The Parashat HaShavua (literally "portion of the week") comes from a Jewish tradition that began in the 6th century BC. The practice of collective, weekly readings of the Torah is believed to have been birthed from the scribe Ezra's desire to see the Israelites remember and keep the Torah. In the Book of Nehemiah, we find the origin of this corporate study and the establishment of what today is commonly referred to as the "Torah Portions." The...