The Torah

The word torah means "a teaching". The Torah is G-d's teaching to the His people. In the Torah, G-d tells us how to live. It is G-d's instruction to us.

The Torah Shebiksav (The Written Torah) has three parts:

Torah: This is the part that was given directly to Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our Teacher) at Mount Sinai. It is made up of five books. Each book is called a Chumash. (Chumash means five in hebrew)

• B'reishis (Genesis)
• Shemos (Exodus)
• Vayikra (Leviticus)
• Bamidbar (Numbers)
• Devarim (Deuteronomy)

Nevi'im (Prophets):These books are recordings of some of what G-d said to His prophets.

• Yehoshua (Joshua)
• Shoftim (Judges)
• Shmuel (Samuel) - two books
• Melachim (Kings) - two books
• Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah)
• Yechezkel (Ezekiel)
• Yeshayahu (Isaiah)
• The following twelve are combined in one book called Trey Asar (The Twelve):
  
  • Hoshaia (Hosea)
  • Yoel (Joel)
  • Amos
  • Ovadiah (Obadiah)
  • Yonah (Jonah)
  • Michah (Micah)
  • Nachum (Nahum)
  • Chabakkuk (Habakkuk)
  • Tzefaniah (Zephaniah)
  • Chaggai (Haggai)
  • Zechariah (Zachariah)
  • Malachi

Kesuvim (Writings): These books were written by prophets with G-d's guidance but are not prophecies.

• Tehillim (Psalms)
• Mishlei (Proverbs)
• Iyov (Job)
  The following five books are called Megillos:
• 1 Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs)
• 2 Rus (Ruth)
• 3 Eichah (Lamentations)
• 4 Koheles (Eccelesiastes)
• 5 Esther
• Daniel
• Ezra & Nechemiah (Nehemiah)
• Divrei HaYomim (Chronicles) two books

All together there are 24 books, five in the Torah, eight in the Nevi'im, and eleven in the Kesuvim.

These three sections (Torah, Nevi'im, and Kesuvim) are frequently referred to by the acronym TaNaK (or Tanach).





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