Torah
30343
226058117
2008-07-16T17:16:17Z
Kaisershatner
89179
sentence order/para structure, some wikilinking
{{Articleissues
|refimprove = July 2008
|unbalanced = July 2008
}}
{{mergefrom|Tawrat|Talk:Torah#Merger proposal|date=July 2008}}
[[Image:Torah and jad.jpg|thumb|right|A ''Sefer Torah'' opened for liturgical use in a [[synagogue]] service]]
The term "'''Torah'''" ([[Hebrew]]: תורה, "teaching" or "instruction," [[Torah#Meaning and names|sometimes translated]] as "Law,"<ref>"The ancient Greek translation of the [[Tanakh|Tanak]] translated the word Torah as ''nomos'', or law," Wylen, Stephen M. ''Settings of Silver: An Introduction to Judaism''. Paulist Press, 2001. p. 16 [http://books.google.com/books?id=pAkE0GkHCoEC&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=%22The+word+Torah+means%22&source=web&ots=bV3kpjKQV5&sig=TsvW10lMX4DOXcheUoySMQ_Q2zg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA16,M1], however, the degree to which this is accurate or potentially misleading is a matter of debate. See [[Torah#Meaning and names]] and see also [[Philip Birnbaum]], ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts'', Hebrew Publishing Company, 1964, page 630, and Coggins, R. J. ''Introducing the Old Testament'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), pg 3.</ref>) most commonly refers to the text of the '''Five Books of [[Moses]]''' or '''Pentateuch'''. It may also refer to the entirety of [[Judaism]]'s founding [[Halakha|legal]] and ethical [[religious text]]s.<ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/The_Written_Law.html Torah] at the Jewish Virtual Library</ref><ref>[[Philip Birnbaum]], ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts'', ''Hebrew Publishing Company'', 1964, page 630.</ref> When used with an indefinite article, "a Torah" usually refers to a "''[[Sefer Torah]]''" (ספר תורה, "book of Torah") or Torah scroll, written on parchment in a formal, traditional manner by a specially trained [[sofer|scribe]] under very strict requirements.
The Torah is the most holy of the [[sacred writings]] in Judaism.<ref>Coggins, R. J. ''Introducing the Old Testament'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), pg 1.</ref> It is the first of three sections in the [[Tanakh]] ([[Hebrew Bible]]), the founding religious document of Judaism.<ref>[[Philip Birnbaum]], ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts'', Hebrew Publishing Company, 1964, page 648</ref> [[Christianity]] accepts it as part of the [[Bible]], comprising the first five books of the [[Old Testament]].<ref>Coggins, R. J. ''Introducing the Old Testament'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990), pg 1.</ref> The various [[Sociological classifications of religious movements|denominations]] of [[Jewish religious movements|Jews]] and [[Christian denominations|Christians]] hold a diverse spectrum of views regarding the [[Biblical inerrancy|exactitude of scripture]]. The Torah has also been accepted to varying degrees by the [[Samaritan]]s and others as the authentic [[revelation|revealed]] message of [[God]] to the Israelites and a factual history of the early Israelites, as both [[Mosaic authorship|conveyed by Moses]]. In [[Islam]], the Torah (along with the Christian [[Gospels]]) or [[Tawrat]] is seen as an authentic revelation from God corrupted with the additions and alterations of men.<ref>Esposito, John L. ''What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), pp 7-8.</ref> The faiths revering the Pentateuch consider many of their central tenets to be illustrated in the narratives of the Torah.
In [[rabbinic literature]], the word "Torah" denotes both the written text, "''Torah Shebichtav''" (תורה שבכתב, "Torah that is written", the Hebrew language version of the Pentateuch), as well as an [[Oral Torah|oral tradition]], "''Torah Shebe'al Peh''" (תורה שבעל פה, "Torah that is oral"). The oral portion consists of the "traditional interpretations and amplifications handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation," now embodied in the [[Talmud]] and [[Midrash]].<ref>[[Philip Birnbaum]], ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts'', Hebrew Publishing Company, 1964, page 630</ref> According to rabbinic tradition, the Torah contains the 613 ''[[mitzvot]]'' (מצוות, "commandments"), which are divided into 365 negative restrictions and 248 positive commands.<ref>Eisenberg, Ronald L. ''The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions'' (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2004), pg 515.</ref> The Five Books of Moses contain a variety of [[literary genre]]s, including allegories, historical narrative, poetry, genealogy, and the exposition of various types of law.
