukat a week after Israel. The second day of Shavuot is on Shabbat, 12 June 2027: that day the Diaspora reads the festival's own portion, while Israel, where the festival has already ended, goes on to the next portion. The two read the same portion again from 17 July 2027, when the Diaspora reads Chukat and Balak together.