Jews believe that there are five holy books. These are called the Tanakh (The Law, Prophets, and Writings). The first section is the Torah or Pentateuch. The Torah contains the laws of the Israelites and their history with God.
The next section is the Nevi’im or Prophets. These contain the messages of the prophets to Israel. The final section is the Ketuvim or Writings. These thirteen books contain the riches of Jewish poetry, wisdom literature, philosophy, and history.
The Torah
The Torah, sometimes called the Law of Moses, is the central text for Jews. Its narratives and laws, which together make up the six affirmative commandments and 613 negative ones (mitzvot), form the foundation of Jewish ethics and ritual.
The five books of the Torah are traditionally regarded as the word of God, conveyed in their final form to Moses atop Mount Sinai. The first of these, Bereshit (“In the Beginning” or Genesis), tells the creation story and patriarchal family narratives that comprise the biblical account of Jewish origins.
The second book, Shemot (“Names” or Exodus), recounts the Israelite bondage in Egypt and their Exodus from slavery, with chapters that describe Moses’ leadership of the people through the desert and into the Promised Land. The third book, Vayikra (“And God Called” or Leviticus), consists of the law promulgated to the Jewish community after its entrance into the Promised Land. The fourth book, Bamidbar (“In the Desert” or Numbers), focuses on military and census records of the Israelites. And the fifth book, Devarim (“Words” or Deuteronomy), concludes with the words of a blessing and curse by Moses, and a declaration of covenant, known as the Shema Yisrael, which states that “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one.” The final section of the Tanakh, the Nevi’im, or Prophets, includes historical and prophetic texts from Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the books of the Twelve Prophets: amos, ezekiel, nimtech, jonah, amos, nahum, samuel, jeremiah, and zechariah.
The Shemot
The first book of the Torah, whose name in Hebrew is Shemot, means “names.” It recounts the story of Jacob’s children multiplying in Egypt to a point where Pharaoh fears for his kingdom and orders all Jewish male babies to be killed at birth. The first parsha of Shemot, however, begins with a list of names to remind us of our sacred obligation to remember progenitors—a practice reflected in the custom of Ashkenazi Jews to give their children Hebrew names of their late ancestors.
The book of Shemot also tells the story of Israel’s journey to Mount Sinai, where G-d gives them His Law and establishes the covenant. The book concludes with the instructions for building a portable Temple (Mishkan) for worship and to house the Holy Ark, which houses the Tablets of the Law. The book is sometimes referred to as Vayikra, meaning “He called,” because many of its laws center on the service of the priests—the descendants of Aaron—and it is known by the English name Leviticus.
The Shemot, Nevi’im, and Ketuvim together comprise the Tanakh, which Jews call the Bible and Christians call the Old Testament. It is important to note that the Jews and Christians have a different “canon” for their Bibles, with seven books the Jewish canon does not include that are included in the Christian canon.
The Vayikra
The third book of the Torah is called Vayikra, which means “And He called.” This central book describes the sacrificial system and the duties of the Levites (Kohanim). Even though the sacrificial system was replaced by Yeshua’s blood sacrifice on the cross, the teachings of this book are still crucial to our relationship with God. It is traditionally the first book studied by Jewish children, as it has much to teach us about serving God.
The laws in this book are complex, and one of the reasons they are considered more important than those of Breisheet and Shemot is because of how essential it is to know how to connect with G-d through prayer. That is why the text contains many parsha breaks, which are denoted by empty space in a Talmud and Torah scroll and are required for review and reflection.
The Ketuvim, which means Writings, are the 13 books that include poetry, wisdom literature, philosophy, history and prophecy. They include the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah.
The Ketuvim
The Writings (Ketuvim) include poetry, wisdom literature and historical texts that do not have the specific inspiration of prophecy. These books form a separate section of the Tanakh.
The poems and songs of the Ketuvim are chanted on many Jewish holidays, especially Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Pesach and Yom Kippur. They are also recited on weekdays and special occasions. The writings of the poets David and Solomon, Job, Esther, and Lamentations are cherished for their depth of feeling and wisdom. Sefer Mishlei (“Proverbs”) is a classic work on the value of wisdom and a rebuke for those who lack it, while the story of Esther affirms the power of women over men.
The history of the post-exilic period is retold in the books of Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah and 1 and 2 Chronicles. These are often considered to be one book, due to their common author and subject matter of the return from exile and rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple. The enduring wisdom of the Ketuvim has informed Jewish religious and cultural identity, while its themes of love, justice and spirituality resonate beyond Judaism.
The Devarim
The fifth and last book of the Torah, Devarim or ‘Words’, contains Moses’ farewell address to his people. He reviews the events and laws that have taken place in their forty-year journey through the desert, rebuking them and encouraging them, warning them of dangers and prophecies. He also gives them a number of commandments that will only apply in the Land of Israel and rules concerning interaction with other nations.
Unlike the narrative voice in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers, in which ‘And it came to pass’ is the norm, the Devarim contains speeches that are uttered by Moses himself. The man who had once declared, “I am not a man of words” became at the end of his life one of history’s most powerful and visionary speakers.
The Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim form the Tanakh or Old Testament which Jews use in their daily lives. It is a central part of their religious and historical heritage, an invaluable source of guidance and inspiration for all times. It is a treasure chest of Jewish poetry, wisdom literature, philosophy, history and prophecy.
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