Simchat Torah

By the 1^st century C.E., observance of Torah laws is abundantly evident in Judean society. But how far back does this widespread observance go?

A Post-Destruction model of Jewish Identity: Reading and studying Torah as if our life depended on it.

Deuteronomy reflects influence from ancient Wisdom traditions, such as those in the book of Proverbs and in other ancient Near Eastern literature. Yet Deuteronomy presents Torah as Israel’s own Wisdom teaching. This serves both to elevate Torah and to insist that it be in dialogue with the broader, non-Israelite world.

The division of the Torah into five books is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, yet by the early first millennium C.E., the Torah became known by the Greek name Pentateuch, literally “five scrolls.” When and why was this division created?

The joy of unraveling the Torah’s mysteries

My relationship with Torah began with the romance of mysticism but then gave way to skepticism and disillusionment. To my surprise, it was academic scholarship of the Torah that brought back the spark and helped foster a deeper, more mature relationship.

...but who inspired whom?

The bridge that enables the annual traversal from the ending of the Torah back to its beginning is the anticipation of new questions.