Judaism and the Torah of Nissay Elyagoubi Chapter 1:
The Torah (תורה law in Hebrew) is the basic text of the oldest
monotheistic religion: Judaism. The Torah is the basis of the abrahamic
religions and monotheism.
Its spiritual essence is the belief in a single god. Written in Hebrew
is is known both as The Mosaic Law ((Torat Moshe תּוֹרַת־מֹשֶׁה) or,
since is consists of five books, The Pentateuch (from the Greek,
Pentateuchos 'Five Books'; in Hebrew, Hamisha Humshei Torah חמשה חומשי
תורה). The five books, covering the
history of Mankind, then Israel,
from the Creation to the
death of Moses are: 1. Genesis (בראשית,
Bereshit : 'In the Beginning" ou "Heading"). from the Creation to the
death of Joseph in Egypt: 2. Exodus (שמות, Shemot : "Names"), from the
arrival of the Children of Israel in Egypt to the construction of the
Desert Tabernacle
; 3. Leviticus (ויקרא, Vayyiqra : "He called"), from the construction
of the Tabernacle to the second month after the departure from Egypt.
It sets out, principally, the laws of purity with regard to the
priesthood, dietary laws, laws of sexual relations, social interaction
etc. 4. Numbers (במדבר, Bamidbar : "In the Desert"), which covers the
period of the wandering of the Children of Israel in the desert; 5.
Deuteronomy (דברים, Devarim : "Words") in which Moses reiterates the
laws of the four preceding books, and culminating in his blessing and
death, which occurred, according to tradition, in the year 2489 of the
Hebrew Calendar (1273 BCE). (The Hebrew names for the Books are the
first words of the first verse of that Book. The "classic" names are
the invention of Greek translators)