Torah

Torah (Hebrew: תּוֹרָה, meaning "teaching" or "law") is the most important book in Judaism. When used strictly, the term refers to the five books that form the beginning of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This section is also known as the Pentateuch (Greek: "five scrolls") or the Five Books of Torah.

When used more broadly, Torah refers to all Jewish religious teaching, including the oral traditions (Torah she-be-al peh) preserved in the Mishnah and Talmud. In Islam, the term "Torah" refers to the book given to Moses, and it is mentioned in the Quran as one of the scriptures that are held to be authentic.

Contents of the five books

Genesis recounts creation, the family of Adam, Noah's flood, and the history of the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Exodus describes the departure from Egypt and the covenant at Mount Sinai. Leviticus emphasizes the laws of sacrifice and purity. Numbers recounts the journey through the wilderness. Deuteronomy consists of speeches delivered by Moses before entering the land.

Use in worship

In the synagogue (the Jewish place of worship), the Torah is written by hand on a parchment scroll called a Sefer Torah. A specially trained scribe called a sofer writes it with a particular quill that has no decorative marks. The scroll is read continuously on worship days, with the text divided into weekly portions (parashot) that are completed over the course of one year.

Questions of origin

Traditional Jewish and Christian practice attributes the writing of the Torah to the prophet Moses. Modern scholars of biblical history have proposed that it comprises multiple sources from different periods combined together; the most widely held view is the "documentary hypothesis." Scholarly debate about the actual date of composition remains unresolved.