Torah FeedParashat Vaera
Exodus 6:2 to 9:35, 121 verses. Next read on Shabbat, January 9, 2027.
Updated September 24, 2026
וָאֵרָא
- Book
- Exodus
- Reading
- 6:2 to 9:35
- Verses
- 121
- Position
- 14 of 54
Opening verse
וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי יְהוָה׃
And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: ‘I am the LORD;
Read the full text from the start of the portion: Exodus 6 in Hebrew and English.
Summary
God answers Moses' despair with a fourfold promise: I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, I will take you as my people. Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh, and Aaron's staff becomes a serpent that swallows the magicians' staffs. Then the plagues begin. Water turns to blood, frogs cover the land, dust becomes lice, wild beasts and pestilence strike, boils break out, and hail mixed with fire flattens the crops. Pharaoh relents under each blow and hardens again when it lifts. Seven of the ten plagues fall within this portion.
Key moments
- The four expressions of redemption (6:2 to 6:8)
- Blood, frogs and lice (7:14 to 8:15)
- Hail, and Pharaoh's confession that he has sinned (9:13 to 9:35)
When is Vaera read?
Upcoming Shabbat readings in the Diaspora calendar:
- Saturday, January 9, 2027
- Saturday, January 29, 2028
- Saturday, January 13, 2029
In some years this portion is read together with its neighbor as a double portion. The dates above include those weeks.