== Meaning and names ==
The word "Torah" in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] denotes [[teaching]] and also refers to Jewish [[law]], [[doctrine]], [[custom]], [[theory]], [[guidance]] and [[instruction]],<ref>[[Philip Birnbaum]], ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Conceptes'', Hebrew Publishing Company, 1964, page 630</ref> or [[system]], in English.<ref>p.2767, Alcalay</ref> The Hebrew term "''[[Sefer Torah]]''" (ספר תורה, "book of Torah") refers to the Five Books of Moses written on a scroll of parchment in a formal, traditional manner by a specially trained Torah [[sofer|scribe]] under very strict requirements.
In Judaism, the Torah is more formally called "''Chamishei Chumshei Torah''" (חמישי חומשי תורה, the "five fifths of the Torah,") or informally, "''[[Chumash (Judaism)|Chumash]]''" (חומש, a derivation of "five") because of its division into five [[Sefer (Hebrew)|books]].<ref>Or seven books if the statement in the Talmud about the [[Inverted nun]] is considered.</ref> These terms can be used both to refer figuratively to the Torah as well as to the physical text, with the latter use usually restricted to printed versions (versus the hand written [[Sefer Torah]].)
As stated above, the term Torah is also used in the general sense to include both [[Judaism]]'s written law and [[Oral law#Oral law in Judaism|oral law]], serving to encompass the entire spectrum of authoritative [[Jew]]ish religious teachings throughout history, including the [[Mishnah]], the [[Talmud]], the [[Midrash]] and more.
The inaccurate rendering of "Torah" as "Law"<ref>pp.164-165, Scherman, Exodus 12:49</ref> has "been a barrier, preventing non-[[Jew]]s from understanding the ideal that is summed up in the term ''talmud torah'' (תלמוד תורה, "study of Torah,"), characterized in Jewish tradition as excelling all things."<ref>[[Philip Birnbaum]], ''Encyclopedia of Jewish Concepts'', Hebrew Publishing Company, 1964, page 630</ref>
The term "Pentateuch" (Πεντάτευχος, literally "five cases"<ref>http://www.thefreedictionary.com/pentateuch, referring to the sheaths or boxes in which the separate scrolls were kept</ref>) is a Greek word used to refer to the "Five Books of Moses."<ref>[[Joseph H. Hertz|Rabbi Dr. Joseph Hertz]], ''The Pentateuch'', Soncino Press ISBN 0-900689-21-8</ref> The first known use of this term dates to ''[[circa]]'' 150-175 CE, and it is used by [[Origen]], [[Athanasius]], and [[Tertullian]], among others.<ref name="CE.pentateuch">{{cite web
|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11646c.htm|title=Pentateuch|publisher=New Advent|work=Catholic Encyclopedia|accessdate=2008-0711}}</ref> Christians may also use "Torah" as a synonym for the five books in any form, or may use it to mean specifically the Jewish Hebrew text or Jewish law in general. Jews may use "Pentateuch" to signify versions or translations of the Torah by non-Jews.
Islam refers to the Torah as "''[[Tawrat]]''", an Arabic word for the revelations given to Prophet Moses ([[Musa]] in Arabic).
== Authorship ==
=== Traditional attribution ===
{{main|Mosaic authorship}}
According to [[Moses Maimonides]], the 12th Century rabbi and philosopher, [[Mosaic authorship|Moses was the Torah's author]], receiving it from [[Names of God in Judaism|God]] either as divine inspiration or as direct dictation in the [[Hebrew calendar|Hebrew year]] 2449 (1313 BCE).<ref>Eighth and ninth principles of [[Maimonidies]]' 13 Principles, [[Artscroll]] Daily Siddur, page 75.</ref><ref>p.33, Kantor</ref> However, over the years several questions have arisen, one popular example being the record of [[Moses#Death of Moses|Moses' death]] in [[Deuteronomy]] 34. The [[Talmud]] explains this by saying that Moses wrote it in tears in anticipation of his death; another tradition is that [[Joshua]] added these words after Moses died (the next book is the [[Book of Joshua]] which, according to Jewish tradition, was written by Joshua himself), and that the final verses of the book of Deuteronomy read like an [[epitaph]] to Moses.
