Torah Portion of the Week

Ki Tisa כי תשא

Exodus 30:11–34:35

Parshat Ki Tisa spans from the commandment of the half-shekel census through the dramatic sin of the Golden Calf and Moses' plea for God's forgiveness, culminating in the giving of the second tablets and the revelation of God's Thirteen Attributes of Mercy.

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Parsha Outline

1 of 10

The Half-Shekel

מחצית השקל

Exodus 30:11–30:16

God commands a census through a half-shekel offering — rich and poor give equally as atonement for their souls.

2 of 10

The Copper Laver

כיור הנחשת

Exodus 30:17–30:21

Instructions for the copper washing basin placed between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, where the priests wash their hands and feet.

3 of 10

The Anointing Oil & Incense

שמן המשחה והקטרת

Exodus 30:22–30:38

The sacred anointing oil and incense formulas — reserved exclusively for holy use, never to be replicated for personal use.

4 of 10

Bezalel & Oholiab

בצלאל ואהליאב

Exodus 31:1–31:11

God appoints Bezalel of the tribe of Judah and Oholiab of Dan, filled with divine wisdom, to craft the Tabernacle and its vessels.

5 of 10

The Sabbath

השבת

Exodus 31:12–31:17

The Sabbath is proclaimed as an eternal sign between God and Israel — a covenant across generations.

6 of 10

The Tablets of Stone

לוחות האבן

Exodus 31:18–31:18

Moses receives the two tablets of testimony, inscribed by the finger of God.

7 of 10

The Golden Calf

חטא העגל

Exodus 32:1–32:35

While Moses is on the mountain, the people pressure Aaron to make a golden calf. Moses descends, shatters the tablets, destroys the idol, and the Levites rally to God's side.

8 of 10

Moses Pleads for Israel

משה מתפלל על ישראל

Exodus 33:1–33:23

God threatens to send Israel to the Promised Land without His presence. Moses pleads, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here." Moses asks to see God's glory and is placed in the cleft of the rock.

9 of 10

The Thirteen Attributes & Second Tablets

י"ג מידות ולוחות שניות

Exodus 34:1–34:28

God reveals the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy and renews the covenant. Moses carves new tablets and receives the laws again — including the festivals and the prohibition against idol worship.

10 of 10

Moses' Radiant Face

קרן עור פני משה

Exodus 34:29–34:35

Moses descends with the second tablets, his face radiating light from speaking with God. He places a veil over his face, removing it only when speaking with God.

Prophetic Reading

Haftarah הפטרה

I Kings 18:1–18:39

מלכים א

Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel mirrors Moses confronting the Golden Calf. Both demand Israel choose: 'If the Lord is God, follow Him!' — a battle against idolatry.

Full Text

Parshat Ki Tisa

Exodus 30:11–34:35 · 104 verses

First Aliyah

ראשוןExodus 30:11–31:17

Chapter 30

פרק 30

Layout

Language

Layout

Language

11 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹֽר

12 כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵֽי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְקֻדֵיהֶם וְנָתְנוּ אִישׁ כֹּפֶר נַפְשׁוֹ לַיהֹוָה בִּפְקֹד אֹתָם וְלֹא יִהְיֶה בָהֶם נֶגֶף בִּפְקֹד אֹתָֽם

13 זֶה יִתְּנוּ כׇּל הָעֹבֵר עַל הַפְּקֻדִים מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ עֶשְׂרִים גֵּרָה הַשֶּׁקֶל מַחֲצִית הַשֶּׁקֶל תְּרוּמָה לַֽיהֹוָֽה

14 כֹּל הָעֹבֵר עַל הַפְּקֻדִים מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמָעְלָה יִתֵּן תְּרוּמַת יְהֹוָֽה

15 הֶֽעָשִׁיר לֹֽא יַרְבֶּה וְהַדַּל לֹא יַמְעִיט מִֽמַּחֲצִית הַשָּׁקֶל לָתֵת אֶת תְּרוּמַת יְהֹוָה לְכַפֵּר עַל נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶֽם

16 וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת כֶּסֶף הַכִּפֻּרִים מֵאֵת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנָתַתָּ אֹתוֹ עַל עֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְהָיָה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְזִכָּרוֹן לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לְכַפֵּר עַל נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶֽם

17 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹֽר

18 וְעָשִׂיתָ כִּיּוֹר נְחֹשֶׁת וְכַנּוֹ נְחֹשֶׁת לְרׇחְצָה וְנָתַתָּ אֹתוֹ בֵּֽין אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּבֵין הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְנָתַתָּ שָׁמָּה מָֽיִם

19 וְרָחֲצוּ אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו מִמֶּנּוּ אֶת יְדֵיהֶם וְאֶת רַגְלֵיהֶֽם

20 בְּבֹאָם אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יִרְחֲצוּ מַיִם וְלֹא יָמֻתוּ אוֹ בְגִשְׁתָּם אֶל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לְשָׁרֵת לְהַקְטִיר אִשֶּׁה לַֽיהֹוָֽה

21 וְרָחֲצוּ יְדֵיהֶם וְרַגְלֵיהֶם וְלֹא יָמֻתוּ וְהָיְתָה לָהֶם חׇק עוֹלָם לוֹ וּלְזַרְעוֹ לְדֹרֹתָֽם

22 וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹֽר

23 וְאַתָּה קַח לְךָ בְּשָׂמִים רֹאשׁ מׇר דְּרוֹר חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת וְקִנְּמׇן בֶּשֶׂם מַחֲצִיתוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתָיִם וּקְנֵה בֹשֶׂם חֲמִשִּׁים וּמָאתָֽיִם

