Its more than just the 10 commandments…
The written Torah is “technically” the collection of books often known as the hebrew bible or the tanakh. This cannon is made up of the five books of moses (genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers, deuteronomy), also the books of the prophets (such as isaiah, or zephaniah – this guy’s not so popular but his name is fun to say), and lastly the works of the writings (with favorites such as the psalms, job, ruth, or esther).
Why do I say technically?
Throughout jewish history, the word ‘Torah’ has been used to mean any form of Wisdom or Truth. Learning Torah has included works such as the talmud, midrash, and kabbalah (jewish mysticism); and nowadays has come to also include things like poetry, acts of civil disobedience, and wordless musical melodies.
So, really, the hebrew bible as ‘Torah’ is simply a work which contains profound pearls of wisdom and truths. Stories that try to bring us closer to the ultimate Truth of what it means to be alive.
Why is my blog called written torah then?
I can’t promise that each post will be inspirational, or wise, or life-changing, but I hope that the ideas expressed throughout the pages on this site will stimulate conversation. Conversations that join a 3,000-year-old process of thinking, feeling, and acting on ideas that seek to bring us closer to one another and towards ourselves.
These, hopefully, thought-provoking blog posts will be presented in the written format.
Hence, written Torah. Enjoy!
Rabbi Misha Clebaner 