Holy Writings
THE TORAH
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The Torah
The Torah is a sacred collection of the first five books of the Hebrew bible. The first five books in order are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
The book of Genesis contains some of the most complex writings in the Torah. Genesis covers the earliest of the writings, including the creation story. Ancestors of some of the earliest Israelite people are introduced in this chapter. The first people we learn about are Adam and Eve. Their story tells about the origin of original sin. The book of Genesis provides us with basic information about the nature of the earth, and the people who live on it.
The book of Exodus covers the beginning of the Israelite people. It goes into more detail about the history of Israel as a nation. One of the most important characters in the book of Exodus is Moses. In the actual Exodus, Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, where they were being mistreated and enslaved. They make their way to Mount Sinai, where God makes a covenant, or an agreement, with Moses. The covenant was kept through the ten commandments, which were given to Moses by God on stone tablets.
In the third book, Leviticus, the main theme focuses on priests and their strict regulations. Almost the entire chapter is dedicated to the ways in which priests must live their lives, but the chapter also covers rules on many non-religous ways of life. This idea reinforces itself throughout the chapter when it is talked about how all parts of a person's life are directly related to their religious behavior.
The book of Numbers talks about the wandering of the Israelites through the desert for nearly forty years after leaving Egypt to escape the slavery. In Numbers, the story of Moses on Mount Sinai continues when it discusses the numbering of the twelve tribes of Israel. While still on the mountain, God tells Moses that a census of the Israelites needs to be taken before entering Canaan, the Promised Land. The chapter highlights Moses as a strong leader of the Israelites who perseveres even when it is not always easy.
The fifth and final book of the Torah, Deuteronomy, tells of how Moses and the Israelites will soon be entering the Promised Land. Some say that Deuteronomy was written from the point of view of Moses as his farewell speech to the Israelites, but others argue that it was not actually meant to written as if Moses wrote it himself. This chapter stresses God's love for his people, and the need for justice and equality to all. Some of the writings in this chapter also share insight of Moses's death.
The books of the Torah are kept on scrolls. The Torah contains descriptions of their Almighty God, and supplies basic laws for the Jews to abide by. A reoccurring theme in the Torah is that there is one God, and one God only. This is because Judaism is a monotheistic religion, meaning they believe in only one God. The Torah was given to Moses in Ancient times by God. The Torah is very important to the Jewish religion because it contains the guidelines that show how to live a good and happy life that is free of sin. It is the central text in which Jews can further their knowledge of their religion. The Torah is a way to pass down the traditions and history of the religion to future generations.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2). This excerpt from the Torah comes from the very first sentences in the very first book, Genesis. This excerpt describes the barren, empty earth before God filled it with an abundance of life. It paints a picture in our heads as to what the earth looked like before God worked his miracles.
The book of Genesis contains some of the most complex writings in the Torah. Genesis covers the earliest of the writings, including the creation story. Ancestors of some of the earliest Israelite people are introduced in this chapter. The first people we learn about are Adam and Eve. Their story tells about the origin of original sin. The book of Genesis provides us with basic information about the nature of the earth, and the people who live on it.
The book of Exodus covers the beginning of the Israelite people. It goes into more detail about the history of Israel as a nation. One of the most important characters in the book of Exodus is Moses. In the actual Exodus, Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, where they were being mistreated and enslaved. They make their way to Mount Sinai, where God makes a covenant, or an agreement, with Moses. The covenant was kept through the ten commandments, which were given to Moses by God on stone tablets.
In the third book, Leviticus, the main theme focuses on priests and their strict regulations. Almost the entire chapter is dedicated to the ways in which priests must live their lives, but the chapter also covers rules on many non-religous ways of life. This idea reinforces itself throughout the chapter when it is talked about how all parts of a person's life are directly related to their religious behavior.
The book of Numbers talks about the wandering of the Israelites through the desert for nearly forty years after leaving Egypt to escape the slavery. In Numbers, the story of Moses on Mount Sinai continues when it discusses the numbering of the twelve tribes of Israel. While still on the mountain, God tells Moses that a census of the Israelites needs to be taken before entering Canaan, the Promised Land. The chapter highlights Moses as a strong leader of the Israelites who perseveres even when it is not always easy.
