Torah FeedParashat Beshalach
Exodus 13:17 to 17:16, 116 verses. Next read on Shabbat, January 23, 2027.
Updated September 24, 2026
בְּשַׁלַּח
- Book
- Exodus
- Reading
- 13:17 to 17:16
- Verses
- 116
- Position
- 16 of 54
Opening verse
וַיְהִי בְּשַׁלַּח פַּרְעֹה אֶת־הָעָם וְלֹא־נָחָם אֱלֹהִים דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי קָרוֹב הוּא כִּי אָמַר אֱלֹהִים פֶּן־יִנָּחֵם הָעָם בִּרְאֹתָם מִלְחָמָה וְשָׁבוּ מִצְרָיְמָה׃
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said: 'Lest the people regret when they see war, and they return to Egypt.’
Read the full text from the start of the portion: Exodus 13 in Hebrew and English.
Summary
God leads the people by a longer road, with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Pharaoh changes his mind and pursues them to the edge of the sea. Moses lifts his staff, the sea splits, and Israel walks through on dry ground while the Egyptian army drowns behind them. Moses and the people sing the Song at the Sea, and Miriam leads the women with timbrels. Then the wilderness begins. The water at Marah is bitter, the people complain of hunger, and manna falls each morning except Shabbat. Water comes from a rock at Refidim, and Amalek attacks from behind.
Key moments
- The splitting of the sea (14:10 to 14:31)
- The Song at the Sea (15:1 to 15:21)
- Manna, and the first Shabbat in the wilderness (16:1 to 16:36)
When is Beshalach read?
Upcoming Shabbat readings in the Diaspora calendar:
- Saturday, January 23, 2027
- Saturday, February 12, 2028
- Saturday, January 27, 2029
In some years this portion is read together with its neighbor as a double portion. The dates above include those weeks.