Jewish torah in english

Author: e | 2025-04-25

Jewish Holidays TheRebbe.org Chabad.org Video ChabadU Audio Classes News Torah Texts The Jewish Woman Jewish Kids. Features an English translation of the entire Tanakh (Jewish Bible) with Rashi's commentary. In this Book. Torah

English Torah - Read the Jewish Torah in English

When most people think of Torah, they likely think of the Five Books of Moses (also known as the Pentateuch): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These five books together form the first and most sacred third of the Jewish Bible, the Tanakh. In synagogues throughout the world, they are written in quill on a parchment scroll attached to wooden rollers (this scroll used for ritual purposes is called a sefer torah) and housed in the holy ark on the wall of the sanctuary that faces Jerusalem.But the word “Torah” has many other meanings as well. It refers not just to the five books of Moses but also to all of Tanakh, and it sometimes is used to refer also to the Talmud and other rabbinic writings (known as the Oral Torah). Torah can also mean Jewish teachings writ large.What is the difference between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah? Find out! Support My Jewish Learning Help us keep Jewish knowledge accessible to millions of people around the world.Your donation to My Jewish Learning fuels endless journeys of Jewish discovery. With your help, My Jewish Learning can continue to provide nonstop opportunities for learning, connection and growth. In ancient times, the word “torah” wasn’t a proper noun at all, or even necessarily a Jewish word — it was simply a Hebrew word that meant instruction and could refer to something as simple as a parent’s directive to a child.For the purposes of this article, we will capitalize Torah when it refers to the Five Books of Moses, and leave it in lowercase when it does not designate those specific books and instead refers, for instance, to a specific instruction.What the Word Torah MeansThe Hebrew word torah literally means direction or instruction. The root, yod-resh-hey (ירה), originally likely meant to throw or shoot an arrow. The noun torah is rendered in a causative conjugation, which is just a way of saying that it literally means to cause something (or someone) to move straight and true. A torah is therefore something that directs, having connotations of offering strong and virtuous guidance.Beyond Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of the Torah, has two Hebrew names: Sefer Devarim, short for (Sefer) ve’eleh hadevarim, “(The Book of) ‘These are the words,'” taken from its opening phrase; and Mishneh Torah, “Repetition of the Torah” (source of English “Deuteronomy”), taken from Deuteronomy 17:18. It consists of five retrospective discourses and poems that Moses addressed to Israel in Moab shortly before his death (Deuteronomy 1:6‑4:43, 4:44‑28:69, 29‑30, 32, 33), plus two narratives about his final acts (Deuteronomy 31, 34). The book’s core is the second discourse, in which Moses conveys laws that the people commissioned him to receive from God at Mount Sinai 40 years earlier.Read the full text of Deuteronomy in Hebrew and English on Sefaria.Exclusive Loyalty to GodSeveral themes in Deuteronomy stand out. Among the Torah‘s books, it is the most vigorous and clear advocate of monotheism and of the ardent, exclusive loyalty that Israel owes God (Deuteronomy 4:32‑40, 6:4‑5). It emphasizes God’s love, justice, and transcendence.This book stresses the covenant between God and Israel, summed up in Deuteronomy 26:16‑19. Established with the patriarchs, affirmed at Sinai and in Moab, it is to be reaffirmed as soon as Israel enters its land (Deuteronomy 4:31, 5:2, 28:69, 27). Support My Jewish Learning Help us keep Jewish knowledge accessible to millions of people around the world.Your donation to My Jewish Learning fuels endless journeys of Jewish discovery. With your help, My Jewish Learning can continue to provide nonstop opportunities for learning, connection and growth. Life in the Land of IsraelDeuteronomy looks toward Israel’s life in the land of Israel, where a society pursuing justice and righteousness, living in harmony with God and enjoying His bounty, can be established (Deuteronomy 4:5‑8, 7:12‑13). The promise of this land is conditional (Deuteronomy 11:8‑9, 21); Israel’s welfare depends on maintaining a society governed by God’s social and religious laws. These laws are a divine gift to Israel, unparalleled in their justice and their ability to secure God’s closeness (Deuteronomy 4:5‑8). The Torah’s humanitarianism is most developed in Deuteronomy’s concern for the welfare of the poor and disadvantaged.Centralized WorshipDeuteronomy proclaims the unique rule that sacrifice may take place only in the religious capital, in a single sanctuary (Deuteronomy 12). Its aim is to spiritualize religion by freeing it from excessive dependence on sacrifice and priesthood. It urges instead studying God’s law and performing rituals that teach reverent love for Him. These teachings probably laid the groundwork for nonsacrificial, synagogue-based worship.Deuteronomy’s Appeal to WisdomDeuteronomy has a strong intellectual orientation. It urges all Israelites to study God’s laws. Its style is didactic and sermonic, explaining the meaning of events and the purpose of laws, to secure Israel’s willing, understanding assent.Deuteronomy and JudaismDeuteronomy strongly influenced