=== Academic analysis ===
{{main|Documentary hypothesis}}
Many contemporary secular biblical scholars date the completion of the Torah, as well as the prophets and the historical books, no earlier than the Persian period ([[539 BC|539]] to [[334 BCE]]).<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=9kxLOH5XaAMC&pg=PA33&ots=rVg7OTu3iS&dq=the+israelites+in+history+and+tradition&sig=qMcGZ0XnrBEqqEC_2e8rKrpiWUY#PPA33,M1 John Joseph Collins, "The Bible After Babel", (2005)]</ref> Those same scholars would ascribe to some version of the [[documentary hypothesis]], according to which the Torah comprises a combination of four distinct sources.<ref name ="Harris">[[Stephen L Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]], Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.</ref>
The "documentary hypothesis", initially proposed by [[Julius Wellhausen]] (1844-1918), states that the Pentateuch is composed of four separate and identifiable texts, dating roughly from the period of [[Solomon]] up until exilic priests and scribes. These various texts were brought together as one document (the Five Books of Moses of the Torah) by scribes after the exile.
* The [[Jahwist]] (or J) - written ''c'' 950 BCE.<ref name ="Harris">[[Stephen L Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]], Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.</ref> The southern kingdom's (i.e. Judah) interpretation. It is named according to the prolific use of the name "Yahweh" (or Jaweh, in German, the divine name or [[Tetragrammaton]]) in its text.
* The [[Elohist]] (or E) - written ''c'' 850 BCE.<ref name ="Harris">[[Stephen L Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]], Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.</ref> The northern kingdom's (i.e. Israel) interpretation. As above, it is named because of its preferred use of "Elohim" (Generic name any heathen god or deity in Hebrew).
* The [[Deuteronomist]] (or D) - written ''c'' 621-650 BCE.<ref name ="Harris">[[Stephen L Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]], Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.</ref> Dating specifically from the time of King Josiah of Judah and responsible for the book of Deuteronomy as well as Joshua and most of the subsequent books up to 2 Kings.
* The [[Priestly source]] (or P) - written during or after the exile, ''c'' 550-400 BCE.<ref name ="Harris">[[Stephen L Harris|Harris, Stephen L.]], Understanding the Bible. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985.</ref> So named because of its focus on Levitical laws.
There is debate amongst scholars as to exactly how many different documents compose the corpus of the Pentateuch, and as to what sections of text are included in the different documents.
==Production and use of a Torah scroll==
{{main|Sefer Torah}}
[[Manuscript]] Torah [[scroll]]s are still used, and still scribed, for ritual purposes (i.e. [[Jewish services|religious services]]); this is called a ''[[Sefer Torah]]'' ("Book [of] Torah"). They are written using a painstakingly careful methodology by highly qualified scribes. This has resulted in modern copies of the text that are unchanged from millennia old copies. The reason for such care is it is believed that every word, or marking, has divine meaning, and that not one part may be inadvertently changed lest it lead to error. The text of the Torah can also be found in books, which are mass-printed in the usual way for individual use, often containing both the Hebrew text and a translation in the language of publication. For more details on production of ritual scrolls, see the article [[Sefer Torah]].
Printed versions of the Torah in normal book form ([[codex]]) are known as a ''[[Humash|Chumash]]'' (plural Chumashim) ("[Book of] Five or Fifths"). They are treated as respected texts, but not anywhere near the level of sacredness accorded a Sefer Torah, which is often a major possession of a Jewish community. A Chumash contains the Torah and other writings, usually organized for liturgical use, and sometimes accompanied by some of the main classic commentaries on individual verses and word choices, for the benefit of the reader.
Torah scrolls are stored in the [[holy|holiest]] part of the [[synagogue]] in the [[Ark (synagogue)|Ark]] known as the "Holy Ark" (אֲרוֹן הקֹדשׁ ''aron hakodesh'' in Hebrew.) Aron in Hebrew means 'cupboard' or 'closet' and Kodesh is derived from 'Kadosh', or 'holy'.
==Structure==
{{Books of Torah}}
The [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] names of the five books of the Torah are taken from initial words of the first verse of each book.
# ''Bereshit'' (בראשית, literally "In the beginning")
# ''Shemot'' (שמות, literally "Names")
# ''Vayikra'' (ויקרא, literally "He called")
# ''Bamidbar'' (במדבר, literally "In the wilderness")
# ''Devarim'' (דברים, literally "Things")
For example, the Hebrew name of the first book, ''Bereshit'' is the first word of [[Genesis 1:1]].
The [[Anglicize]]d names are derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] and reflect the essential theme of each book:
# Genesis: "creation,"
# Exodus: "departure"
# Leviticus: refers to the [[Levites]] and the regulations that apply to their presence and service in the [[Temple]], which form the bulk of the third book.
# Numbers (''Arithmoi''): contains a record of the numbering of the Israelites in the wilderness of [[Sinai]] and later on the plain of [[Moab]].