The fifth and final book of the Torah, Deuteronomy, tells of how Moses and the Israelites will soon be entering the Promised Land. Some say that Deuteronomy was written from the point of view of Moses as his farewell speech to the Israelites, but others argue that it was not actually meant to written as if Moses wrote it himself. This chapter stresses God's love for his people, and the need for justice and equality to all. Some of the writings in this chapter also share insight of Moses's death.
The books of the Torah are kept on scrolls. The Torah contains descriptions of their Almighty God, and supplies basic laws for the Jews to abide by. A reoccurring theme in the Torah is that there is one God, and one God only. This is because Judaism is a monotheistic religion, meaning they believe in only one God. The Torah was given to Moses in Ancient times by God. The Torah is very important to the Jewish religion because it contains the guidelines that show how to live a good and happy life that is free of sin. It is the central text in which Jews can further their knowledge of their religion. The Torah is a way to pass down the traditions and history of the religion to future generations.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Genesis 1:1-2). This excerpt from the Torah comes from the very first sentences in the very first book, Genesis. This excerpt describes the barren, empty earth before God filled it with an abundance of life. It paints a picture in our heads as to what the earth looked like before God worked his miracles.
The ten commandments
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Moses receiving the ten commandments
at the top of Mount Sinai.
Around 1300 B.C., a slave in Egypt gave birth to a little boy named Moses. With a growing population, the pharaoh of Egypt feared he would lose control of his people. Around the same time that Moses was born, the Egyptian pharaoh decided to order that all young Hebrew boys were to be killed. The slave feared the death of her newborn, so she placed him in a basket and put him in the river in the hopes that someone would find and take care of him. Ironically, the pharaoh's daughter was the one who found him, and she raised him as her own.
Moses grew up as a child with a good life, but he never forgot his Israeli roots. Having witnessed the beating of a Hebrew, he killed the attacker and fled Egypt. Later on in life, God appeared to him from a burning bush, telling him to return to Egypt and save the Israelites. Moses did what he was told and led the Exodus out of Egypt to save the Hebrew people from mistreatment and enslavement they were suffering from. Moses led them to safety with the help of God.
While in the Sinai desert during the time of the Exodus, Moses went to the top of the mountain to pray to God. While praying, God appeared to him, making a covenant with Moses. God would lead them to the Promised Land, Canaan, if the people obeyed his laws. These laws are known as the ten commandments, and were given to Moses in the form of two stone tablets. They contained rules about how to live a holy life. God warned against coveting and stealing from thy neighbors, and dishonoring Him, the one true God.
The ten commandments are very important to the Jewish people. They provide a structure for people to live by, as well as a structure for their religion. The ten commandments are practiced every day by Jews, and are an important influence on their decisions in life. These commandments have much importance to them. Read some of the commandments below to get a better idea of these rules from God.
Moses grew up as a child with a good life, but he never forgot his Israeli roots. Having witnessed the beating of a Hebrew, he killed the attacker and fled Egypt. Later on in life, God appeared to him from a burning bush, telling him to return to Egypt and save the Israelites. Moses did what he was told and led the Exodus out of Egypt to save the Hebrew people from mistreatment and enslavement they were suffering from. Moses led them to safety with the help of God.
While in the Sinai desert during the time of the Exodus, Moses went to the top of the mountain to pray to God. While praying, God appeared to him, making a covenant with Moses. God would lead them to the Promised Land, Canaan, if the people obeyed his laws. These laws are known as the ten commandments, and were given to Moses in the form of two stone tablets. They contained rules about how to live a holy life. God warned against coveting and stealing from thy neighbors, and dishonoring Him, the one true God.
The ten commandments are very important to the Jewish people. They provide a structure for people to live by, as well as a structure for their religion. The ten commandments are practiced every day by Jews, and are an important influence on their decisions in life. These commandments have much importance to them. Read some of the commandments below to get a better idea of these rules from God.