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(How to determine what parshat is current when looking at a parshat calendar?)

Each Torah Portion is listed on Shabbath in the parshat calendars. In the Western world, when an event that lasts an entire week(such as the torah parsha), it will begin on the day it is listed and continues on for another 6 days on the calendar.

But apparently in the parsha calendar, the parsha listed on Saturday is the one that should have been being read the entire week preceding it.

So is it correct to say that when we see a Torah portion listed on Saturday, this means we should be finishing that parsha on that date not beginning it?

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    chabad.org/calendar/view/month.asp?tdate=3/1/2020
    – rosends
    Mar 11, 2020 at 22:24
  • @rosends so apparently, the torah parshat for the whole week is the one that is for the weeks shabbat, I think I get it now. Thanks. Before I was thinking the parshat started on the shabbath and continued to the next, but it actually starts on sunday for the next saturday correct?
    – OB7DEV
    Mar 11, 2020 at 23:05
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    It starts on the Saturday afternoon -- the reading at the afternoon services on Shabbat is the reading we do on Monday and Thursday mornings -- the beginning of the parsha which will be read on the upcoming Shabbat.
    – rosends
    Mar 11, 2020 at 23:11
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    As it stands now the answer to this question (or one of the questions) will constantly change. Can you edit the question to define a specific point in time you are asking about? Or maybe leave out that question entirely, and just ask how to figure out what parsha we are in at any given time.
    – Alex
    Mar 11, 2020 at 23:18
  • @Alex I updated the question as suggested.
    – OB7DEV
    Mar 12, 2020 at 0:35

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I'm not sure what you see on a calendar and what dates are listed. Most Hebrew calendar or Hebrew / English calendars that I see just put the name of the parsha on a Saturday.

But, essentially, the first reading of the week's parsha begins on the Shabbat afternoon of the week before the week listed. (Unless there is an intervening Yom Tov which would defer that parsha to the following week or maybe even 2 weeks later.)

As an example:

If you see pasrhat Va'era listed on the calendar on Shabbat 26 Tevet, it means that the first reading of the first aliyah of Va'era will begin Shabbat mincha of 19 Tevet, and again on Monday 21 Tevet and again on Thursday 24 Tevet. The full parsha Va'era of 7 aliyot is read on Shabbat 26 Tevet.

Shabbat mincha of 26 Tevet will start the following week's parsha, Bo.

FYI - Some wedding invitations will include the parsha name as well. E.g. it may say - יום שני בשבת פרשת בא - The 2nd day of the week (Monday) for parshat Bo, which would be read on the upcoming Shabbat.

In situations when a weekly parsha is not read, it would probably state the Yom Tov that is occurring, instead. I'm not completely certain about that.

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    Before I asked this question, I had assumed that the parsha started the day its listed on the calendar, but as you mention, it really begins the shabbath micha prior.
    – OB7DEV
    Mar 12, 2020 at 4:53
  • This is all correct, but I find the presentation very confusing
    – Double AA ♦
    Mar 12, 2020 at 14:52
  • @DoubleAA You're welcome to edit or suggest what can be changed or deleted.
    – DanF
    Mar 12, 2020 at 15:24

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