# Deuteronomy: "second word," refers to the fifth book's recapitulation of the [[mitzvot|commandments]] reviewed by Moses before his death.
According to the classical Jewish belief, the stories in the Torah are not always in chronological order. Sometimes they are ordered by concept as per the rule ''Ein mukdam u'meuchar baTorah'', (אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה, "There is not 'earlier' and 'later' in the Torah").<ref>[[Talmud]] [[Pesachim]] 7a</ref> This belief is accepted by Orthodox Judaism. Non-Orthodox Jews generally understand the same texts as signs that the current text of the Torah was redacted from earlier sources (see [[documentary hypothesis]].)
===Contents===
'''[[Book of Genesis|Bereshit]]''' (Genesis) begins with the story of [[Creation (theology)|Creation]] (Genesis 1-3) and [[Adam (Bible)|Adam]] and [[Eve (Bible)|Eve]] in the [[Garden of Eden]], as well the account of their descendants. Following these are the accounts of [[Noah]] and the great flood (Genesis 3-9), and his descendants. The [[Tower of Babel]] and the story of ([[Abraham]])'s covenant with God (Genesis 10-11) are followed by the story of the patriarchs, Abraham, [[Isaac]], and [[Jacob]], and the life of [[Joseph (Hebrew Bible)|Joseph]] (Genesis 12-50). God gives to the [[Patriarchs (Bible)|Patriarchs]] a promise of the land of [[Canaan]], but at the end of Genesis the sons of Jacob end up leaving Canaan for Egypt because of a famine.
'''[[Exodus|Shemot]]''' (Exodus) is the story of [[Moses]], who leads Israelites out of Pharaoh's Egypt (Exodus 1-18) with a promise to take them to the promised land. On the way, they camp at [[Mount Sinai]]/Horeb where Moses receives the Torah, including the [[Ten Commandments]], from God, and mediates His laws and Covenant (Exodus 19-24) the people of Israel. Exodus also deals with the violation of the commandment against [[idolatry]] when [[Aaron]] took part in the construction of the [[Golden Calf]] (Exodus 32-34). Exodus concludes with the instructions on building the [[Tabernacle (Judaism)|Tabernacle]] (Exodus 25-31; 35-40).
'''[[Leviticus|Vayikra]]''' (Leviticus) begins with instructions to the Israelites on how to use the Tabernacle, which they had just built (Leviticus 1-10). This is followed by rules of clean and unclean (Leviticus 11-15), which includes the laws of slaughter and animals permissible to eat (see also: [[Kashrut]]), the [[Yom Kippur|Day of Atonement]] (Leviticus 16), and various moral and ritual laws sometimes called the [[Holiness Code]] (Leviticus 17-26).
'''[[Book of Numbers|Bamidbar]]''' (Numbers) takes two censuses where the number of Israelites are counted (Numbers 1-3, 26), and has many laws mixed among the narratives. The narratives tell how Israel consolidated itself as a community at Sinai (Numbers 1-9), set out from Sinai to move towards Canaan and spied out the land (Numbers 10-13). Because of unbelief at various points, but especially at Kadesh Barnea (Numbers 14), the Israelites were condemned to wander for forty years in the desert in the vicinity of Kadesh instead of immediately entering the land of promise. Even Moses sins and is told he would not live to enter the land (Numbers 20). At the end of Numbers (Numbers 26-35) Israel moves from the area of Kadesh towards the promised land. They leave the Sinai desert and go around Edom and through Moab where Balak and Balaam oppose them (Numbers 22-24; 31:8, 15-16). They defeat two Transjordan kings, Og and Sihon (Numbers 21), and so come to occupy some territory outside of Canaan. At the end of the book they are on the plains of Moab opposite [[Jericho]] ready to enter the Promised Land.
'''[[Deuteronomy|Devarim]]''' (Deuteronomy) consists primarily of a series of speeches by Moses on the plains of Moab opposite Jericho exhorting Israel to obey God and further instruction on His Laws. At the end of the book (Deuteronomy 34), Moses is allowed to see the promised land from a mountain, but it is not known what happened to Moses on the mountain. He was never seen again. Knowing that he is nearing the end of his life, Moses appoints [[Joshua]] his successor, bequeathing to him the mantle of leadership. Soon afterwards Israel begins the conquest of Canaan.
==Torah and observance==
===The Torah as the core of Judaism===
{{Judaism}}
The Torah is the primary document of [[Judaism]].
