HaTorah

HaTorah refers to the Torah, the central text of Judaism. In Hebrew it is הַתּוֹרָה, meaning “the teaching” or “instruction.” It comprises the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and forms the core of the written Torah within the larger biblical canon known as the Tanakh.

The Torah contains narratives, laws, commandments, and covenants that guide Jewish belief and practice. It includes creation and early history, episodes in the exodus from Egypt, instructions for ritual and ethical conduct, and the legal framework that shapes Jewish life. The text is traditionally read in weekly portions, known as parashot, during synagogue services, using a Sefer Torah scroll on which the letters and cantillation marks guide the reading.

Authorship and composition are viewed differently across traditions. Traditional belief holds that Moses authored the Torah. Modern biblical scholarship often treats the Pentateuch as a composite work developed from multiple sources over centuries, a view summarized by the Documentary Hypothesis with sources such as J, E, P, and D later edited into a unified text. Despite scholarly debates on origins, the Torah remains foundational for Jewish law (halakha), ethics, and identity.

Transmission and interpretation involve careful preservation of the written text in scroll form, followed by extensive study and commentary in rabbinic literature. Translations exist in numerous languages to support study and understanding in diverse communities, while liturgical readings and study cycles reinforce the Torah’s central role in Jewish worship and education.