Jewish Leadership in the Torah and Beyond - Torah Live

Hebrew is the language of the Bible, Jewish prayer and — since the early 20th century — a modern language spoken in Israel. Below are seven important things to know about this storied language.1) The Alphabet (Called the Aleph-Bet) Has 22 Letters.There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet (commonly referred to as the aleph-bet, after the first two letters, aleph and bet). In addition, the language includes five final letters: When the letters khaf, mem, nun, pey, and tzade are the last letters of a word, they are written differently.2) It’s Related to Arabic and Aramaic — and Originally Had No Vowels.Hebrew is a Semitic language — like Arabic and Aramaic — and like most ancient Semitic languages its alphabet has no vowels. However, sometime between the middle and end of the first millennium, rabbis known as the Masoretes instituted a system of dots and dashes to indicate how words were to be pronounced. Torah scrolls and most contemporary Hebrew writing are still written without vowels.3) It’s Read from Right to Left.Unlike English, Hebrew is read and written from right to left. There are numerous types of Hebrew script. The most familiar is the block letters used in Torah scrolls and most printed texts. This was originally referred to as ktav ashuri, or Assyrian script. It is contrasted with ktav ivri, which was an earlier script probably used until a few hundred years prior to the Common Era. In addition, there is a cursive script for Hebrew, as well as a script named after the medieval commentator Rashi, which was used in Rashi’s works on the Bible and Talmud, as well as in other texts. Support My Jewish Learning Help us keep Jewish knowledge accessible to millions of people around the world.Your donation to My Jewish Learning fuels endless. Jewish Holidays TheRebbe.org Chabad.org Video ChabadU Audio Classes News Torah Texts The Jewish Woman Jewish Kids. Features an English translation of the entire Tanakh (Jewish Bible) with Rashi's commentary. In this Book. Torah

The Torah - Jewish Publication Society

Later Jewish tradition. The core of Jewish worship is the recitation of the (6:4) and the public reading of the Torah (rooted in 31: 11). Also based on Deuteronomy are the duty of blessing God after meals (Birkat Hamazon, Deuteronomy 8:10), Kiddush [a prayer of sanctification] on Shabbat (Deuteronomy 5:12), affixing mezuzahs (also known as mezuzot) to doorposts, wearing tefillin (phylacteries) (Deuteronomy 6:8‑9, 11:18, 20) and tzitzit (fringes) (Deuteronomy 22:12), and charity to the poor (e.g., Deuteronomy 15:8).Deuteronomy is the source of the concept that religious life should be based on a sacred book and its study. As the biblical book that deals most explicitly with beliefs and attitudes, it plays a major role in Jewish theology. In the theological‑ethical introduction of his digest of Jewish law, the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides cites Deuteronomy more than any other book, starting with the command to believe in God and Him alone.Deuteronomy’s effect on Jewish life cannot be overstated. No idea has shaped Jewish history more than monotheism, which this book asserts so passionately.Excerpted with the permission of the Rabbinical Assembly from Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary (© 2001 by The Rabbinical Assembly, published by the Jewish Publication Society ). Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Jewish wisdom & discovery in your inbox We are glad to offer a Bible created for American Jews that could not read the Bible in Hebrew. Download freely on your phone or tablet this English version of the Tanakh: the JPS 1917, the renowned English translation of the Tanakh.The term "Tanach” is derived as an acronym of the first Hebrew letter of each of the three great divisions of the Jewish text: Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim (Books of the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings)Enjoy the Hebrew Bible with unique functionalities:1) COMPLETELY FREEDownload your English translation of the entire Tanakh for free. Compatible with Android devices.2) OFFLINEYou can absolutely use it without WI-FI service. 3) AUDIO BIBLERead or listen to the Holy Word every day on your smartphone!4) PERSONALIZE YOUR TANAKH- Copy, send and share verses- Bookmark your favorite verses- Create and organize a favorites list- Add your own notes- Ability to increase/decrease the font- Switch into night mode to a high-quality reading- Go back to the last verse read- Keyword researchList of books of the Tanakh:1- Torah or books of the Law includes the five books of the Torah, which, according to traditions, were revealed directly by God to Moses on Mount Sinai: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. 2- Nevi'im (the book of the Prophets) that includes Isaiah, Jeremias, Ezekiel, the twelve Minor Prophets, Josue, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings.3-Ketuvim (The writings) that includes the great book of poems, the Psalms, and Proverbs, Joseph, Esther; Songs of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles.