According to the Talmudic teachings the Torah was created 974 generations (2,000 years) before the world was created. It is the blueprint that God used to create the world. Everything created in this world is for the purpose of carrying out the word of the Torah, and that the foundation of all that the Jews believe in stems from the knowledge that the Lord is the God Who created the world. [[Rabbi]]nic writings offer various ideas on when the entire Torah was actually revealed to the Jewish people. The revelation to Moses at [[Mount Sinai]] is considered by many to be the most important revelatory event. According to dating of the text by Orthodox [[rabbi]]s this occurred in 1280 BC. Some rabbinic sources state that the entire Torah was given all at once at this event. In the maximalist belief, this dictation included not only the "quotes" which appear in the text, but every word of the text itself, including phrases such as "And God spoke to Moses...", and included God telling Moses about Moses' own death and what would happen afterward. Other classical rabbinic sources hold that the Torah was revealed to Moses over many years, and finished only at his death. Another school of thought holds that although Moses wrote the vast majority of the Torah, a number of sentences throughout the Torah must have been written after his death by another prophet, presumably Joshua. [[Abraham ibn Ezra]] and [[Joseph Bonfils]] observed that some phrases in the Torah present information that people should only have known after the time of Moses. Ibn Ezra hinted, and Bonfils explicitly stated, that Joshua (or perhaps some later prophet) wrote these sections of the Torah. Other rabbis would not accept this belief.
It is commonly believed within Judaism that had Israel been faithful to the God of Israel, the rest of the [[Tanakh]] or Old Testament would have been unnecessary. Much of the rest of the Old Testament concerns God's warnings and calling His people back to Himself. Thus the first five books are seen as unique and sufficient as the complete revelation from God, while the remainder of the [[Tanakh]] deals with Man's departure disobeying the Torah.
The [[Talmud]] (tractate Sabb. 115b) states that a peculiar section in the Book of Numbers (10:35 — 36, surrounded by inverted Hebrew letter nuns) in fact forms a separate book. On this verse a midrash on the book of Mishle (also called [[Book of Proverbs|Proverbs]]) states that "These two verses stem from an independent book which existed, but was suppressed!" Another (possibly earlier) midrash, Ta'ame Haserot Viyterot, states that this section actually comes from the book of prophecy of [[Apocalyptic literature#Book of Eldad and Modad|Eldad and Medad]]. The Talmud says that God dictated four books of the Torah, but that Moses wrote Deuteronomy in his own words ([[Talmud#Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud)|Talmud Bavli]], Meg. 31b). All classical beliefs, nonetheless, hold that the Torah was entirely or almost entirely Mosaic and of divine origin.
For more information on these issues from an Orthodox Jewish perspective, see ''Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah: Contributions and Limitations'', Ed. [[Shalom Carmy]], and ''Handbook of Jewish Thought'', Volume I, by [[Aryeh Kaplan]].
===Reverence and Respect===
[[Image:Toras in Istanbul Ashkenazi Sinagogue.JPG|160px|left|thumb|Torahs in [[Ashkenazi Synagogue]] ([[Istanbul]] ,[[Turkey]])]]
The Torah being the core of Judaism is naturally also the core of the synagogue. As such the Torah is "dressed" often with a sash, various ornaments and a crown (customs vary from synagogue to synagogue and denomination to denomination). Congregants also traditionally stand when the Torah is brought to be read.
===The divine meaning of individual words and letters===
{{see|Kabbalah}}
The Rabbis hold that not only are the words giving a Divine message, but indicate a far greater message that extends beyond them. Thus they hold that even as small a mark as a ''kotzo shel yod'' (קוצו של יוד), the [[serif]] of the Hebrew letter ''[[Yodh|yod]]'' (י), the smallest letter, or decorative markings, or repeated words, were put there by God to teach scores of lessons. This is regardless of whether that yod appears in the phrase "I am the Lord thy God" (אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, Exodus 20:2) or whether it appears in "And God spoke unto Moses saying" (וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹהִים, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אֲנִי יְהוָה. Exodus 6:2). In a similar vein, [[Rabbi Akiva]], who died in [[135|135 CE]], is said to have learned a new law from every ''et'' (את) in the Torah ([[Talmud]], tractate Pesachim 22b); the word ''et'' is meaningless by itself, and serves only to mark the [[accusative case]]. In other words, the [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] belief is that even apparently contextual text "And God spoke unto Moses saying..." is no less important than the actual statement.
