Most communities these days with the practice of reading Torah on Simḥat Torah night read either the first three or the first five ‘aliyot from V-Zot haBerakha, the morning Torah reading from Deuteronomy. However this was not always the case. In many communities throughout eastern Europe, Simḥat Torah night was a time to auction off and read verses of blessing from throughout the entire Torah — called “nedarim” or “vows” in honor of the fact people would pledge money to read them as an aliyah. Many different lists of these verses have come down to us over the years, from as few as three to as many as twenty different readings. Here’s a compilation of ten different lists of “vows,” nine of which were sourced from R. Avraham Yaari’s renowned work “Toldot Ḥag Simḥat Torah” and the tenth of which was submitted by Michael Y. Kopinsky to the “Life in the Fast Lein” Facebook group. Also included are images of the original sources for the ten lists, as well as an original translation of R. Yaari’s passage explaining the custom of the “vows.”

מגלת המתיקות Megillat HaMetiḳut (Scroll of the Sweetness), written and sealed by the hand of Noraa Neither Kaplan, upon the deliverance of the Jews from confectionary catastrophe on the 17th of Tishrei, 5787 (the 28th of September, 2026).

A friend of mine moving into a new apartment complained that his washing machine was infested by demons. So I made this amulet in the style of the Babylonian magic bowl corpus (specifically, mostly based on the form of JBA 26 (MS 1928/43)) to help him. Then I was asked to upload my amulet text here so I generalized it a bit, vocalized it, and added gender instructions. For maximum efficacy, the text should be written in a spiral pattern in the concave side of an unglazed ceramic bowl and buried face-down at the threshold of your apartment. That being said, my friend just printed the included image out, and the technician managed to find the problem pretty quickly.

A Torah reading ceremony proposed for Rosh Hashanah using the traditional texts read but organized in a novel way to juxtapose the stories of Yitsḥaq and Yishmael.

A prayer-poem inspired by the story of Noah and the ark to embrace all people regardless of gender identity or whom they love.

A group reading of Megilat Esther arranged by Naomi Klionsky at Bezalel (Chicago), Thursday, 13 March 2025. Each character in the megillah is read by a reader cast for that voice.

A list of all the public readings and liturgical sources shared through the Open Siddur Project, sorted by date. (Some dates are approximate.)

A schedule for the reading of Psalms corresponding to Festivals and Commemorative Days, according to Nusæḥ Temoni-Bælædi.

This is the schedule for the reading of Psalms corresponding to Festival Days, according to the Western Ashkenazi Rite as Recorded by Wolf Heidenheim and the Rödelheim Siddurim, to be recited after the psalm of the day, unless otherwise noted.

A schedule for the reading of Psalms corresponding to Festivals and Commemorative Days, according to Nusaḥ Edot ha-Mizraḥ.

A schedule for the reading of the historical writings in the TaNaKh corresponding to Festivals and Commemorative Days, according to the practice of Isaac Gantwerk Mayer

An English-language adaptation of the Roman rite psalm system for all days when Torà is read, to be recited while the Torà is being taken from the bimà. All Hebrew words are transcribed in accordance with the traditional Italian Hebrew phonological system, in a slightly modified Italian orthography.

“Shirat Miriam and Devorah / Uri, Uri” (Song of Miriam, Song of Deborah / Rise up, Rise Up) was first published in 2024, as the second of four piyyutim published through the Diwan Ashira Project by Ephraim Kahn.

I find it important to remind myself, when there is an opportunity to do so in Jewish liturgy, that there are six matriarchs of the children of Israel recognized together as the “shesh imahot” in rabbinic sources: Sarah, Rivqah, Leah, Raḥel, Bilhah, and Zilpah. This is important to me because it is important to recognize that while the Jewish people are famously endogamous, we must also remain open, honest, and respectful of our ancestors who connected to our people through exogamous relationships.

The thirtieth chapter of Jeremiah is exceedingly appropriate for Yom ha-Atsma’ut, considering its emphasis on returning from exile and the importance of self-rule. It strikes me as one of the most Zionist (with a capital Z) chapters in the entirety of Neviïm.

This piece emerged in February 2023 upon realizing that instead of reading ים סוף as Yam Suf (generally understood at the Sea of Reeds), it could be read as Yam Sof: Sea of End[ing]. It was apparent to me that we may have approached this sea (escaping from slavery) thinking that it would be the end of us. It was not. But it was the end of *something*.

A megillah for reading on the 14th of Adar Alef (Purim Qatan) or the 15th of Adar Alef (Shushan Purim Qatan). Double the Adar, double the fun, so add to the list of Purim sheni megillot, this purely legendary tale riffing on what has become a very familiar post-Shabbes lunch/shabbes afternoon pastime among many Jews since the boardgame, “Settlers of Catan” came into being.

