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In Judaism
What is the Torah?
The term Torah (Hebrew: תּ×ֹרָ×, "Instruction"), also known as thePentateuch, refers to the Five Books of Moses - which is Judaism'sfounding legal and eth…ical religious text. A "Sefer Torah" (סֵפֶרתּ×ֹרָ×, "book of Torah") or Torah scroll is a copy of the Torahwritten on parchment in a formal, traditional manner by a speciallytrained scribe under strict requirements. The Torah is the first of the three parts of the Tanakh (HebrewBible), the founding religious document of Judaism, and is dividedinto five books, whose names in English are Genesis, Exodus,Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, in reference to their themes.Their Hebrew names, Beresheet, ×ר×ש×ת, Shmot ש××ת, Vayikra ××קר×,Bamidbar ××××ר, and Dvarim ××ר××, are derived from the wording oftheir initial verses. The Torah contains a variety of literarycontent, including allegory, historical narrative, poetry,genealogy, and the exposition of various types of law. According torabbinic tradition, the Torah contains the 613 mitzvot (×צ××ת,"commandments"), which are divided into 365 restrictions and 248positive commands. In rabbinic literature, the word "Torah" denotes both the writtentext, "Torah Shebichtav" (ת××¨× ×©××ת×, "Torah that is written"), aswell as an oral tradition, "Torah Shebe'al Peh" (ת××¨× ×©××¢× ×¤×,"Torah that is oral"). The oral portion consists of the"traditional interpretations and amplifications handed down by wordof mouth from generation to generation," now embodied in the Talmudand Midrash. According to Jewish tradition the Torah was revealed by God toMoses in 1312 BCE at Mount Sinai (another date given for this eventis 1280 BCE). The Zohar, the most significant text in Jewishmysticism, states that God knew the Torah prior to the creation ofthe world, and that He used it as the blueprint for Creation.Modern biblical scholars see no signs of Mosaic authorship, butindications of much later writing. Outside of its central significance in Judaism, the Torah isaccepted also by Christianity as part of the Bible, comprising thefirst five books of the Old Testament. The various denominations ofJews and Christians hold a diverse spectrum of views regarding theexactitude of scripture. The Torah has also been accepted tovarying degrees by the Samaritans. Answer: The Torah (ת×ר×) , also called the Pentateuch, isthe primary Jewish holy book. It is comprised of the 5 Books ofMoses (also called the Books of the Law). The Torah was given byGod to Moses (Exodus 24:12), who transmitted it to the people andwrote it (Deuteronomy 31:24). 1-5: The Torah, or Five Books of Moses: ⢠Beresheet (Genesis) ⢠Shemot (Exodus) ⢠VaYikra (Leviticus) ⢠BaMidbar (Numbers) ⢠Devarim (Deuteronomy) (MORE)
