Vayera וַיֵּרָא
Three visitors come to Avraham's tent and promise a son; Avraham argues for Sodom, and Sodom is overturned. Yitzchak is born, Hagar and Yishmael are sent away and saved in the wilderness, and the portion ends with the binding of Yitzchak on the mountain.
Read next on 31 October 2026, 20 November 2027. By the Israeli reading cycle.
People of the portion
Beer Sheva Brit Milah Hebron (Cave of the Patriarchs) Temple Mount Genesis Rosh Hashanah
Events of this portion
Echoes in the Prophets and history
These events themselves live in other books and other centuries; each is tied to this portion by the verse shown beside it: the early ones the portion recalls, in the later ones its word resounds:
The world at that time
The nearest event of world history known to us comes later, 26 years on:
How it is read
| First | Bereshit 18:1—18:14 | 14 verses |
|---|---|---|
| Second | Bereshit 18:15—18:33 | 19 verses |
| Third | Bereshit 19:1—19:20 | 20 verses |
| Fourth | Bereshit 19:21—21:4 | 40 verses |
| Fifth | Bereshit 21:5—21:21 | 17 verses |
| Sixth | Bereshit 21:22—21:34 | 13 verses |
| Seventh | Bereshit 22:1—22:24 | 24 verses |
| Maftir | Bereshit 22:20—22:24 | 5 verses |
| Haftarah | II Kings 4:1—4:37 on Sefaria | 37 verses |
The text
The English edition does not yet carry the text of the portion. The Hebrew with translation is on Sefaria; the Russian page of this portion carries the full text verse by verse — открыть по-русски →.