What is the Torah?
The Torah is the foundational text of Judaism. In its narrowest sense it means the Five Books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, handwritten on a scroll and read in synagogue. More broadly, "Torah" refers to the entire body of Jewish teaching: the Written Torah and the Oral Torah that explains it, together with all the learning that has grown from them. The word itself means "instruction" or "teaching": Torah is less a single book than a whole way of learning how to live.
What's in the Five Books of Moses?
- Genesis (Bereishit), creation, the patriarchs and matriarchs, the origins of the people.
- Exodus (Shemot), slavery, the Exodus, Sinai, and the Tabernacle.
- Leviticus (Vayikra), the priesthood, offerings, and holiness.
- Numbers (Bamidbar), the wilderness journey.
- Deuteronomy (Devarim): Moses' final teachings before entering the Land. These are divided into 54 weekly portions read across the year (what is the parsha?).
Written Torah vs. Oral Torah: what's the difference?
The Written Torah is the text of the scroll. The Oral Torah is the interpretive tradition that unpacks how to live by it: eventually written down in the Mishnah and Talmud. Jewish tradition holds the two were given together: the text and the keys to understanding it. (More on the Oral Torah.)
In short: the Torah is the Five Books of Moses, and, broadly, the whole body of Jewish teaching that flows from them. The word means "instruction."
Start learning Torah with Derekh Learning
Derekh Learning prepares the weekly Torah portion (and much more) as a plain-English lesson in a voice that fits you. Start learning or read what the Tanakh is.
