The everything Torah book : all you need to understand the basics of Jewish law and the five books of the Old Testament PDF
Preview The everything Torah book : all you need to understand the basics of Jewish law and the five books of the Old Testament
THE Torah Book Dear Reader: One of Charles Schultz’s famous Peanuts cartoons portrays Charlie Brown facing a history test. The single question reads, “Explain World War II. Use both sides of the paper if necessary.” Providing “Every thing Torah” in several hundred pages is a similarly daunting task. According to traditional Jewish thought, the Torah is nothing less than “the Blueprint of Creation.” The Written Torah is merely the beginning; the full Torah tells us why God Created the world, and what we should hope to accomplish now that we’re here. In a way, “Everything Torah” is redundant—for Everything is in Torah. As a broad introduction to the Torah Path, I do hope that every reader finds this book a valuable source of insights and understanding. For those Jews unfamiliar with the idea of ongoing Torah study and discovery, I hope this will be a starting point in your Jewish learning, and lead to much more—because it is critical to our Jewish future. Torah study is a never-ending process. I look forward to meeting you, receiving your feedback, and corresponding with you, at www.everythingtorah.com! Copyright ©2005, F+W Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews. An Everything® Series Book. Everything® and everything.com® are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc. Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company 57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A. www.adamsmedia.com ISBN: 1-59337-325-2 Printed in the United States of America. J I H G F E D C B A Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Menken, Yaakov. The everything Torah book / Yaakov Menken. p. cm.—(An everything series book) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1- 59337-325-2 1. Judaism—Sacred books. 2. Judaism—Essence, genius, nature. 3. Judaism— History. 4. Bible. O.T. Pentateuch—Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series: Everything series. BM496.6.M46 2005 296.1–dc22 2005009552 This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. —From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters. This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases. For information, please call 1-800-872-5627. THE TORAH BOOK All you need to understand the basics of Jewish law and the Five Books of the Old Testament Rabbi Yaakov Menken Editorial Publishing DirectorGary M. Krebs Managing Editor Kate McBride Copy Chief Laura M. Daly Acquisitions Editor Gina Chaimanis Jamie Wielgus Production Editors Bridget Brace Production Production Susan Beale Director Production Michelle Roy Kelly Manager Series Designers Daria Perreault Colleen Cunningham John Paulhus Cover Design Paul Beatrice Matt LeBlanc Layout and Colleen Graphics Cunningham Erin Ring Series Cover Artist Barry Littmann Series Cover Artist Barry Littmann Visit the entire Everything® Series at www.everything.com In memory of my father-in-law, Rabbi Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld z”l. Contents Acknowledgments Top Ten Torah Aphorisms for Life Introduction 1 What Is Torah? God, Torah, and the World • Torah Today • Something for Everyone • A Tapestry of Customs, but Unified Beliefs • Faith and Reason • Names, Languages, Pronunciation, and Perspective 2 Receiving the Torah Torah Before Sinai • A Nation Hears the Voice of God • The Chosen People? • The Written Torah • Preservation of Torah 3 The Oral Law The Missing Link • Why Not Write It Down? • Dissecting the Torah • Laws Given to Moshe, from Sinai • Arguments in Torah Law 4 Kabbalah, Mysticism, and Meaning Everything Has a Purpose • Who Is Happy in This World? • The Soul • The World to Come • The World Is Like a Corridor • The Meaning of Life • Connecting the Dots 5 Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles The Torah Credo • The Nature of God • What about Angels? • The Existence of Prophecy • The Nature of Torah • God and Man • The End of Time 6 Torah Principles for All Humanity How Does the Torah View Non-Jews? • Seven Universal Laws
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