Parashat Matot
מַטּוֹת · Numbers 30:2 to 32:42, portion 9 of 10 in the book of Numbers.
Next reading
The year after
What happens in Matot
Moses teaches the heads of the tribes the laws of vows, and when a father or a husband may annul a woman's vow. Israel goes to war against Midian, and the portion sets out how the spoils are shared and how soldiers and vessels are purified. The tribes of Reuben and Gad, with half of Manasseh, ask to settle east of the Jordan, and Moses agrees once they promise to cross and fight alongside the other tribes.
וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה׳
“And Moses spoke unto the heads of the tribes of the children of Israel, saying: This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.”
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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 Matot read in 2027?+
On Shabbat 31 July 2027 (26 Tammuz 5787), in Israel and in the Diaspora alike. The year after, it is read on 22 July 2028.
What is Parashat Matot about?+
Moses teaches the heads of the tribes the laws of vows, and when a father or a husband may annul a woman's vow. Israel goes to war against Midian, and the portion sets out how the spoils are shared and how soldiers and vessels are purified. The tribes of Reuben and Gad, with half of Manasseh, ask to settle east of the Jordan, and Moses agrees once they promise to cross and fight alongside the other tribes.
Why is Matot sometimes read together with Masei?+
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 Matot with Masei is one of those pairs.