https://www.wiley.com/The+Torah+For+Dummies%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781394379996
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Published:
November 17, 2025

The Torah For Dummies

Overview

An accessible and fascinating exploration of the Torah

The Torah For Dummies, 2nd Edition is an easy-to-follow and insightful guide to the first five books of the Hebrew bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This helpful resource walks you through the foundations of Jewish tradition, religion, and theology, explaining Judaism's rich and ancient history and how its interpreted by modern Jews.

You'll also find discussion on translations of ancient writings, as well as explorations of the resources that preserve and expand Jewish texts and archeological discoveries that shed additional light on old doctrines.

Inside:

  • Understand how the Torah is structured
  • Discover how the Torah informs the lives of followers
  • Explore interpretations, commentaries, and more.

Perfect for practicing Jews who want to better understand their own faith, Christians wanting to know more about the Jewish roots of Christianity, followers of Islamic tradition, and those interested in the roots of Abrahamic faiths, The Torah For Dummies is a can't-miss resource for anyone interested in one of the world's oldest and most fascinating religions and cultures. It's packed with trustworthy information about the laws, teachings, and stories that guide the lives of people of faith all over the world.

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About The Author

Arthur Kurzweil teaches Talmud and Kabbalah courses to adults across the United States. He’s the author of The Torah For Dummies, Kabbalah For Dummies, and The Talmud For Dummies. He’s a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.

Sample Chapters

the torah for dummies

CHEAT SHEET

The Torah (the Five Books of Moses) is the essential book of Judaism and a manual for living. If you don't read Hebrew, study an English translation so you can understand and follow the basic principles to guide personal behavior and the Ten Commandments (taken from the Book of Exodus).Recommended English translations of the TorahJewish life is an immersion into the Torah (Five Books of Moses) and the literature the Torah has inspired.

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Articles from
the book

The Torah is a guidebook for Jewish living — requiring a lifetime of study to learn and to refine your actions and personal qualities. While it contains hundreds of commandments of all kinds, there are some basic principles that guide personal behavior. These six are the most important prescriptions from the Torah for a healthy, spiritually sound life: Good works or ma'asim tovim (mah-ah-seem toe-veem): Always be on the lookout for opportunities to do good things for others and for yourself.
It isn't surprising that the Torah places great value on the family unit; after all, the Jewish people as a whole are considered to be a family, as implied by the phrase "the Children of Israel." Even though a few million people stood at Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the entire group knew itself to be one large family, with all descended from Jacob, the patriarch.
In Jewish tradition, the way to find the path to God is to study the Torah. In addition to all its teachings about behavior and ritual, the Torah is also the main source for information about the nature of God. By studying the Torah and seeing the way in which it describes God, students begin to understand some of God's nature.
Even though the Torah is mainly about God, it's also important to remember that the Torah's author is God. Although the first line of the Torah says, "In the beginning of God's creation of heaven and earth . . .," it's God who is speaking. God chose Moses to receive and write down a divine message, which is why the Torah is also known as the Five Books of Moses, but the Torah emanates from God.
Jewish life is an immersion into the Torah (Five Books of Moses) and the literature the Torah has inspired. The original language of the Torah is Hebrew, and because most people today don't read Hebrew many English translations of the Torah are available, like these notable translations: The Living Torah by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan: This is the most readable of all translations, and its brief footnotes are always illuminating.
Adam and Eve's first two children were Cain and Abel. The Torah says that "Abel became a shepherd and Cain became a tiller of the ground" (Genesis 4:2). When it came time for each of them to present an offering to God, Cain offered fruit from the ground, and Abel offered the firstborn of his flocks. Then the Torah offers a mysterious line: "God turned to Abel and to his offering, but to Cain and his offering He did not turn" (Genesis 4:4–5).
The Ten Commandments may be the most well-known part of the Torah. Interestingly, two versions of the Ten Commandments exist in the Torah: one in the book of Exodus and one in the book of Dueteronomy. The Ten Commandments according to Jewish tradition also differ from the Ten Commandments of various Christian denominations.
The Torah (the Five Books of Moses) is the essential book of Judaism and a manual for living. If you don't read Hebrew, study an English translation so you can understand and follow the basic principles to guide personal behavior and the Ten Commandments (taken from the Book of Exodus).Recommended English translations of the TorahJewish life is an immersion into the Torah (Five Books of Moses) and the literature the Torah has inspired.
While some religious traditions forbid divorce, Judaism does not. In the Torah, divorce is viewed as a common and acceptable occurrence (Deuteronomy 24:1–4), and although the Talmud teaches that the "altar in heaven weeps" on the occasion of a divorce, there's no requirement that a husband and wife continue their marriage if they're miserable together.
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