Behaalotecha, Beha'alotecha, Beha'alothekha, or Behaaloscha ( — Hebrew for "when you step up," the 11th word, and the first distinctive word, in the parashah) is the 36th weekly Torah portion (, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the third in the Book of Numbers. The parashah tells of the Menorah in the Tabernacle, the consecration of the Levites, the Second Passover, how pillars of cloud and fire led the Israelites, the silver trumpets, how the Israelites set out on their journeys, the complaints of the Israelites, and how Miriam and Aaron questioned Moses. The parashah comprises . It is made up of 7,055 Hebrew letters, 1,840 Hebrew words, 136 verses, and 240 lines in a Torah Scroll (, Sefer Torah). Jews generally read it in late May or in June. As the parashah sets out some of the laws of Passover, Jews also read part of the parashah, , as the initial Torah reading for the last intermediate day (, Chol HaMoed) of Passover. Readings In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parashah is divided into seven readings, or , aliyot. First reading — Numbers 8:1–14 In the first reading (, aliyah), God told Moses to tell Aaron to mount the seven lamps so as to give light to the front of the Menorah in the Tabernacle, and Aaron did so. God told Moses to cleanse the Levites by sprinkling on them water of purification, and making them shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. Moses was to assemble the Israelites around the Levites and cause the Israelites to lay their hands upon the Levites. Aaron was to designate the Levites as a wave offering from the Israelites. The Levites were then to lay their hands in turn upon the heads of two bulls, one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, to make expiation for the Levites. Second reading — Numbers 8:15–26 In the second reading (, aliyah), the Levites were qualified for the service of the Tent of Meeting, in place of the firstborn of the Israelites. God told Moses that Levites aged 25 to 50 were to work in the service of the Tent of Meeting, but after age 50 they were to retire and could stand guard but not perform labor. Third reading — Numbers 9:1–14 In the third reading (, aliyah), at the beginning of the second