An easy-to-understand introduction to Judaism's most sacredtextThe foundation of Hebrew and Jewish religion, thought, law, andsociety is the Torah-the parchment scroll containing the text ofthe Five Books of Moses that is located in every synagogue. Thisaccessible guide explains the Torah in clear language, even tothose who were not raised in the Jewish religious tradition.Christians who want to know more about the Jewish roots ofChristianity need to understand the Torah, as do followers ofIslamic tradition and those interested in the roots of Abrahamicfaiths. The Torah For Dummies explains the history of the Torah,its structure and major principles, and how the Torah affects thedaily lives of people who follow the Jewish way of life.

Introduction 1Part I: The Torah 101 9Chapter 1: Beginning with Torah Basics 11Chapter 2: Encountering God, the Ultimate Author 21Chapter 3: Examining the Treasures of the Torah 39Part II: One by One: The Books of the Torah 59Chapter 4: "In the Beginning": The Book of Genesis 61Chapter 5: "These Are the Names": The Book of Exodus 79Chapter 6: "And He Called": The Book of Leviticus 101Chapter 7: "In the Wilderness": The Book of Numbers 113Chapter 8: "Words": The Book of Deuteronomy 127Part III: The Torah: An Operating Manual for Planet Earth 141Chapter 9: Keeping Your Personal Behavior in Line with the Torah 143Chapter 10: Living by the Word of the Torah in the Community 155Part IV: The Importance of the Torah in Judaism 165Chapter 11: Observing the Holy Days in Torah Time 167Chapter 12: Following Jewish Customs According to the Torah 191Chapter 13: Walking through the Torah Synagogue Service 209Chapter 14: The Final Commandment: Writing a Torah Scroll 229Chapter 15: Always Up for Discussion: Analyzing the Torah 247Chapter 16: Studying the Torah with Translations, Commentaries, and Other Resources 263Part V: The Part of Tens 277Chapter 17: The Ten Commandments According to the Torah 279Chapter 18: Ten Frequently Misunderstood Quotes from the Torah 287Part VI: Appendixes 295Appendix A: A Glossary of Torah Terms and Names 297Appendix B: The 248 Positive Commandments in the Torah 305Appendix C: The 365 Negative Commandments in the Torah 321Index 341