D'var Torah for Passover 5786
- Rabbi Stephen Epstein
- 16 hours ago
- 4 min read
Pesach 2026 / פֶּסַח 5786
Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread 🫓🍷
Pesach for Hebrew Year 5786 begins in the Diaspora at sundown on Wednesday, 1 April 2026 and ends at nightfall on Thursday, 9 April 2026.
Passover (Hebrew: פֶּסַח Pesach) commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nisan in the Jewish calendar, which is in spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and is celebrated for seven or eight days. It is one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays.
Pesach I / פֶּסַח א׳
Thursday, 2 April 2026 / 15 Nisan 5786
Torah Portion: Exodus 12:21-51; Numbers 28:16-25
1: Exodus 12:21-24 · 4 p’sukim p. 257
2: Exodus 12:25-28 · 4 p’sukim p. 257 - 258
3: Exodus 12:29-36 · 8 p’sukim p. 258
4: Exodus 12:37-42 · 6 p’sukim p. 259
5: Exodus 12:43-51 · 9 p’sukim p. 259 - 260
maf: Numbers 28:16-25 · 10 p’sukim p. 695 - 696
Haftarah for Ashkenazim: Joshua 3:5-7, 5:2-6:1, 6:27 · 19 p’sukim p. 1009 - 1011
The institution of the Pesach sacrifice and commandment to eat matzah
Pesach II / פֶּסַח ב׳
Friday, 3 April 2026 / 16 Nisan 5786
Torah Portion: Leviticus 22:26-23:44; Numbers 28:16-25
1: Leviticus 22:26-23:3 · 11 p’sukim p. 518 - 520
2: Leviticus 23:4-14 · 11 p’sukim p. 520 - 521
3: Leviticus 23:15-22 · 8 p’sukim p. 521 - 522
4: Leviticus 23:23-32 · 10 p’sukim p. 522 - 524
5: Leviticus 23:33-44 · 12 p’sukim p. 524 - 525
maf: Numbers 28:16-25 · 10 p’sukim p. 695 - 696
Haftarah: II Kings 23:1-9, 23:21-25 · 14 p’sukim p. 1012 - 1014
The institution of the various festivals since with the release of bondage comes our new legacy and heritage.
Pesach Shabbat Chol ha-Moed / פֶּסַח שַׁבָּת חוֹל הַמּוֹעֵד
Saturday, 4 April 2026 / 17 Nisan 5786
Torah Portion: Exodus 33:12-34:26; Numbers 28:19-25; Song of Songs 1:1-8:14
1: Exodus 33:12-16 · 5 p’sukim p. 362 - 363
2: Exodus 33:17-19 · 3 p’sukim p. 363
3: Exodus 33:20-23 · 4 p’sukim p. 363
4: Exodus 34:1-3 · 3 p’sukim p. 364
5: Exodus 34:4-10 · 7 p’sukim p. 364 - 366
6: Exodus 34:11-17 · 7 p’sukim p. 366
7: Exodus 34:18-26 · 9 p’sukim p. 366 - 367
maf: Numbers 28:19-25 · 7 p’sukim p. 695 - 696
Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:1-14 · 14 p’sukim p. 1015 - 1016
Moses receiving the second set of commandments after some of Israel made the Golden Calf. This was a rededication and introduction of Hashem’s 13 attributes, as well His commitment to guide Israel Himself.
Megillah
1: Song of Songs 1:1-17 · 17 p’sukim
2: Song of Songs 2:1-17 · 17 p’sukim
3: Song of Songs 3:1-11 · 11 p’sukim
4: Song of Songs 4:1-16 · 16 p’sukim
5: Song of Songs 5:1-16 · 16 p’sukim
6: Song of Songs 6:1-12 · 12 p’sukim
7: Song of Songs 7:1-14 · 14 p’sukim
8: Song of Songs 8:1-14 · 14 p’sukim
Pesach Chol ha-Moed Day 2 on Sunday / פֶּסַח חוֹל הַמּוֹעֵד יוֹם ב׳ (בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן)
Sunday, 5 April 2026 / 18 Nisan 5786
Torah Portion: Exodus 13:1-16; Numbers 28:19-25
1: Exodus 13:1-4 · 4 p’sukim
2: Exodus 13:5-10 · 6 p’sukim
3: Exodus 13:11-16 · 6 p’sukim
4: Numbers 28:19-25 · 7 p’sukim
Pesach Chol ha-Moed Day 3 on Monday / פֶּסַח חוֹל הַמּוֹעֵד יוֹם ג׳ (בְּיוֹם שָׁנִי)
Monday, 6 April 2026 / 19 Nisan 5786
Torah Portion: Exodus 22:24-23:19; Numbers 28:19-25
1: Exodus 22:24-26 · 3 p’sukim
2: Exodus 22:27-23:5 · 9 p’sukim
3: Exodus 23:6-19 · 14 p’sukim
4: Numbers 28:19-25 · 7 p’sukim
Pesach Chol ha-Moed Day 4 / פֶּסַח חוֹל הַמּוֹעֵד יוֹם ד׳
Tuesday, 7 April 2026 / 20 Nisan 5786
Torah Portion: Numbers 9:1-14, 28:19-25
1: Numbers 9:1-5 · 5 p’sukim
2: Numbers 9:6-8 · 3 p’sukim
3: Numbers 9:9-14 · 6 p’sukim
4: Numbers 28:19-25 · 7 p’sukim
Pesach VII / פֶּסַח ז׳
Wednesday, 8 April 2026 / 21 Nisan 5786
Torah Portion: Exodus 13:17-15:26; Numbers 28:19-25
1: Exodus 13:17-22 · 6 p’sukim p. 265 - 266
2: Exodus 14:1-8 · 8 p’sukim p. 266 - 267
3: Exodus 14:9-14 · 6 p’sukim p. 267 - 268
4: Exodus 14:15-25 · 11 p’sukim p. 268 - 269
5: Exodus 14:26-15:26 · 32 p’sukim p. 269 - 274
maf: Numbers 28:19-25 · 7 p’sukim p. 695 - 696
Haftarah: II Samuel 22:1-51 · 51 p’sukim p. 1017 - 1022
Crossing of the Sea of Reeds, which happened on the 7th day of Passover (release from bondage)
Pesach VIII / פֶּסַח ח׳
Thursday, 9 April 2026 / 22 Nisan 5786
Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17; Numbers 28:19-25
1: Deuteronomy 15:19-23 · 5 p’sukim p. 814
2: Deuteronomy 16:1-3 · 3 p’sukim p. 815
3: Deuteronomy 16:4-8 · 5 p’sukim p. 815 - 816
4: Deuteronomy 16:9-12 · 4 p’sukim p. 816 - 817
5: Deuteronomy 16:13-17 · 5 p’sukim p. 817 - 818
maf: Numbers 28:19-25 · 7 p’sukim p. 695 - 696
Haftarah: Isaiah 10:32-12:6 · 25 p’sukim p. 1023 - 1026
The mandate to dedicate the Firstborn to Hashem since firstborn of Israel were spared during the 10th plague.
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