NOT 600,000... you may be thinking of the Tanach (which is also incorrect for a count!). If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with Chabad.org's, One Year Later--Anniversary of the Mercaz Harav Shooting, Kabbalah, Chassidism and Jewish Mysticism. The Torah contains narratives, statements of law, and statements of ethics. [76], Rav Sa'adia produced an Arabic translation of the Torah known as Targum Tafsir and offered comments on Rasag's work. [40][41] Such a hypothesis continues to have adherents in Israel and North America. With the prophet Moses as their leader, they journey through the wilderness to biblical Mount Sinai, where Yahweh promises them the land of Canaan (the "Promised Land") in return for their faithfulness. Each Torah portion consists of two to six chapters to be read during the week. If a black letter lacks the surrounding white letters, the entire scroll is invalid. 8:1; II Chron. even something as simple as 600,000 words in the Torah turns out to be not true. The most well-known German-language translation was produced by Samson Raphael Hirsch. Reply, Thank you! This article is about the Hebrew Torah. Source(s): I'm an Orthodox Jew. [45] This consensus echoes a traditional Jewish view which gives Ezra, the leader of the Jewish community on its return from Babylon, a pivotal role in its promulgation. Although different Christian denominations have slightly different versions of the Old Testament in their Bibles, the Torah as the "Five Books of Moses" (or "the Mosaic Law") is common among them all. [25] The task before them is to take possession of the Promised Land. Perhaps a soul is here to allow another to shine, but that soul is integral. [46] Many theories have been advanced to explain the composition of the Torah, but two have been especially influential. After reading this wonderful article and agreeing with its findings, my wife said to me, "Maybe, the 'inverse' letters are feminine in nature and hidden by G-d for the sake of their modesty. This is often known as the Oral Torah. Israel enters into a covenant with Yahweh who gives them their laws and instructions to build the Tabernacle, the means by which he will come from heaven and dwell with them and lead them in a holy war to possess the land, and then give them peace. Many of us want to be "black letters," and may feel disappointed in our lives if we aren't, but the total picture, how G-d sees us, is that the white letters, too, the folks who make up the unnoticed background, are also essential. Eventually, the practice of translating into the vernacular was discontinued.[72]. One of its most significant verses is Deuteronomy 6:4, the Shema Yisrael, which has become the definitive statement of Jewish identity: "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one." The Mishnah and Gemara together are called the Talmud. The Talmud (Menachot 30a) says that the last eight verses of the Torah that discuss the death and burial of Moses could not have been written by Moses, as writing it would have been a lie, and that they were written after his death by Joshua. 4:13 and Deut. Whether you know how and what to count is beside the point. Interspersed in the narrative are the specific teachings (religious obligations and civil laws) given explicitly (i.e. Blessings . Throughout the centuries, Jewish scribes have adhered to the following guideline… D'varim. Numbers begins at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites have received their laws and covenant from God and God has taken up residence among them in the sanctuary. However, after exile, dispersion, and persecution, this tradition was lifted when it became apparent that in writing was the only way to ensure that the Oral Law could be preserved. In the 19th and 20th centuries CE, new movements such as Reform Judaism and Conservative Judaism have made adaptations to the practice of Torah reading, but the basic pattern of Torah reading has usually remained the same: As a part of the morning prayer services on certain days of the week, fast days, and holidays, as well as part of the afternoon prayer services of Shabbat, Yom Kippur, and fast days, a section of the Pentateuch is read from a Torah scroll. Lev 10:11). which means “teaching,” so each “Torah” in our portion tells the priests how to perform a particular kind of sacrifice. Where the Torah leaves words and concepts undefined, and mentions procedures without explanation or instructions, the reader is required to seek out the missing details from supplemental sources known as the Oral Law or Oral Torah. 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