An amulet to protect against dog allergies. Made for a relative with a bad dog allergy who was forced, for work reasons, to host an event featuring many dogs. Print on both sides and keep it in your pocket. Best if used with Zyrtec.

Tropified texts for Purim 2021 juxtaposing the text of Queen Esther with the words of Vice President Kamalla Harris and poet laureate Amanda Gorman.

A comprehensive list of the Noaḥide laws recorded in early rabbinic traditions.

A digital font integrating Masoretic Hebrew cantillation marks in languages presented in Latin scripts.

Torah and Haftarah readings for Tu biShvat selected by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer.

A soliloquy in the voice of Judith.

A paraliturgical translation of “k’Gavna” — a portion of the Zohar on parashat Terumah read before Ma’ariv in the ḥassidic-sefardic nusaḥ.

A reading for the New Year’s Day for Animals — Rosh haShanah laBehemot — on Rosh Ḥodesh Elul.

A Torah reading (divided into three aliyot) and a Haftarah reading to be recited for days commemorating genocides such as (but not limited to) the Holocaust.

There are all sorts of customs associated with weddings in Judaism. But one custom that has been practiced for a long time and deserves a comeback is the additions to the Torah reading for Shabbat Kallah. Shabbat Kallah, the Shabbat in the “Sheva Berakhot” week after the wedding, is in many Sephardic communities preferred over Shabbat Ḥatan, the aufruf Shabbat before the wedding. And in all sorts of communities across the Jewish world, there have been customs for specific readings for Shabbat Kallah, treating it as a Special Sabbath in its own right. Traditionally this special maftir and haftarah would recited by the groom (along with an Aramaic translator interpolating for the maftir). The maftir is from the story of Abraham’s servant tasked with finding a wife for Isaac, and the haftarah is from the book of Isaiah and compares a groom and bride to the relationship between God and Israel.

A summary of the lineage of the Mesorah, as it passed through generations of Israelite and Jewish women.

A public reading offered by Rabbi Arthur Waskow for the Fast of Esther in response to recent events in the State of Israel by the right-wing government of Bibi Netanyahu admitting Jewish fascists into their administration.

This is a Torah reading (divided into three aliyot) and a Haftarah reading to be recited for such holidays. The aliyot are from Shoftim, describing the rules for just warfare and treatment of those in need.

This is a Torah reading (divided into three aliyot) and a Haftarah reading to be recited on a national labor holiday. The aliyot are from Vayakhel, describing the construction of the Tabernacle.

The Fourth of July is a day on which Americans celebrate liberty, equality under heaven, and freedom from tyranny and foreign rule. Thus it is an appropriate day to read Torah. This is a Torah reading (divided into three aliyot) and a Haftarah reading to be recited on the Fourth of July.

Especially for those of us who use the Torah passages on the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael and the Binding of Isaac for Rosh Hashanah, together with Rabbi Phyllis Ocean Berman, I want to recommend that you read from the Sefer Torah the passage in Genesis 25:7-11 on the reconciliation of the two brothers as they come together to bury their dangerous father Avraham/Ibrahim/Abraham.

An Ashkenazi-style cantillation system for the Book of Psalms.

An Ashkenazi-style cantillation system for the Book of Proverbs.

An Ashkenazi-style cantillation system for the Book of Job.

A prayer to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer-identifying folk before reading Parshat Aḥarei Mot (Leviticus 16:1–18:30) in the synagogue.

This is a system that seeks to create a Haftarah-like system for the reading of Psalms, linking their meaning to the meaning of the reading or the Shabbat of that day. Like the Haftarah system, there are special psalms for the Shabbatot leading up to and following the Ninth of Av, as well as specific psalms for Rosh Chodesh and the special Shabbatot. Unlike the Haftarah system, if two portions are read together or a special Shabbat occurs on a day when another reading is done, both psalms are read (since psalms are generally shorter and easier to read than prophetic texts.)

This system attempts to remedy that, selecting psalms that reflects the meaning of the holiday in some way. It includes every single commonly celebrated holiday, including sub-ethnic celebrations like Mimouna or Sigd as well as more recent national holidays like Yom haAtzmaut. It also includes a system for dividing Psalm 119, a massive 176-verse acrostic hymn to Torah, throughout the weeks of the Omer season as a preparation for Sinai.

Purim affirms Esther’s stand against official silencing, abuse of power, misogyny and anti-Semitism. At first an outsider, Queen Esther used her insider power to reveal and thwart official hatred that threatened Jewish life and safety. We celebrate one woman’s courageous cunning to right grievous wrongs within corrupt systems. The archetype of heroic woman standing against hatred continues to call out every society still wrestling with official misogyny, power abuses and silencing. For every official silencing and every threat to equality and freedom, may we all live the lesson of Esther and all who stand in her shoes: “Nevertheless, she persisted.”

