Why Is The Torah Important

To call the Torah the virtually sacred text in Judaism is an understatement. Without Torah, there would be no Judaism. Through the Torah, a Jewish person is connected to God. The Torah existed earlier God created the earth, tradition says. Over the years Jewish scholars have taken a more scientific approach, recognizing that the Torah was written by human beings over a menstruum of time.

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More Than a Book, or Five Books
Is the showtime five books
The 613 Commandments
The first 10 are the most famous
Interpretations and Commentaries
Recognizes an oral tradition
Ritual Importance of the Torah
Is not merely a sacred text

1 More Than a Volume, or Five Books

2 Is the beginning 5 books

The simplest definition of The Torah is the commencement five books of the Tanakh, which is the Bible excluding the New Testament. But Torah can also refer to the Tanakh every bit a whole, or fifty-fifty to the entirety of Jewish law in both written grade and in oral tradition. The Torah is a collection of stories, such as the Garden of Eden, Moses' leading the Israelites out of Arab republic of egypt and many others. Most importantly, the The Torah is the book of the law by which God commands the people of Israel to live.

3 The 613 Commandments

iv The kickoff 10 are the most famous

The first 10 are the almost famous, but the Torah contains 613 commandments, or miztvot, throughout the text. The 12th century Jewish philosopher Maimonides put together the master list. He found 248 affirmative commandments. The remainder are all "don'ts." The mitzvot cover every aspect of daily life: food, business, organized religion, sex, etc. They accost cosmic questions, such as the unity of God, and mundane ones like grooming and sanitation. The laws are not meant to be followed to the letter, impossible in the modern world. The Torah itself tells readers to consult wise men on points that need more interpretation.

5 Interpretations and Commentaries

6 Recognizes an oral tradition

Judaism recognizes an oral tradition of laws and stories. This "Oral Torah" was also said to be imparted by God to Moses, but information technology was written down by the second century C.East. Rabbi Judah Hanasi chosen the volume the Mishna, or "educational activity." Later, other rabbis felt at liberty to pitch in with their own interpretations. The compiled works of these rabbis, including the Mishna, over the ensuing iii centuries became knows as the Talmud. This volume and many subsequent commentaries provide guidance on how the Torah should be interpreted and its commandments followed.

vii Ritual Importance of the Torah

eight Is not only a sacred text

The Torah is not only a sacred text, it is a sacred object. Jews read a Torah portion weekly in synagogue. The reading uses a handwritten parchment Torah roll, made from kosher animal skin. Even the Hebrew lettering has a significance, as it is written in lettering without vowel sounds and sung, not spoken. The parchment itself may not exist touched, but is read with a Yad, a pointer shaped like a paw with the index finger raised. The reading ritual requires a high degree of skill and preparation. But the true significance of the Torah lies in its message, summarized past the commencement-century sage Rabbi Akiva in the single argument, "Beloved thy neighbour equally thyself."

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Jonathan Vankin is an award-winning announcer with more than 20 years of feel. He has written for such publications as "The New York Times Magazine," "Wired" and Salon, covering technology, arts, sports, music and politics. Vankin is also the author of three nonfiction books and several graphic novels.