Why is the Torah scroll so important?

Answer 1

The Torah scroll is the written text of Jewish Law given by God to Moses (Exodus 24:12), to provide knowledge, guidance, inspiration, awe and reverence, advice, law, comfort, history and more. It is the basis of Judaism.

The Torah is a source of national pride for us (see Deuteronomy 4:6-8). It increases our reverence towards God; crystallizes, strengthens and codifies our beliefs; ensures our awareness and knowledge of our history; and provides powerful impetus to be ethical.

It makes us stand in awe of God, while also providing optimism and comfort through the prophecies of redemption. It inspires us to strive for holiness and informs us how to pray and to approach God's presence. To the wider world, the Torah provided the traditions of Monotheism and the Ten Commandments.
The Torah is egalitarian and values all individuals, both men and women. The wealthy have no privileges; and the poor are valued, treated well and their opinions listened to. (Compare this to those societies in which only mature, land-owning males had any legal status.)
Judaism applied laws, and rules of moral behavior, to all its members equally. The laws of Moses form much of Western legal background.
Quote:
"I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation ... fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations" (John Adams, 2nd President of the United States).
"Certainly, the world without the Jews would have been a radically different place. Humanity might have eventually stumbled upon all the Jewish insights, but we cannot be sure. All the great conceptual discoveries of the human intellect seem obvious and inescapable once they had been revealed, but it requires a special genius to formulate them for the first time. The Jews had this gift. To them we owe the idea of equality before the law, both Divine and human; of the sanctity of life and the dignity of human person; of the individual conscience and of collective conscience, and social responsibility" (Paul Johnson, Christian historian, author of A History of the Jews and A History of Christianity).

Answer 2

We use the Torah scroll because God has commanded us to learn and teach it (Deuteronomy ch.11) and to keep its commands (Deuteronomy ch.11). See also:

What is the purpose of the Torah?

Answer 3

It is the foundation of all Jewish thought, law, and philosophy. It is the life of the Jewish people, even for those who view it with modern interpretation. It is the one source that binds Jews of all denominations together.

Answer 4

The Torah scroll is the Jews holy book and they see it as gods words.

Answer 5

It is the words of God (Exodus 24:12), which we're commanded to learn, to teach (Deuteronomy ch.11) and to fulfill (ibid).

Answer 6

as a sign of respect and adoration of the Torah, it is treated like a king.

Answer 7

Because there is a tradition that it must be written on the skin of a kosher animal.

Answer 8

Because it contains the words of God.