As we prepare to observe Tishah b’Av and commemorate the destruction of Jerusalem that led to the exile of the Jewish people for centuries to come, we are acutely aware that we find ourselves in the midst of the worst refugee crisis in recorded history, with more than 68 million people displaced worldwide. Given these extraordinary numbers, the continued attacks on asylum and the refugee resettlement program in the United States over the last eighteen months are even more inhumane. Of course, we know that the proverbial 10th of Av will come, and we will rise up from our mourning with renewed resolve to support refugees and asylum seekers. First, though, we take time to dwell fully in the mourning demanded by the 9th of Av. We fervently lament the many cruel actions this administration has taken to limit the ability of refugees and asylum seekers to seek safety in our country, and we mourn for lives destroyed and lives lost.

The Talmud (Brakhot 35a-b) teaches that eating food without saying a brakhah (a blessing) beforehand is like stealing. A lot of people know that teaching, and it’s pretty deep. But here’s an even deeper part: the Talmud doesn’t call it “stealing”, but מעילה ׁ(“me’ilah“), which means taking from sacred property that belongs to the Temple. So that means that everything in the world is sacred and this Creation is like a HOLY TEMPLE.

What are the inner workings of such an intricately crafted story that it devolves into so much gratuitous violence at the end? Haman’s racism follows imminently upon the heels of the king’s sexism. Indeed, the root of Haman’s wrath against Mordekhai and the Jews parallels the king’s fury against Vashti and the women. Both Vashti and Mordekhai refused to submit to degradation before authority. Disdain for and subordination of women are pre-conditions for the progression toward violent evils that threaten to prevail under the jester-king. One of the fundaments of feminism is that until we fix the basic gender dyad, there will be no resolution of other derivative inequalities, prejudices, and abuses—at personal, ethnic, national, and global levels. Core relationships between woman and man must embody mutual respect, dignity, and equality in our humanity.

“A kavvanah (declaration of intention) that we bring to the reading of parashat Aḥarei Mot and the pain caused by Leviticus 18:22” was offered by Rabbi Victor Reinstein in 2015.

Traditionally each cup in the Passover Seder is liked to a promise made by God in these verses, Exodus 6:6-7. The four cups can also be associated with the Four Freedoms first articulated by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1941, which were an inspiration for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and were explicitly incorporated into its preamble.

Tishah b’Av, the ninth day of the month of Av, has historically been a day to mourn the Destruction of the First and Second Temples, centers of Israelite practice before the rise of Rabbinic Judaism (First Temple 975 BCE – 586 BCE; Second Temple 515 BCE – 70 CE) and the exiles that followed those destructions. Over the course of Jewish history this day of mourning and fasting has also come to commemorate many other tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people throughout history.

This year we are beginning a new tradition. We are suggesting that in addition to, or instead of (depending on the norms of your community and personal practice) the traditional observance of Tishah b’Av, the time has come to use this powerful day to mourn the ongoing destruction of the “temple” that is our Earth, a tragedy for all peoples, creatures and living things, but one that is not complete and thus, with sufficient will and action, is in part, reversible.

Miqra `al pi ha-Mesorah is a new experimental edition of the Tanakh in digital online format, now available as a carefully corrected draft of the entire Tanakh. Two features make this edition of the Tanakh unique: Full editorial documentation and a free content license. Full editorial documentation: Various editions of the Torah or Tanakh in Hebrew may seem identical to the untrained eye, but the truth is that each and every edition—from Koren to Breuer and from Artscroll to JPS—makes numerous important editorial decisions. In most editions these decisions are not transparent, and the student of Torah therefore relies upon the good judgment of the editor. But in Miqra `al pi ha-Mesorah the entire editorial process and the reasoning behind it are fully described in all of their details: Every stylistic alteration and every textual decision made regarding every letter, niqqud, and ta`am in the entire Tanakh is documented.

We are sharing these tables for Taamei haMikra (cantillation for Torah reading) because we weren’t able to find these available in Unicode Hebrew text anywhere else on the Internet. We would very much like to also share the traditional tables of Taamei haMikra for the Nusaḥ Roma (Italy), Nusaḥ Teman (Yemen), and others along with excellent free-culture licensed recordings of these tables being chanted. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of free-culture licensed audio and video of the taamei hamikra being chanted. Please help us by sharing your audio or video with a Creative Commons Attribution license.

The following seven lessons by Rabbi Hillel Ḥayim Yisraeli-Lavery to help the student prepare for their reading of Megillat Esther. The nusaḥ taught is Israeli style Ashkenaz-Lithuanian.

The time we are in now is a time to ask: are we so determined to undo God’s rainbow covenant? Will we truly burn the sea, chemically and literally, with the oil we unleash from inside the Earth? Will we flood the sea with death as the land was flooded according to the Noah story of so long ago? As the cleanup continues and the effects will continue for decades, what new floods will we unleash in the coming years?