One [[Kabbalah|kabbalistic]] interpretation is that the Torah constitutes one long name of God, and that it was broken up into words so that human minds can understand it. While this is effective since it accords with our human reason, it is not the only way that the text can be broken up.
The [[Biblical Hebrew language]] is sometimes referred to as "the flame alphabet" because many devout Jews believe that the Torah is the literal word of God written in fire.
===Biblical law===
{{seealso|Biblical law}}
Besides the narrative, the Torah also contains statements or principles of law and ethics. Collectively these laws, usually called [[biblical law]] or commandments, are sometimes referred to as the '''Law of Moses''' (''Torat Moshe'' {{hbrttav}}{{hbrholamm}}{{hbrresh}}{{hbrpatah}}{{hbrtav}}{{hbrmaqaf}}{{hbrmem}}{{hbrholam}}{{hbrshin.}}{{hbrsegol}}{{hbrhe}}), '''Mosaic Law''' or simply '''the Law'''.
===The Torah and the Oral Law===
{{see also|Oral Torah}}
Many Jewish laws are not directly mentioned in the Torah, but are derived from textual hints, which were expanded orally. This was called the [[oral tradition]] or [[oral Torah]].
Rabbinic tradition holds that the written Torah was transmitted in parallel with the oral tradition. Jews point to texts of the Torah, where many words and concepts are left undefined and many procedures are mentioned without explanation or instructions; the reader is required to seek out the missing details from the oral sources. Many times in the Torah it says ''that/as you are/were shown on the mountain'' in reference of how to do a commandment ({{bibleverse||Exodus|25:40|HE}}).
There are numerous examples of biblical commandments which are either too ambiguous or documented in such a concise fashion that proper adherence is absolutely impossible without the details provided by the oral tradition.<ref>Rietti, Rabbi Jonathan. The Oral Law: The Heart of The Torah, [http://jewishinspiration.com/tape.php?tape_id=33]</ref>
*[[Tefillin]]: As indicated in Deuteronomy 6:8 among other places, tefillin are to be placed on the arm and on the head between the eyes. However, there are no details provided regarding what tefillin are or how they are to be constructed.
*[[Kosher]] laws: As indicated in Exodus 23:19 among other places, a kid may not be boiled in its mother's milk. In addition to numerous other problems with understanding the ambiguous nature of this law, there are no vowelization characters in the Torah; they are provided by the oral tradition. This is particularly relevant to this law, as the Hebrew word for ''milk'' is identical to the word for ''fat'' when vowels are absent. Without the oral tradition, it is not known whether the violation is in mixing meat with milk or with fat.
*[[Shabbos]] laws: With the severity of Sabbath violation, namely the death penalty, one would assume that direction would be provided as to how exactly such a serious and core commandment should be upheld. However, there is little to no information as to what can and cannot be performed on the Sabbath. Without the oral tradition, keeping this law would be impossible.
According to classical rabbinic texts this parallel set of material was originally transmitted to Moses at Sinai, and then from Moses to Israel. At that time it was forbidden to write and publish the oral law, as any writing would be incomplete and subject to misinterpretation and abuse.
However, after exile, dispersion and persecution, this tradition was lifted when it became apparent that in writing was the only way to ensure that the Oral Law could be preserved. After many years of effort by a great number of [[tannaim]], the oral tradition was written down around [[200|200 CE]] by Rabbi [[Judah haNasi]] who took up the compilation of a nominally written version of the Oral Law, the [[Mishnah]]. Other oral traditions from the same time period not entered into the Mishnah were recorded as "Baraitot" (external teaching), and the [[Tosefta]]. Other traditions were written down as [[Midrashim]].
Over the next four centuries this small, ingenious record of laws and ethical teachings provided the necessary signals and codes to allow the continuity of the same Mosaic Oral traditions to be taught and passed on in Jewish communities scattered across both of the world's major Jewish communities, (from [[Israel]] to [[Babylon]]).
After continued persecution more of the Oral Law had to be committed to writing. A great many more lessons, lectures and traditions only alluded to in the few hundred pages of Mishnah, became the thousands of pages now called the ''[[Gemara]]''. Gemara is Aramaic, having been compiled in Babylon. The Mishnah and Gemara together are called the [[Talmud]]. The Rabbis in Israel also collected their traditions and compiled them into the [[Jerusalem Talmud]]. Since the greater number of Rabbis lived in Babylon, the Babylonian Talmud has precedence should the two be in conflict.
