Rosh Hashana Torah Readings 2015: Passages From Genesis To Celebrate The Jewish New Year

As the sunlight wanes from skylines around the world on Sunday, millions of people will celebrate the start of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. The two-day religious holiday is one of the most important in the Hebrew calendar and will end Tuesday at sundown. Different portions of the Torah will be read in synagogues worldwide for each day.

Here are the Torah readings for Rosh Hashana:

Day One – Sunday, Sept. 13

The Torah portion read on the first day of Rosh Hashana is the story of Sarah in Genesis 21:1-34; Numbers 29:1-6. The following passage was translated from Hebrew into English by Chabad.org.

And the Lord remembered Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken.

And Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him.

And Abraham named his son who had been born to him, whom Sarah had borne to him, Isaac.

And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born to him.

And Sarah said, "God has made joy for me; whoever hears will rejoice over me."

And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children, for I have borne a son to his old age!"

And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, making merry.

And Sarah said to Abraham, "Drive out this handmaid and her son, for the son of this handmaid shall not inherit with my son, with Isaac."

But the matter greatly displeased Abraham, concerning his son.

And God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased concerning the lad and concerning your handmaid; whatever Sarah tells you, hearken to her voice, for in Isaac will be called your seed.

But also the son of the handmaid I will make into a nation, because he is your seed.

Day Two – Tuesday, Sept. 15

The Torah portion read on the second day of Rosh Hashana discusses the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22:1-24; Numbers 29:1-6. The following passage was translated from Hebrew into English by Chabad.org.

And it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham, and He said to him, "Abraham," and he said, "Here I am."

And He said, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, yea, Isaac, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you."

And Abraham arose early in the morning, and he saddled his donkey, and he took his two young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for a burnt offering, and he arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.

And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder, and we will prostrate ourselves and return to you."

And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, and he placed [it] upon his son Isaac, and he took into his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went together.

And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and he said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"

And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And they both went together.

And they came to the place, of which God had spoken to him, and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar upon the wood.

And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife, to slaughter his son.

And an angel of God called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."

And he said, "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him, for now I know that you are a God fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me."

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw, and lo! there was a ram, [and] after [that] it was caught in a tree by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

And Abraham named that place, The Lord will see, as it is said to this day: On the mountain, the Lord will be seen.

And an angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven.

And he said, "By Myself have I sworn, says the Lord, that because you have done this thing and you did not withhold your son, your only one,

That I will surely bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand that is on the seashore and your descendants will inherit the cities of their enemies.

And through your children shall be blessed all the nations of the world, because you hearkened to My voice."

And Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer sheba; and Abraham remained in Beer sheba.

And it came to pass after these matters, that it was told to Abraham saying: "Behold Milcah, she also bore sons to Nahor your brother.

Uz, his first born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, the father of Aram.

And Kesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph, and Bethuel .

And Bethuel begot Rebecca." These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, had also given birth to Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah.