Torah
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What is the Torah?
This lens will give you a complete overview of what the Torah is along with additional resources to learn more.
What is the Torah?
The uses of the word Torah
The Torah is a term meaning "teachings" or "learnings". It has several meanings depending on its use. It is used as the name of the entire body of Jewish religious law and learning including all of the sacred books, writings and oral tradition.
The Torah is also the Hebrew name for the Greek word Pentateuch which is the first five books of the Jewish Bible known as the Old Testament in Christian tradition - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These first five books are considered to have been divinely inspired and "revealed" to Moses and tell the story of the creation of the world and the special relationship between God and the Jewish people. The 613 commandments (mitzvahs) listed throughout contain the foundations of all the basic laws of Judaism and establish God's sovereignty over the human race and all of creation. From these books comes the concept of the Jews as the Chosen people, because they are the ones chosen by God to live his laws and be a light to the rest of the world.
The word Torah also is used in reference to the scroll form of the Books of Moses which are used in Jewish synagogues.
The Torah is not only the Written Torah, but the "understanding" of the words - the Oral Torah. The Oral Torah was imparted by Moses to the Elders of Israel, who transmitted it to the elders of each future generation. The Oral Torah is disputed by some, as the evidence of the chain of transmission has been lost, though others say that it was written down and kept in the compendium of Jewish knowledge known as the Talmud.
The Torah is also the Hebrew name for the Greek word Pentateuch which is the first five books of the Jewish Bible known as the Old Testament in Christian tradition - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These first five books are considered to have been divinely inspired and "revealed" to Moses and tell the story of the creation of the world and the special relationship between God and the Jewish people. The 613 commandments (mitzvahs) listed throughout contain the foundations of all the basic laws of Judaism and establish God's sovereignty over the human race and all of creation. From these books comes the concept of the Jews as the Chosen people, because they are the ones chosen by God to live his laws and be a light to the rest of the world.
The word Torah also is used in reference to the scroll form of the Books of Moses which are used in Jewish synagogues.
The Torah is not only the Written Torah, but the "understanding" of the words - the Oral Torah. The Oral Torah was imparted by Moses to the Elders of Israel, who transmitted it to the elders of each future generation. The Oral Torah is disputed by some, as the evidence of the chain of transmission has been lost, though others say that it was written down and kept in the compendium of Jewish knowledge known as the Talmud.
The Torah Scroll
The Torah scroll contains the five Books of Moses on one long scroll composed of many pieces of parchment attached together. The scroll is really one long sentence in Hebrew and divided in such a way that it can actually be sung. Since it is written in Hebrew, none of the words have vowels, but the vowels most believed to be associated with the words along with pronunciation instructions are provided as "cantellations" alongside the text.
The Torah Scroll
- Accuracy of the Bible - How the Torah Scroll is Made
- Learn how Torah scrolls are transcribed and passed from generation to generation.
Tanakh - The Hebrew Bible
Tanakh, an acronym of Torah (T) for the Five Books of Moses, Nevi'im (N) for the collection of history and oracles of the Prophets and Ketuvim (K), which is the book of Writings containing history, poetry and other writings.
The Written Torah is often called the Tanakh.This is the Hebrew Bible, referred to popularly as the Old Testament. Sometimes the phrase PARDES is used, which is an acronym for Peshat, Remez, Derash and Sod. These terms refer to five different layers of meaning that can be used to understand the Bible. In other words, there is a literal meaning to each sentence and story in the Bible, an allegorical meaning, a moral or homiletic meaning and finally the anagogic or mystical meaning.Looking at the acronym Tanakh, the T is for Torah or The Five Books of Moses, also known as the Chumash for the Hebrew word for five. The books are individually known as Genesis (Beresheit), Exodus (Shemot), Vayikra (Leviticus), Numbers (Bamidbar), and Deuteronomy (Devarim). These books are believed to have been inspired by God and even directly transmitted to Moses about 3,000 years ago. These books describe the creation of the world, the birth of the Jewish people, their enslavement in Egypt, and God's deliverance of them to the Promised Land - Israel.
