Sukkot Torah Readings
Chol HaMo’ed Sukkot | חול המועד סכות | “Intermediate Day of Tabernacles”
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Readings for Sukkot
The Festival of Sukkot | The Feast of Tabernacles
The Torah Reading Cycle is suspended for the holiday week of Sukkot as well as for Shemini Atzeret (sometimes referred to as the eighth day of Sukkot). CH”M means Chol haMo’ed, an interim day.
- Sukkot, Hoshana Rabba, and Shemini Atzeret Torah readings are from Leviticus 22-23, Numbers 29, and Deuteronomy 14-16. These readings detail the laws of the mo’edim or “appointed times” on the Jewish calendar and include the mitzvot regarding the festival of Sukkot.
- On Simchat Torah (“Celebration of the Torah”) we conclude, and begin anew, the annual Torah-reading cycle. First we read the Torah section of V’zot Haberakhah, and then we read the first chapter of Genesis (the beginning of next Shabbat’s Torah reading).
| Day | Torah | Haftarah | Brit Chadashah |
| Sukkot 1 | Lev. 22:26-23:44; Num. 29:12-29:16 |
Zech. 14:1-21; | Jonn 1:10-14; Rev. 7:1-10; 21:1-4 |
| Sukkot 2 | Lev. 22:26-23:44; Num. 29:12-29:16 |
1 Kings 8:2-21 | Jonn 1:10-14; Rev. 7:1-10; 21:1-4 |
| Sukkot 3 (CH”M 1) (shabbat) |
Exod. 33:12-34:26 | Ezek. 38:18-39:16 Ecclesiastes (k) |
John 7-8 |
| Sukkot 4 (CH”M 2) | Num. 29:20-25 | John 7-8 | |
| Sukkot 5 (CH”M 3) | Num. 29:23-28 | John 7-8 | |
| Sukkot 6 (CH”M 4) | Num. 29:26-31 | John 7-8 | |
| Sukkot 7 Hoshana Rabbah |
Num. 29:26-34 | John 7-8 | |
| Sukkot 8 Shemini Atzeret |
Deut. 14:22-16:17; Num. 29:35-30:1 | 1 Kings 8:54-8:66 | Matt. 17:1-9; Mark 12:28-33 |
| Sukkot 9 Simchat Torah |
Vzot-Haberakhah Genesis 1 |
Josh. 1:1-18 | Rev. 22:1-5 |
First Day
Chol Hamoed Sukkot Torah Readings in a Nutshell
The Readings in a Nutshell:
On the five intermediate days of Sukkot we read Numbers 29:17-34, a portion which describes the communal offerings brought on each day of the holiday. Thirteen bullocks are brought on the first day, twelve on the second, eleven on the third, and so on in descending order until the seventh day, when seven bullocks are offered, bringing the total of bullocks over the seven days of the festival to seventy. Two rams and fourteen goats were also offered each day.
Additional offerings of the prescribed meal, wine and oil supplements were brought as well: three tenths of an efah of fine flour, and half a hin each of wine and oil, per bullock; two tenths of flour and a third of a hin of each of the liquids for each ram; and one tenth and one quarter respectively for each lamb.
How We Divide of Aliyot:
On the first day of Chol Hamoed (the third day of the holiday) we read:
- First Aliyah—”The Second Day” section.
- Second Aliyah—”The Third Day” section.
- Third Aliyah—”The Fourth Day: section.
- Fourth Aliyah—(we repeat) “The Second Day” and “The Third Day” section.
On the second day of Chol Hamoed (the fourth day of the holiday) we read:
- First Aliyah—”The Third Day” section.
- Second Aliyah—”The Fourth Day” section.
- Third Aliyah—”The Fifth Day: section.
- Fourth Aliyah—(we repeat) “The Third Day” and “The Fourth Day” section.
On the third day of Chol Hamoed (the fifth day of the holiday) we read:
- First Aliyah—”The Fourth Day” section.
- Second Aliyah—”The Fifth Day” section.
- Third Aliyah—”The Sixth Day: section.
- Fourth Aliyah—(we repeat) “The Fourth Day” and “The Fifth Day” section.
On the fourth day of Chol Hamoed (the sixth day of the holiday) we read:
- First Aliyah—”The Fifth Day” section.
- Second Aliyah—”The Sixth Day” section.
- Third Aliyah—”The Seventh Day: section.
- Fourth Aliyah—(we repeat) “The Fifth Day” and “The Sixth Day” section.
On the fifth day of Chol Hamoed (Hoshana Rabbah) we read:
- First Aliyah—”The Fifth Day” section.
- Second Aliyah—”The Sixth Day” section.
- Third Aliyah—”The Seventh Day: section.
- Fourth Aliyah—(we repeat) “The Sixth Day” and “The Seventh Day” section.
Happy Sukkot (Tabernacles)! Torah Readings (Sept. 23rd – 30th)
Note: On Shabbat Chol Hamoed we read a different reading (from the Book of Exodus) and the maftir consists of what would be the fourth aliyah for that day, as per the list above.
