Meaning and Definition of Torah | Concept and What is.
What is the Torah?
The Torah, also known as the law of Moses, is the most important document of the Jewish religion, which is written in Hebrew. The Torah comprises the first five books of the Bible (Pentateuch): Genesis, exodus, Leviticus, numbers, and Deuteronomy. These books contain the 613 commandments of the Jews, as well as the history of the beginnings of this religion. According to the Jewish view, the stories told in this document, are in one conceptual order more than chronological.
According to the Jewish view the contents of the Torah were revealed by God to Moses on Mount Sinai around the year 1280 b.c. According to historians, this was written between the fifth centuries b.c. and b.c. There are various interpretations by Jews about the time in which was revealed the Holy Book. The most radical view, believes that the Torah was revealed verbatim Moses Word-by-Word. The classical view, holds that it was revealed by God to the Patriarch throughout his life. Another view holds that it was written by Moses, and that it was subsequently continued by Joshua, who was the Deputy Commander of Moses. Despite all these interpretations, there is the coincidence in the people of Jewish religion in which the Torah is of divine origin. It is interesting to also expose the cabalistic vision, which holds that this work constitutes one long name of God, and that it was broken down into words, so that men might understand it.
Genesis, the first book of the Torah, recounts the beginning of the creation of the world by God, through the story of Abraham, even when the Israelites settled Egypt. The exodus, the second book, recounts the output of the Jewish people to the land of the Pharaoh, God's Covenant with the people of Israel, and the tables of the law. Subsequently the Leviticus relates details of rituals, worship God, and other laws that Jews must comply. The book of numbers, is a historical tale which tells the amount of present Israelites, going from Mount Sinai to the Moab, and transactions made on the plains of the Moab before crossing the Jordan River. Finally the Deuteronomy tells three speeches that were revealed by God to Moses before his death, when even the Israelites were not established in the promised land. The first of these discourses, emphasizes the meaning of obedience to God. The second, aimed at the way in which the Jews in Canaan, the promised land should behave. The third relates the faith that the people must be with God, for being rewarded with blessings in posterity.
The way in which the Torah is written is in paper rolls. Precisely because of this form of writing, its content has reached our days full. The reason of this care in preserving the originality, is the belief that each contained Word has a divine origin. It is also common to find the contents of the Torah in books for individual use, containing both the original Hebrew text, and its translation into the native language of the reader (Spanish, English, French, etc.). Despite the foregoing, the Torah rolls (Sefer Torah), is really holy to the Jewish community. It is saved in the Ark, the holiest part of the synagogue.
Translated for educational purposes.