The books of the Prophets (Nevi'im) contain the recording of direct prophecies given by God to His chosen prophets throughout the millenia prior to the Common Era, or in the thousand year period before the birth of Christ. Because of the varying amounts of materials the books are further classified as the books of the Major Prophets and then the Minor Prophets. Within this collection are also the stories of the early days of Israel, the kingship of David and Solomon, the building of the temple and the history of Israel for about 500-600 years through the destruction of Jerusalem and the expulsion of the Jews from their land by the Babylonians.
The Writings are divided into three parts: the Wisdom literature consisting of the book of Psalms, which are songs and prayers; the book of Proverbs, which are a type of poetry containing instructions for living; and finally the Book of Job, which is the story of a man who questions why terrible things have happened to him followed by the response of God.
The next group of writings are the Megillot which consists of several books like Ruth and the Song of Songs. Ruth describes the adventures of a woman who converts to Judaism and is ancestor to King David. The Song of Songs is a long piece of poetry often described as a love song between a man and woman and as an allegory of the relationship between God and the Jews. These pieces are usually read in the synagogue on special occassions, as are the rest of the Megillot consisting of the Book of Lamentations, Ecclesiastes (more wisdom about life) and the story of Esther who saves the Jews from destruction by an evil man.
The Histories consist of the books of Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah and Chronicles One and Two. Daniel is a book of visions and some history of the Jewish exile in Babylon, while Ezra and Nehemiah describe the Jews return to Israel and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Chronicles is a unique history of Israel and the times of King David compiled by Ezra.
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The Five Books of Moses and how they are studied
The five books of Moses are known by several names including the Pentateuch in the Greek and in Hebrew as Chumash - for "five." These books are the most studied since it is believed that God transmitted the text firectly to Moses through revelation.
In most English and especially Christian Bibles the text of each book is broken down into chapter and verse for easy reading. However, the Jews do not follow this particular breakdown and instead divide the text into more meaningful collections based around the stories and events and refer to these divisions as Parshas. The Parshas have names and can be delineated in any Biblical version by the Chapters and verses they span.
Each Parsha is usually read along with the Haftorah, which are stories or verses from other books of the Bibles that have a direct relationship to the particular Parsha. As an example, in the first Parsha that contains the story of the Creation of the world the Haftorah can be found in the book of the Prophet Isaiah where he talks about the Creation.
The Parshas are also designed to be read in weekly readings so that the entire set can be read completely in the course of one year. In synagogues the weekly Parsha and Haftorah are read and are the subjects of that week's sermon. Though the Torah Portions don't change, when they are read during the year does change as the Jewish year is lunar. Jews read and study the Parsha each Sabbath beginning the Sabbath following Simcha Torah - the holiday that celebrates the reading of the last portion for the year.
Since the Torah or Five Books of Moses contain the basics of all Jewish law and the workings of the religion, there has been a tremendous amount of study devoted to them. The most famous and definitive commentary is that of Rashi, the Medieval wine maker and Rabbi. Almost all subsequent commentary is studied in light of Rashi's teachings.
In most English and especially Christian Bibles the text of each book is broken down into chapter and verse for easy reading. However, the Jews do not follow this particular breakdown and instead divide the text into more meaningful collections based around the stories and events and refer to these divisions as Parshas. The Parshas have names and can be delineated in any Biblical version by the Chapters and verses they span.
Each Parsha is usually read along with the Haftorah, which are stories or verses from other books of the Bibles that have a direct relationship to the particular Parsha. As an example, in the first Parsha that contains the story of the Creation of the world the Haftorah can be found in the book of the Prophet Isaiah where he talks about the Creation.
The Parshas are also designed to be read in weekly readings so that the entire set can be read completely in the course of one year. In synagogues the weekly Parsha and Haftorah are read and are the subjects of that week's sermon. Though the Torah Portions don't change, when they are read during the year does change as the Jewish year is lunar. Jews read and study the Parsha each Sabbath beginning the Sabbath following Simcha Torah - the holiday that celebrates the reading of the last portion for the year.
Since the Torah or Five Books of Moses contain the basics of all Jewish law and the workings of the religion, there has been a tremendous amount of study devoted to them. The most famous and definitive commentary is that of Rashi, the Medieval wine maker and Rabbi. Almost all subsequent commentary is studied in light of Rashi's teachings.
