The term parashah, formally means a section of a biblical book in the Masoretic Text of the Tanakh. In common usage today the word often refers to the weekly Torah portion. This article deals with the first, formal meaning of the word. In the Masoretic Text, parashah sections are designated by various types of spacing between them, as found in Torah scrolls, scrolls of the books of Nevi'im (Prophets) or Ketuvim (Writings), masoretic codices from the Middle Ages and printed editions of the Masoretic Text.