Parashat Shoftim
שׁוֹפְטִים · Deuteronomy 16:18 to 21:9, portion 5 of 11 in the book of Deuteronomy.
Next reading
Saturday 4 September 2027
2 Elul 5787
In Israel and abroad
The year after
Saturday 26 August 2028
4 Elul 5788
In Israel and abroad
What happens in Shoftim
The people are told to appoint judges and officers in every town and to pursue justice. The portion sets limits on a king, who may not gather too many horses, wives or riches and must write a Torah scroll for himself. It speaks of the priests and Levites, true and false prophets, cities of refuge, honest witnesses, who is sent home from war and the laws of a siege, and ends with the rite the elders of a town perform for an unsolved death.
שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן־לְךָ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת־הָעָם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶדֶק
“Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, tribe by tribe; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.”
The portion, in your inbox
A short weekly email with the coming Shabbat's reading and times. Free, one-click unsubscribe.
One list, unsubscribe in a click. See our privacy policy.
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 Shoftim read in 2027?+
On Shabbat 4 September 2027 (2 Elul 5787), in Israel and in the Diaspora alike. The year after, it is read on 26 August 2028.
What is Parashat Shoftim about?+
The people are told to appoint judges and officers in every town and to pursue justice. The portion sets limits on a king, who may not gather too many horses, wives or riches and must write a Torah scroll for himself. It speaks of the priests and Levites, true and false prophets, cities of refuge, honest witnesses, who is sent home from war and the laws of a siege, and ends with the rite the elders of a town perform for an unsolved death.