Orthodox Jews and Conservative Jews accept these texts as the basis for all subsequent halakha and codes of Jewish law, which are held to be normative. Reform and Reconstructionist Jews deny that these texts may be used for determining normative law (laws accepted as binding) but accept them as the authentic and only Jewish version of understanding the Bible and its development throughout history. (Reform and Reconstructionist, although they reject Jewish law as normative, do not accept the religious texts of any other faith.)
<!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Maurice_Ascalon_Torah_Crown.jpg|150px|thumb|The ''Sefer Torah'', or Torah scroll, is often adorned with a decorative Torah crown (such as this silver example circa 1950) which signifies its sacred and holy nature.]] -->
===Comparative religions===
{{see|Biblical law in Christianity}}
In [[early Christianity]] a [[Koine Greek]] version of the [[Hebrew Bible]], called in Latin the [[Septuagint]] was used, and as the Pentateuch, forms the beginning of the [[Old Testament]] that incorporate the Torah into the Christian [[Biblical canon]] that also includes some books not found in the [[Tanakh]].<ref>p.317, DeSilva</ref> Though different Christian denominations have slightly [[Development of the Old Testament canon|different versions]] of the Old Testament in their Bibles, the Torah as the "Five Books of Moses" (or "the Law") are common to them all.
{{see|Islam and Judaism}}
[[Islam]] draws heavily upon the Torah for Islamic concepts, teachings, and history of the early World.<ref>p.123, Wheeler</ref> from which it also derives that it is descended from Abraham's first son [[Ishmael]], the half-brother of [[Isaac]].
The Muslims call the Torah, ''[[Tawrat]]'' which is still believed by Muslims to be the word of [[God in Islam|Allah]] given to Moses. However, Muslims also believe that this original revelation was corrupted (''[[tahrif]]'') over time by Jewish scribes<ref>[http://www.ahmed-deedat.co.za/bible/07.html Is the Bible God's Word] by Sheikh Ahmed Deedat</ref> and hence do not revere the present Jewish version Torah as much. A number of verses from the Qur'an are claimed to refer to Muhammed as the promised prophet of Islam to be found in the Torah. <ref>{{cite quran|7|157|end=158|style=ref}}, {{cite quran|7|144|end=144|expand=no|style=ref}}</ref> The originally revealed, but never seen Torah in the Qur'an is always mentioned with respect in Islam. The Muslims' belief in the Torah, as well as the Prophethood of Moses, is one of the [[Six articles of belief|fundamental tenets]] of Islam.
==See also==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* [[Moses in rabbinic literature]]
* [[Islamic view of Moses]]
* [[Torah reading]]
* [[Parsha]]
* [[List of burial places of biblical figures]]
{{col-2}}
* [[Samaritan Pentateuch]]
* [[Judeo-Christian tradition]]
* [[Christianity and Judaism]]
* [[Hexapla]]
* [[Heptateuch]]
{{col-end}}
==Citations and notes==
{{Reflist|3}}
==References==
* Kantor, Mattis, ''The Jewish time line encyclopedia: A yearby-year history from Creation to the present'', Jason Aronson Inc., London, 1992
* Wheeler, Brannon M., ''Moses in the Quran and Islamic Exegesis'', Routledge, 2002
* DeSilva, David Arthur, ''An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry'', InterVarsity Press, 2004
* Alcalay, Reuben., ''The Complete Hebrew - English dictionary'', vol 2, Hemed Books, New York, 1996 ISBN 978-9654481793
* Scherman, Nosson, (ed.), Tanakh, Vol.I, The Torah, (Stone edition), Mesorah Publications, Ltd., New York, 2001
* Heschel, Abraham Joshua, Tucker, Gordon & Levin, Leonard, ''Heavenly Torah: As Refracted Through the Generations'', London, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2005
==Further reading==
{{Wikisourcepar|Tanakh}}
* [[Robert Alter]], ''The Five Books of Moses''. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004.
* Shalom Carmy, Ed. ''Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah: Contributions and Limitations'', [[Jason Aronson]], Inc., 1996.
* Charles B. Chavel, ''Ramban: Commentary on the Torah''. 5 vols. New York: Shilo Publishing House, Inc., 1971.
* A. Cohen, ''The Soncino Chumash''. London: Soncino Press, 1956.
* [[William G. Dever]], ''Who Were the Early Israelites?''. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2003.
* Harvey J. Fields, ''A Torah Commentary for Our Times''. 3 vols. New York: Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1998. ISBN 0-8074-0530-2
* [[Israel Finkelstein]] & [[Neil Asher Silberman|Neil A. Silberman]], ''The Bible Unearthed''. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001. ISBN 0-684-86912-8
* [[Everett Fox]], ''The Five Books of Moses''. Dallas: Word Publishing, 1995.