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Torah Commentary
Parsha commentary from Chabad
Commentary on the weekly Torah portion (weekly reading from the Five Books of Moses - or Chumash - in order). The Hasidic point of view includes direct simple interpretation, but adds the the personal mystical element, as well.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byThe Masoretic Text
Hebrew Translation
The standard Hebrew version of the Bible used today and the version found in the Torah scrolls in Synagogues is called the Masoretic Text. The original Torah (Five Books of Moses) is traditionally believed to have been imparted by GOD to Moses in the Sinai about 1000 years Before the Common ERA. Over the course of the next millennia scrolls of the Torah and other collected writings were maintained then lost then found throughout wars and exiles of the Jewish community in Israel.
It is believed and documented in current editions of the Bible that the Prophet Ezra made a final collection several hundred years before the Common Era - fixing the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament as we know it today. However, when the Bible was translated into the Greek (the Septuagint) and became the accepted version and as Jews became scattered across the ancient world through exile, the Hebrew writings got corrupted by many translations and dialectic changes. Around 900 CE the Jewish authorities thought it wise to make a definitive translation of the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) back into Hebrew for consistent scrolls to be used throughout the Jewish world.
To accomplish the task scholars known as Masoretes - from the word Masorah, meaning "tradition" - were chosen to complete the task of making a definitive Hebrew edition. Aside from the scrolls, the rest of the "old Testament" was also translated and transcribed back into Hebrew.
For the Books of Moses, or Torah scroll, the Masoretes added in vowels and cantellations to the sides of the scroll. As the Hebrew language is made up only of consonants and the Torah is really one long sentence that can be sung, these additions provide natural breaks by fixing the words and the rhythm. The Masoretes constructed the scrolls to be faithful to the original Hebrew and set down rules for it's copying. (See Torah Scrolls for further information.) One of the interesting aspects of the Hebrew is that without vowels the words can often be changed within reason, rendering new and insightful understanding to the text.
The Septuagint
Greek Translation
Septuagint is the Latin word for "seventy" and refers to what may be a legend that 70 scholars from Israel translated the Hebrew scriptures into Greek in 282 BCE. The story comes from an ancient document known as the Letter of Aristeas where it is told that the Greek king of Egypt - Ptolemy (Philadelphus II - 285-247 BCE) wanted to augment his library. He contacted the chief priest in Jerusalem asking him to send translators from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Septuagint is the earliest translation from the Hebrew to Greek to be recognized as authoritative. The edition was widely used throughout the late first millennium and into the Christian era and translated into several different languages. It is today the official version used in the Greek Orthodox church. Most early Latin translations were made from the edition, as well. The Septuagint was used in conjunction with Hebrew texts in early Christian times to create official Bible translations, including the Roman Catholic Vulgate and the King James version.
However, as with all editions of the Bible, there is much debate regarding the version we have today, as the standard version and ancient manuscript fragments are not always in harmony. The Eastern Orthodox Christian churches have thus not issued a "standardized version." The Qumran manuscripts (Dead Sea Scrolls) suggest that the Hebrew translated into the Septuagint is slightly different than the Hebrew language of today.
Targum
Aramaic
Targum (defined as translation or interpretation) is the term for the various Aramaic translations of the Pentateuch and other writings of the Jewish scriptures written and compiled in Israel and Babylon from the Second Temple period through the early Middle Ages.
Aramaic is one of the Semitic languages, which include Arabic, Ethiopic, Hebrew and the Akkadian of ancient Assyria and Babylon. An ancient language, it is not spoken in the vernacular today. A number of biblical stories, particularly in the books of Daniel and Ezra were written and maintained in Aramaic. There are instances in the New Testament also where Aramaic phrases have been maintained.
Onkelos
The most well known translation of the Hebrew Bible in Aramaic is that of Onkelos, whose translation and commentary are still well respected. This edition is called the Targum Onkelos. The Onkelos commentary is often studied in conjunction with that of the great Rabbi and scholar Rashi. Onkelos wrote his translation and commentary in the 2nd century of the Common Era. The translation gained the respect of leading scholars of the time and the edition was given almost as much authority as the Pentateuch (Greek) itself. This is especially remarkable as Onkelos was still a proselyte and had not yet made his full conversion to Judaism.
Jonathan ben Uzziel
The 1st century Rabbi Jonathan ben Uzziel translated much of the Writings and the books of the Prophets into Aramaic. These translations are referred to as the Targum Jonathan. He was a student of the famous Rabbi Hillel.