The Torah - My Jewish Learning

Peace Forest just outside of Jerusalem, he also sponsored the creation of over three hundred small libraries throughout Israel including portable units for the IDF, collections for the Ethiopian community, and a Spanish language branch. Donations were also made to the national library as well as social science, neighbourhood, history, and holocaust libraries.In 1993 the Yosef Wosk Computer Center was established at the Bostoner Yeshiva in Har Nof, Jerusalem, and 2001 saw the dedication of the Yosef Wosk Children's Synagogue Library at Shalva in Jerusalem, an organization for mentally and physically handicapped children and their caregivers.Beyond his activism within galleries, museums, schools, gardens, hospitals and social services, Wosk as been active in the literary realm. He first made his mark in 1973 when he wrote and published "A Journey to the Heart of Tradition" in Hartman's Yeshiva Bulletin (Jerusalem: Israel Torah Research Institute 1973).As a religious philosopher, he subsequently edited Petach: A Journal of Thought and Reflection, Israel Torah Research Institute: The Shapell College Center for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem (1973-75), contributing "Torah Revelation: Then as Now,"; Petach: A Journal of Thought and Reflection of The College of Jewish Studies, Israel Torah Research Institute, Vol. ii, p. 49-72, Jerusalem (1975), as well as "Can you say where I am and where I am not? Creation has arrived-it inhabits the universe,"; Petach: A Journal of Thought and Reflection of The College of Jewish Studies, Israel. Torah Research Institute, Vol. i, p. 75-79, Jerusalem (1974)Other publications include:"Research Analysis Regarding the Publication of the

The Torah – from a Messianic Jewish

Result of their faith, have become zealous for the Torah when, before salvation, they didn’t even know what the Torah was. The important point is that James is connecting faith in Yeshua with zealousness for the Torah and presenting it as something perfectly natural; and with this zealousness came a determination to obey God. But this also presents a problem because rumors have reached Jerusalem that Paul has been teaching the Diaspora Jews to NOT obey God. Specifically the issue of circumcision once again pops-up. The rumors say that Paul has not only been teaching against the requirement set down by Moses for male circumcision, but also that Paul told the Believing Jews of the Diaspora that they could cease obeying Jewish customs. Let me be clear: the passage says that even though Paul told James in detail about what had been happening with the gentiles he was evangelizing, the rumors against Paul were NOT about these gentiles; rather they were about the Jews Paul was dealing with. Therefore for Jews, adherence to Jewish customs and traditions was a significant issue, but it really didn’t trouble them very much about whatever the gentiles did or didn’t do. Our CJB uses the word “traditions” instead of “customs” (as we find in most Bibles) and that is certainly the better translation from the Jewish perspective of the timeframe of when this passage was written. To gentile Christian ears this basically sounds like an accusation that Paul isn’t obeying the Biblical laws of Moses; but that really isn’t it. We’ve discussed on numerous occasions that Jewish law ( Halakhah ) was the root of religious authority and lifestyle in Judaism. And Jewish law was a fusion of the Biblical laws of Moses along with Traditions that had been developed in the synagogue, and then generously peppered with ancient cultural customs of the Jewish people. Just as in Christianity whereby to the minds of average Christians there is no discernable difference between a Church doctrine, a Church tradition, and the Holy Scriptures, so in the minds of average Jews there is no discernable difference between a Jewish Tradition, a Jewish custom, and the Biblical Laws of Moses. In both religions it is assumed that the doctrines and Traditions decided by their religious authorities accurately reflect the meaning and intent of the Bible. So the thought is that if you are following a Tradition or. Jewish Holidays TheRebbe.org Chabad.org Video ChabadU Audio Classes News Torah Texts The Jewish Woman Jewish Kids. Features an English translation of the entire Tanakh (Jewish Bible) with Rashi's commentary. In this Book. Torah

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This week’s parsha sets out the Torah holiday calendar, from Shabbat to Passover, Shavu’ot, Rosh HaShanah and all the rest. Included in this discussion is the special period of time we are currently in the midst of, called Sefirat HaOmer, the counting of the 49 days between the holidays of Passover and Shavu’ot. This is a confusing season. On one level, the count from Passover to Shavu’ot seems to be a happy time. We have the security of having left Egypt and the joyous anticipation of receiving the Torah on Shavu’ot. It is also spring-time, a time of excitement and rebirth, and also a time of harvest; Passover marks the beginning of the barley harvest and Shavu’ot, the wheat harvest. Overlaid on top of this clear sense of joy and anticipation, though, are layers of complicated and painful Jewish history. According to Jewish law, certain mourning practices apply during this period, like the prohibition against haircuts and live music. These mourning practices commemorate a terrible plague suffered by the students of Rabbi Akiva in Israel in the second century, but they also point to the many other tragedies suffered by the Jewish people over the centuries. And then there is the modern calendar of commemorations, from this week’s Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Commemoration Day, to next week’s Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’Atzma’ut, Israeli Memorial Day and Independence Day, to Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, which we celebrate in a few weeks. These modern holidays are also a mix of sadness and joy, of difficult memories of our recent past and a sense of the blessedness of the current era. It turns out that, as the Haggadah makes clear, we did not just suffer one era of travail and redemption in Egypt, but many, “in every generation.” Redemption, then, is not a permanent state – we left Egypt and will never return – but a kind of merry-go-round or roller coaster of historical ups and downs. Where does that leave us emotionally? Sad or happy? Excited or despairing? Where is the sense of stability in the midst of the whirl of Jewish history? How are we to bear this emotional turmoil?Amidst all this craziness, we are on a path, a 49 day path, which makes its slow but steady progress, one calmly ordered day at a time, toward a goal, the receiving of the Torah. The Torah stands, like the mountain it was