* [[Richard Elliott Friedman]], ''Commentary on the Torah''. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2003. ISBN 0-06-050717-9
* J.H. Hertz, ''The Pentateuch and Haftorahs''. London: Soncino Press, 1985.
* [[Samson Raphael Hirsch]], Isaac Levy (Editor), ''The Pentateuch''. 7 vols. London: Judaica Press, 1999.
* [[Aryeh Kaplan]], ''Handbook of Jewish Thought'', Volume I, Moznaim Pub.
* [[Lawrence Kushner]] & Kerry M. Olitzky, ''Sparks Beneath the Surface; A Spiritual Commentary on the Torah''. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, 1992. ISBN 1-56821-016-7
* David Lieber, ''Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary''. Philadelphia: [[Jewish Publication Society]], 2001. (a [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] standard)
* [[Nechama Leibowitz|Nehama Leibowitz]], ''New Studies in the Weekly Sidra''. 7 vols. Jerusalem: Hemed Press.
* Elie Munk, ''The Call of the Torah: An Anthology of Interpretation and Commentary on the Five Books of Moses''. 5 vols. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications Ltd., 1994.
* [[Gunther Plaut|W. Gunther Plaut]], Bernard Bamberger, William W. Hallo, ''The Torah: A Modern Commentary''. New York: Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1981. (a [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] standard)
* Jean-Marc Rouvière, ''Brèves méditations sur la création du monde'', L'Harmattan Paris 2006
* [[Nahum M. Sarna]] & [[Chaim Potok]] (Editors), ''JPS Torah Commentary''. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996. ISBN 0-8276-0331-2
* Nosson Scherman, ''The Chumash: Stone Edition of the Artscroll Chumash''. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications Ltd., 1994.
==External links==
{{commonscat|Torah}}
{{Wiktionary|Pentateuch}}
*[http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/145402/jewish/The-Torah.htm The Torah]
*[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=265&letter=T&search=Torah Jewish Encyclopedia: Torah]
*[http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/63255/jewish/The-Bible-with-Rashi.htm The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with Rashi]
*[http://www.torah.org Torah.Org]
* Rebbi [[Adin Steinsaltz]] [http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/realmedia/moses/steinsaltz.ram talks about the Torah] to [[BBC]]
*[http://www.berachot.org Your Complete Guide to Brochos]
*[http://www.yutorah.org YUTorah, Torah archive of Yeshiva University]
*ParshaParts [http://www.parshaparts.com/ Weekly Parsha commentaries in English]
*[http://www.iAwaken.org iAwaken.org - Where Torah & Modern Life Meet, Over 1000 Life Changing Lessons]
{{Jews and Judaism}}
[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Hebrew words and phrases]]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible topics]]
[[Category:Torah| ]]
[[Category:Jewish texts]]
[[Category:Moses]]
[[Category:Biblical phrases]]
[[Category:Islam and other religions]]
[[Category:12th century BC works]]
[[af:Torah]]
[[ar:توراة]]
[[az:Tövrat]]
[[bn:তৌরাত]]
[[zh-min-nan:Mô͘-se Gō͘ Keng]]
[[br:Torah]]
[[ca:La Torà]]
[[cs:Tóra]]
[[da:Tora]]
[[de:Tora]]
[[el:Τορά]]
[[et:Toora]]
[[es:Torá]]
[[eo:Leĝo de Moseo]]
[[eu:Tora]]
[[fa:تورات]]
[[fr:Torah]]
[[fur:Torah]]
[[ga:Tóra]]
[[ko:토라]]
[[id:Taurat]]
[[is:Torah]]
[[it:Torah]]
[[he:תורה]]
[[ka:თორა]]
[[ku:Tewrat]]
[[lv:Tora]]
[[lt:Tora]]
[[hu:Tóra]]
[[ms:Taurat]]
[[nl:Thora]]
[[ja:モーセ五書]]
[[no:Tora]]
[[nn:Torá]]
[[oc:Torà]]
[[pl:Tora]]
[[pt:Torá]]
[[ro:Torah]]
[[ru:Тора]]
[[sq:Torah]]
[[scn:Torah]]
[[simple:Torah]]
[[sk:Tóra]]
[[sr:Тора]]
[[fi:Toora]]
[[sv:Torah]]
[[th:โตราห์]]
[[tr:Tevrat]]
[[ur:توریت]]
[[yi:תורה]]
[[zh:摩西五经]]