Notes From the Lampert Library
Simchat Torah, the joyous celebration of the Torah, is just a few days away. Jews have always had the repudiation of being scholars: the men studied assiduously while their wives earned the family living.
Our reputation as The People of the Book is well deserved. A list of Nobel Prize winners includes more Jewish recipients than our population warrants. Top researchers, scholars, professors, authors, etc. are also well represented.
So what is this “book” that started our scholarly reputation?
The Torah in its essence is the Five Books of Moses, the Pentateuch, written by hand on a parchment scroll. By extension, Torah is the entire written Hebrew Bible, the TaNaKH, including Torah (Teachings), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings,) Extending that further implies that Torah includes both the written and the oral Torah – Mishnah and Talmud. And in its very broadest sense, Torah is the entire body of Jewish law and teachings that have guided and instructed Jews for millennia.
Torah has informed the famous, the infamous, and the unknown.
At this season of introspection culminating on Simchat Torah, one might consider this quotation from Dena Weinberg: “Torah is not education, its transformation.”
Chaim Potok, author of In the Beginning has said “…. if the Torah cannot go out into your world of scholarship and return stronger, then we are all fools and charlatans. I have faith in the Torah. I am not afraid of truth.”
Torah provides life lessons as Wendy Mogel in The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children posits. “The sages advise us to study Torah lishma-“for its own sake” rather than to impress others with our scholarship. A paradox of parenting is that if we love our children for their own sake rather than for their achievements, it’s more likely that they will reach their true potential.”
Meir Soloveichik of the modern Orthodox rabbinical family stated that “The giving of the Torah is a story of God seeking to provide humanity with the opportunity to make moral decisions.”
Allusions to Torah infuse art, literature and music. Torah provides inspiration in the native languages of millions of people.
Indeed, Torah is a tree of life and inspiration in the broadest sense of the words.
So, on next Monday evening and Tuesday morning come dance and sing and celebrate with the Torah and be inspired by its words and ability to last in the face of challenges, misinterpretations, and time.
To read:
The Modern Men’s Torah Commentary: New Insights from Jewish Men on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions
Unscrolled: 54 Writers and Artists Wrestle with the Torah
Artson, The Bedside Torah: Wisdom, Visions, and Dreams
Eskenazi, The Torah: A Women’s Commentary
Robinson, Essential Torah: A Complete Guide to the Five Books of Moses
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