The Torah contains the story of creation of the universe and of humankind. It also contains the history of the Jewish people and the ethical and ritual laws given to the Jewish people by HaShem.
The Torah contains five books, it is sometimes called the Five books of Moshe, but often it is called the Chumash, the Hebrew word for five.
The Five Books of the Torah are:
🔹️Bereshit ( Genesis) : The book of Bereshit contains the story of the creation of the universe and people. It records the establishment of the covenant between HaShem and the Jewish People. It tells of the lives and the stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs.
🔹️Sh'mot ( Exodus) : The book of Sh'mot contains the account of the Children of Israel in Egyptian slavery, the exodus from Egypt, and the receiving of the Torah, the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai.
🔹️ Vayikra ( Leviticus) : The book of Vayikra gives G-ds ethical and ritual laws, and specific intructions to the priests on how to perform their duties.
🔹️Bamidbar ( Numbers) : The book of Bamidbar tells the 40 year journey of the Children of Israel through the desert, and gives more of G-ds ethical and ritual laws.
🔹️Devarim ( Deuteronomy) : In the book of Devarim, Moshe reviews the law, and the people prepare to enter the promised Land.
The Torah for all its length, brillance and complexity, it can be summarized in three words:
1️⃣ Creation : G-d created the universe and everthing in it. The covenant of faith between G-d and the people, and specifically between HaShem and the Jewish People.
2️⃣ Redemption: The Children of Israel were redeemed from enslavement in Egypt, in order to experience revelation.
3️⃣ HaShem gave His commandments, His Mitzvot, as a blueprint for human conduct, a standard of behavior, a moral code, heightend by ritual observance, by which the observant Jew lives.
Sefer Torah
The Sefer Torah ( Torah Scroll) is a handwritten parchment and contains the Torah text, the Sefer Torah is handwritten, with quill and ink by a Sofer, which is a highly skilled writer. During Shul services, at Shabbos services on Saturday, on Monday and Thursday mornings.
The Torah is divided into fifty - four portions, and one portion is been read every week, the whole year around. Sometime there are two portions been rwad in one week, which is combined because then could be read over a period of one year, the Torah cycle start with a new beginning at Simchat Torah, which means, "Rejoicing the Torah " which fallows straight after the last day of Sukkot.
On Jewish holidays, with Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Pesach, Shavuot, Chanukah, is Rosh Chodesh, the first day of each new month, and on a fast day the Torah is also been read. There are specially selected sections of the Torah who has been chosen as holiday readings for their connection with that particular holiday. For example with Pesach the exodus from Egypt is read.
The continual proces of reading the Torah is a big part in Jewish life, and the commitment of learning and observing the ethical and ritual laws given to us by HaShem. The Torah is the core source of everything what is Jewish, the Torah is not to be used literally, but as a way of describing the entire Jewish knowledge and interpretation of our teachings and learning. This also describes the importance of Jewish Chassidic education in our Yeshivas and Kollelim.