torah

Everyday

1. (Judaism) The Torah is the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), which Jews believe God gave to Moses; it holds the Jewish law and stories. tree →
2. A Torah or Torah scroll is a hand-written copy on a long scroll, kept in the ark of a synagogue. tree →
3. Torah can also mean all Jewish teaching. tree →

In the lessons

In RE pupils learn that the Torah scroll is treated with great respect: it is read with a pointer called a yad so hands do not touch the letters, and dancing with the Torah happens at Simchat Torah. A bar or bat mitzvah child reads from it for the first time. Christians have the same five books as the start of the Old Testament. Phrases: the Torah scroll, read from the Torah, the laws of the Torah.

Examples

• The rabbi lifted the Torah scroll so everyone could see. tree →
• The Torah is written in Hebrew by hand. tree →
• At his bar mitzvah, Ben read from the Torah. tree →
• The Torah is kept in a special cupboard called the ark. tree →
• A silver pointer helps the reader follow the Torah. tree →
• The Torah contains the Ten Commandments. tree →

Note

Capital T. Say "TOR-ah". Usually "the Torah". The "ark" in a synagogue is a cabinet, not Noah's ship.

In Jewish tradition

In these texts Torah means the five books of Moses, and more widely God's teaching and law given to Israel.

Interpretation. Tradition says the Torah was given at Sinai and that it is the blueprint of the world; one midrash pictures God consulting it when creating, and the Sefer Yetzirah tradition links Torah with Wisdom in creation.

Examples

• A similar view is reflected in the midrashicic and Kabbalistic literature, where Torah or Wisdom acts as a participant or instrument in the Work of Creation; see e.g. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) tree →
• Thou hast a beloved one in the world, wilt thou conceal anythinij from him ?" Directly, the Holy On blessed be He said, 'Shall I conceal from Abraham?' and consulted the Torah. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

Capital T. Say "TOR-ah". Usually "the Torah". The "ark" in a synagogue is a cabinet, not Noah's ship.