Aramaic is one of the Semitic languages, which include Arabic, Ethiopic, Hebrew and the Akkadian of ancient Assyria and Babylon. An ancient language, it is not spoken in the vernacular today. A number of biblical stories, particularly in the books of Daniel and Ezra were written and maintained in Aramaic. There are instances in the New Testament also where Aramaic phrases have been maintained.
Onkelos
The most well known translation of the Hebrew Bible in Aramaic is that of Onkelos, whose translation and commentary are still well respected. This edition is called the Targum Onkelos. The Onkelos commentary is often studied in conjunction with that of the great Rabbi and scholar Rashi. Onkelos wrote his translation and commentary in the 2nd century of the Common Era. The translation gained the respect of leading scholars of the time and the edition was given almost as much authority as the Pentateuch (Greek) itself. This is especially remarkable as Onkelos was still a proselyte and had not yet made his full conversion to Judaism.
Jonathan ben Uzziel
The 1st century Rabbi Jonathan ben Uzziel translated much of the Writings and the books of the Prophets into Aramaic. These translations are referred to as the Targum Jonathan. He was a student of the famous Rabbi Hillel.
Talmud
Oral Torah, Mishnah and Midrash
When Moses received the Torah it is believed that God also imparted meaning and explanations of the text. Moses wrote down the Torah, but the explanations and teachings are believed to have been passed down by Moses to the elders of Israel who in turned passed it down to each of the elders in each generation in an oral tradition. Also included in this tradition are various cultural-religious traditions that grew and the various religious laws and precedents that developed from applying the initital Biblical laws to new situations.Throughout the years much of these traditions had been lost and found so to speak since the Jews were first expelled from Israel by the Babylonians circa 500-600 B.C.E and then by the Romans in the year 70. In the second century a group of Rabbis called the Tannaim, the Sages of Israel began writing the traditions down. Around the year 200 Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi codified these writings into what is known as the Mishnah.
Mishnah means "repetition" or "study." These teachings as well as other interpretations of laws and material in the Bible were debated and discussed by rabbis through the successive centuries and are collectively known as Gemara. The Gemara and Mishnah together are called the Talmud. There are two schools of Talmud - the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud.
The Mishnah divides the discussion of law into 6 sections called sedarim: Zeraim, meaning "seeds" deals with agricultural laws; Moed, meaning "seasons"deals with the Sabbath and festivals; Nashim, meaning "women" concerns family law including marriage and divorce; Neziqin, meaning "damages" dealswith civil and criminal laws; Qodashim, meaning "Holy Things" concerns the dietary laws and the laws concerning sacrifices; and finally Tohorot, meaning "purifications" which concerns purification and ritual defilement. These six groupings are subdivided further into 63 treatises.
Regarding non-legal material the most famous section of the Talmud is Pirkei Avot - The Ethics of the Fathers. This is one of the treatises that offers wise sayings, advice and philosophy. This work has its own history of separate study.
The great Medieval Rabbi and scholar Maimonides made the Talmud accessible to the average person in his great work called the Guide for the Perplexed.
Much of what is known as the "Oral Torah" is historical information, tales, and homiletic type material that is brought out from the written word through the process of interpretation called "Midrash."
The word 'Midrash' is based on a Hebrew word meaning 'interpretation' or 'exegesis'. It has several meanings and usage. For example a Midrash can be a way of reading and interpreting a Bible verse- maybe something different from the norm, with a twist so to speak. It can also refer to a book of Midrashic teachings like Genesis Rabbah. The Midrash can simply refer to a verse and its interpretation. Midrash can also be a commentary on a verse that includes stories from the oral tradition.
The Talmud contains most of the understanding of the legalities of the Torah and how they should be applied. This is known as Halachah. The Talmud's non legal teachings are referred to as AggadahMidrash or simply Aggadah.
Kaballah
The Mystical Bible
The concept of the Kaballah ( meaning - reception) is very misunderstood as many people think of it simply as magic and hocus pocus. The Kaballah is far from that. It is a mystical approach to understanding the Bible, the nature of God and the spiritual workings of nature and the universe.
