The word “Torah” is not so precise. It can be used at different times to mean different 

things. To be more exact, “Torah” is used to describe different parts of one big thing.

“Torah” is sometimes the name given to the Five Books of Moses (also called “Chumash”, 

or “Pentateuch”). In traditional Judaism, these five books are considered a faithful and 

exact record of the word of God to His prophet, Moses.

“Torah” sometimes also refers to the whole Bible.  This collection includes the five books 

of Moses, eight books of the prophets, and eleven books of the “writings”.  These 24 

books make up   the written law.

A Jew is not a race, since many black, white, oriental and westerners have been added to 

the Jewish people.  Neither is it is it a matter of nationality because many of them live in 

different parts of the world.  That it is a religion is the only logical definition.  It is the Jewish 

faith what distinguishes a Jew from a non-Jew. Being a part of this community is not easy.  

It is a commitment.  To be Jewish has also been determined by the status of the mother.  

If the mother is Jewish, her descendants are Jews.  The status of the father has no real 

bearing, except to define the specific tribe where the person belongs.  The Torah declares 

that the religious status of the biological mother defines it.  The Torah is the sacred book 

that defines the religious obligations of a Jew.  The Jewish males are circumcised as a sign 

of the “sacred covenant” between God and Abraham.         

There are many different groups or organizations that differ in their point of view regarding 

to the Jewish law.  In America for example, some call themselves orthodox, reformed,  

conservative, and even secular Jews.  The orthodox groups accept the whole Torah, the 

written Torah and the oral Torah (whose records are placed in the Talmud and the

Midrashim) as divine revelation.  Non-orthodox groups reject the immutability of the laws 

of the Torah and they think that its principles are optional and not obligatory.

The circumcision, keeping the Sabbath, abstaining from the eating of impure animals 

detailed in Leviticus, and the solemn feasts are some of the Jewish practices.  Their God is 

the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He promised to send a Messiah to deliver His 

people from their bondage unto sin. 

Even though the Jewish Bible and the Christian Bible are basically the same, there are some

 differences of which you should be aware.

1.  In the Jewish version of the Old Testament some of the books are in a different order, 

so you will need to use the table of contents.

2. Some of the messianic texts have been rendered with various possible translations in 

order to diminish the messianic importance.  For example, Psalm 2:12 is rendered:  

“Arm yourselves with purity”.  Isaiah 7:14 is rendered:  “a young woman shall conceive”.  

Isaiah 9:6 reads:  “His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor of the Mighty God, of

the Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.  Psalm 22:17 reads:  “Like a lion they threaten 

my hands and my feet”.

Thirteen Foundations of Jewish belief

The existence of the world, or any part of it, is dependent upon the existence of the single, 

unique Creator. But the existence of this Creator, the Master of the universe, is not 

dependent on anything. This principle is known as “Yichud” -- God's Oneness. There is 

only one God. He is unique, and is without any divisions. This is clear from the verse 

“Hear, oh Israel, God is our Lord, God is one.” (Deut. 6 4).

God does not have a body or any physical aspect, nor is His Power that of a physical 

body. This principle builds on the logic of the previous one. If God were to have a body, 

it would limit Him to the confines of that body, and therefore He would not be infinite and

 incomparable in the same way. There are many places in the Bible where God is described

 as “stretching out His hand” (or doing some similar physical action). These are only figures 

of speech (anthropomorphisms). They are sublime actions couched in words that humans

can understand.

God has always existed and always will. He is eternal. Again, if this was not true, and God

 were to be limited (by time), then He would no longer be “infinite”.

There is no individual or power besides God whom it is fitting to worship or serve. Even to

 worship (or attribute independent power to) intermediaries (like angels, other human 

beings, stars or planets) is forbidden. Such worship is in the category of idolatry.

The sixth principle is “Nevu'a” -- prophecy. God grants prophecy to people who have

 perfected their personal character and who follow all the commandments of the Torah.

 Prophecy is not, therefore given to unlearned or ill-prepared persons.

The words of the written Torah (the “Five Books of Moses”) are the true and completely

 accurate words of God.  God dictated the words of the Torah to Moses.  In essence, the

 verse “Shema Yisroel” (Hear O Israel) is just as meaningful to us as the lists of names and

 places written in the Torah. They all come from God and there is great, limitless wisdom to

 be found in every word.  God also taught Moses how to carry out the commandments 

found in the written Torah; these God-given explanations form part of what Jews call the 

oral Torah.

Since the entire Torah came from God, one may not add to it or subtract from it 

(i.e. add or subtract commandments).  God is aware of all our actions and does not ignore

 them. There is reward and punishment for our actions in this world.

The Messiah (“anointed one”), a descendant of King David, will come, and could come 

at any time.  He will be wiser than King Solomon and possess a level of prophecy close to 

that of Moses.  There will eventually be a revival of the dead.

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