24 וְקִדָּה חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת בְּשֶׁקֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְשֶׁמֶן זַיִת הִֽין

25 וְעָשִׂיתָ אֹתוֹ שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ רֹקַח מִרְקַחַת מַעֲשֵׂה רֹקֵחַ שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶֽה

26 וּמָשַׁחְתָּ בוֹ אֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וְאֵת אֲרוֹן הָעֵדֻֽת

27 וְאֶת הַשֻּׁלְחָן וְאֶת כׇּל כֵּלָיו וְאֶת הַמְּנֹרָה וְאֶת כֵּלֶיהָ וְאֵת מִזְבַּח הַקְּטֹֽרֶת

28 וְאֶת מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה וְאֶת כׇּל כֵּלָיו וְאֶת הַכִּיֹּר וְאֶת כַּנּֽוֹ

29 וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֹתָם וְהָיוּ קֹדֶשׁ קׇֽדָשִׁים כׇּל הַנֹּגֵעַ בָּהֶם יִקְדָּֽשׁ

30 וְאֶת אַהֲרֹן וְאֶת בָּנָיו תִּמְשָׁח וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֹתָם לְכַהֵן לִֽי

31 וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּדַבֵּר לֵאמֹר שֶׁמֶן מִשְׁחַת קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה זֶה לִי לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶֽם

32 עַל בְּשַׂר אָדָם לֹא יִיסָךְ וּבְמַתְכֻּנְתּוֹ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ כָּמֹהוּ קֹדֶשׁ הוּא קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶֽם

33 אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִרְקַח כָּמֹהוּ וַאֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן מִמֶּנּוּ עַל זָר וְנִכְרַת מֵעַמָּֽיו

34 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל מֹשֶׁה קַח לְךָ סַמִּים נָטָף וּשְׁחֵלֶת וְחֶלְבְּנָה סַמִּים וּלְבֹנָה זַכָּה בַּד בְּבַד יִהְיֶֽה

35 וְעָשִׂיתָ אֹתָהּ קְטֹרֶת רֹקַח מַעֲשֵׂה רוֹקֵחַ מְמֻלָּח טָהוֹר קֹֽדֶשׁ

36 וְשָֽׁחַקְתָּ מִמֶּנָּה הָדֵק וְנָתַתָּה מִמֶּנָּה לִפְנֵי הָעֵדֻת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד אֲשֶׁר אִוָּעֵד לְךָ שָׁמָּה קֹדֶשׁ קׇֽדָשִׁים תִּהְיֶה לָכֶֽם

37 וְהַקְּטֹרֶת אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה בְּמַתְכֻּנְתָּהּ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם קֹדֶשׁ תִּהְיֶה לְךָ לַיהֹוָֽה

38 אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה כָמוֹהָ לְהָרִיחַ בָּהּ וְנִכְרַת מֵעַמָּֽיו

11 GOD spoke to Moses, saying:

12 When you take a census of the Israelites according to their army enrollment, each shall pay GOD a ransom for himself on being enrolled, that no plague may come upon them through their being enrolled.

13 This is what everyone who is entered in the records shall pay: a half-shekel by the sanctuary weight—twenty gerah s to the shekel—a half-shekel as an offering to GOD.

14 Everyone who is entered in the records, from the age of twenty years up, shall give GOD’s offering:

15 The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than half a shekel when giving GOD’s offering as expiation for your persons.

16 You shall take the expiation money from the Israelites and assign it to the service of the Tent of Meeting; it shall serve the Israelites as a reminder before GOD, as expiation for your persons.

17 GOD spoke to Moses, saying:

18 Make a laver of copper and a stand of copper for it, for washing; and place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Put water in it,

19 And let Aaron and his sons wash their hands and feet [in water drawn] from it.

20 When they enter the Tent of Meeting they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they approach the altar to serve, to turn into smoke an offering by fire to GOD,

21 They shall wash their hands and feet, that they may not die. It shall be a law for all time for them—for him and his offspring—throughout the ages.

22 GOD spoke to Moses, saying:

23 Next take choice spices: five hundred weight of solidified myrrh, half as much—two hundred and fifty—of fragrant cinnamon, two hundred and fifty of aromatic cane,

24 Five hundred—by the sanctuary weight—of cassia, and a hin of olive oil.

25 Make of this a sacred anointing oil, a compound of ingredients expertly blended, to serve as sacred anointing oil.

26 With it anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Pact,

27 The table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its fittings, the altar of incense,

28 The altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand.

29 Thus you shall consecrate them so that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be consecrated.

30 You shall also anoint Aaron and his sons, consecrating them to serve Me as priests.

31 And speak to the Israelite people, as follows: This shall be an anointing oil sacred to Me throughout the ages.

32 It must not be rubbed on any person’s body, and you must not make anything like it in the same proportions; it is sacred, to be held sacred by you.

33 Anyone who compounds its like, or puts any of it on a lay person, shall be cut off from kin.

34 And GOD said to Moses: Take the herbs stacte, onycha, and galbanum—these herbs together with pure frankincense; let there be an equal part of each.

35 Make them into incense, a compound expertly blended, refined, pure, sacred.

36 Beat some of it into powder, and put some before the Pact in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you.

37 But when you make this incense, you must not make any in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be held by you sacred to GOD.

38 Anyone who makes any like it, to smell of it, shall be cut off from kin.