The Kaballah is esoteric knowledge believed to have been passed down through the ages. Some claim that it is Divine revelation given to Moses and passed along as part of the Oral Tradition, but in secret - entrusted only to a few in each generation. Some of the teachings and knowledge were considered to be too deep and revealing and that without proper study and spiritual maturity could be dangerous. Some teachings of the Kaballah contain meditative techniques that allow a person to travel through spiritual dimensions and perhaps have a vision of God. As the Bible illustrates in various passages, especially in the books of the Prophets, only those who have been carefully selected or prepared can live through that experience.
The Kabllah is also a compendium of mystical teachings about the Torah, revealing the divine or spiritual reasons behind the commandments and the stories in the Bible. It also contains insights into how the universe was created and the spiritual worlds and their workings. With a proper approach the Kaballah can give tremendous insights into the Bible and clarify many passages that are often unintelligible in the casual reading.
The "magic" described in many Kabbalistic treatises should be avoided, because many of the teachings written down are purposefully incomplete. These teachings were meant to accompany verbal instructions from a qualified teacher, and much of that information is now lost.
Though the Kabbalah consists of many treatises, texts books and so on written over the centuries, There are three main works including Sefer Ytzirah - the Book of Creation. This book is attributed to Rabbi Akiba ben Joseph in the 2nd century, though it is said to have originally been written by the Patriarch Abraham. The actual authorship is unknown. The Sefer Yetzirah establishes some of the basics of Kabbalah concerning cosmology and how men reflect the Divine.
The Bahir is another work that also appeared in the early part of the Middle Ages with unknown authorship. It is believed to have been written in the 13th century, but it claims to be a work of the first century.
The most famous work of Kabbalah is the Zohar - The Book of Splendor. This book was claimed to be the work of the famous second century rabbi Simeon bar Yochai. There have been many attempts to establish true authorship, since the book did not appear until the thirteenth century. Most scholars believe the book was most likely written by rabbi Moses de Leon.
Throughout the Middle Ages many famous Jewish scholars and rabbis developed their versions of Kabbalisic systems - mystical methods for getting closer to God and for understanding the mysteries of the universe. Some of these are the famous Torah scholar Nachmanides, Isaac Luria, Moses de Cordovero, and Hayim Vital.
The Kaballah is esoteric knowledge believed to have been passed down through the ages. Some claim that it is Divine revelation given to Moses and passed along as part of the Oral Tradition, but in secret - entrusted only to a few in each generation. Some of the teachings and knowledge were considered to be too deep and revealing and that without proper study and spiritual maturity could be dangerous. Some teachings of the Kaballah contain meditative techniques that allow a person to travel through spiritual dimensions and perhaps have a vision of God. As the Bible illustrates in various passages, especially in the books of the Prophets, only those who have been carefully selected or prepared can live through that experience.
The Kabllah is also a compendium of mystical teachings about the Torah, revealing the divine or spiritual reasons behind the commandments and the stories in the Bible. It also contains insights into how the universe was created and the spiritual worlds and their workings. With a proper approach the Kaballah can give tremendous insights into the Bible and clarify many passages that are often unintelligible in the casual reading.
The "magic" described in many Kabbalistic treatises should be avoided, because many of the teachings written down are purposefully incomplete. These teachings were meant to accompany verbal instructions from a qualified teacher, and much of that information is now lost.
Though the Kabbalah consists of many treatises, texts books and so on written over the centuries, There are three main works including Sefer Ytzirah - the Book of Creation. This book is attributed to Rabbi Akiba ben Joseph in the 2nd century, though it is said to have originally been written by the Patriarch Abraham. The actual authorship is unknown. The Sefer Yetzirah establishes some of the basics of Kabbalah concerning cosmology and how men reflect the Divine.
The Bahir is another work that also appeared in the early part of the Middle Ages with unknown authorship. It is believed to have been written in the 13th century, but it claims to be a work of the first century.
The most famous work of Kabbalah is the Zohar - The Book of Splendor. This book was claimed to be the work of the famous second century rabbi Simeon bar Yochai. There have been many attempts to establish true authorship, since the book did not appear until the thirteenth century. Most scholars believe the book was most likely written by rabbi Moses de Leon.
Throughout the Middle Ages many famous Jewish scholars and rabbis developed their versions of Kabbalisic systems - mystical methods for getting closer to God and for understanding the mysteries of the universe. Some of these are the famous Torah scholar Nachmanides, Isaac Luria, Moses de Cordovero, and Hayim Vital.
Kaballah - Learn More
Kaballah Links
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Kaballah
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