Torah Reading Guides

Whether you are studying the Bible for the first time or you're simply curious about its history and contents, you will find everything you need in this "accessible, well-written handbook to Jewish belief as set forth in the Torah" (The Jerusalem Post). George Robinson, author of the acclaimed Essential Judaism, begins by recounting the various theories of the origins of the Torah and goes on to explain its importance as the core element in Jewish belief and practice. He discusses the basics of Jewish theology and Jewish history as they are derived from the Torah, and he outlines how the Dead Sea Scrolls and other archaeological discoveries have enhanced our understanding of the Bible. He introduces us to the vast literature of biblical commentary, chronicles the evolution of the Torah’s place in the synagogue service, offers an illuminating discussion of women and the Bible, and provides a study guide as a companion for individual or group Bible study. In the book’s centerpiece, Robinson summarizes all fifty-four portions that make up the Torah and gives us a brilliant distillation of two thousand years of biblical commentaries—from the rabbis of the Mishnah and the Talmud to medieval commentators such as Rashi, Maimonides, and ibn Ezra to contemporary scholars such as Nahum Sarna, Nechama Leibowitz, Robert Alter, and Everett Fox. This extraordinary volume—which includes a listing of the Torah reading cycles, a Bible time line, glossaries of terms and biblical commentators, and a bibliography—will stand as the essential sourcebook on the Torah for years to come.

What is the relevance of the weekly Shabbat Torah reading to our every-day 'modern' lives? Using his own true life experiences, the author reveals how we can uncover the miracles that occur to each of us daily, if only we would understand the messages that the Torah readings bring to our lives. Many of these anecdotal stories can be used by rabbis, educators and laymen across the entire Jewish spectrum to highlight the relevance of the Torah to the modern experience.

The foundational text of Judaism, the Five Books of Moses, has been read, studied, and interpreted in every generation. In this unique edition, the world-renowned scholar Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz highlights the bird's-eye perspective on the Torah and how its parts fit together. With a faithful, accessible translation of the entire Torah, A Concise Guide to the Torah: A Study Edition of the Torah enables every person to understand our holiest book and develop original insights. Features: - Topical subdivisions with explanations and summaries - Introductions to the Torah portions (parashot) - Detailed table of contents by story and topic - Images and maps that aid comprehension - Full integration with other Concise Guide volumes The Erez Series is comprised of the Concise Guides to the full gamut of Jewish thought, from the Torah to modern halakha (Jewish law) and Mahshava (Jewish philosophy). The late Rabbi Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz zt"l was one of the leading thinkers of the modern age and the most prolific author of Jewish thought and commentary since the middle ages. The Erez Series distills the essence of 4 of the principal schools of the Jewish tradition Torah, the Sages (Hazal), Halakha, and Mahshava as a tool for review or introduction to the world of Jewish thought.

Torah Study & D'var Torah Writing for the 21st Century! Featuring... - Full retellings of the Biblical text written at a teen level! - Great advice on ways to approach the Biblical text! - Handy charts & organizers for preparing a D'var Torah and learning the melodies for Haftarah trop! - Full Hebrew texts of the Haftarah! - Blessings for all customs and traditions! - Links to maps and resources (ebook / ePub edition only)! - Useful timeline of Biblical history and events! English texts include: - Yonah / Jonah 1: 1 to 4: 11 - Micah 7: 18-20 - Blessings for reading the Haftarah (traditional and alternative) Hebrew texts include: - Yonah / Jonah 1: 1 to 4: 11 - Micah 7: 18-20 - Blessings for reading the Torah and Haftarah (traditional and alternative)

The festive holiday of Shavuot is best known for its all-night Torah learning. The Jewish Sages teach that staying up all night is more than just a celebration of Torah, it is a tikkun, a spiritual rectification. The 16th-century mystic Rabbi Itzchak Luria, the Arizal, prepared a study guide for the night of Shavuot. This guide is presented here, in both Hebrew and English, together with a selection of penetrating insights and commentaries drawn primarily from the mystical teachings of the Zohar and the Arizal.

Torah Study for the 21st Century! Featuring... - Handy charts & organizers for learning the melodies for Torah and Haftarah trop! - Full Hebrew texts of the Torah & Haftarah! - Blessings for all customs and traditions! Texts include: - Va-Yikra / Leviticus 16:1-34 - Devarim / Deuteronomy 29:9 - 30:20 - Bamidbar / Numbers 29: 7-11 - Yish'ayah / Isaiah 57: 14 to 58: 14 - Blessings for reading the Torah and Haftarah (traditional and alternative)

The traditional Jew has always accepted the study of Torah as central to his or her way of life. But without the ability to effectively analyze and interpret the text, one misses the opportunity to gain a deep and authentic appreciation of the Torah's beauty and profundity. In Studying the Torah: A Guide to In-Depth Interpretation, Avigdor Bonchek equips the reader with the proper analytic methods to make reading the Bible both a serious pursuit and a pleasurable pastime. In order for the reader of the Torah text to delve into its veiled, but ultimately visible, layered messages, he or she must first learn the appropriate interpretive techniques. These skills are the same as those used by the classic Jewish Torah commentators (Rashi, Ramban, Ibn Ezra, and others), all of whom were experts in what scholars today refer to as a "close reading" of the text. Among the "Keys to Interpretation" discussed in this book are the significance of word order, opening sentences, repetitions, word associations, psychological dimensions, and similarities and differences between texts. Each key is illustrated by several examples that offer fresh insight into otherwise familiar text, and the author offers his own original and comprehensive in-depth interpretation of two central biblical stories: the story of Joseph and the ten plagues.