Torah

The Torah is the written body of Jewish scripture made up of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, but can also sometimes refer to additional Hebrew texts. These texts contain stories, instruction, and legal material that shape Jewish and Christian religious and communal life. In Rabbinic tradition, the Torah is distinguished from the 'oral Torah', which consists of interpretive teachings and explanations that developed to clarify and apply the written text. This distinction highlights the Torah itself as a fixed written source, while later traditions represent ongoing interpretation built upon it.