Laying the Foundation
In this first post in this series titled Torahism, we will define Torah. It is vital for us to know the definition of Torah since the basic premise of Torahism is that believers, whether Gentile or Jew, should keep the Torah. We must understand the meaning of Torah before we can have meaningful conversations with our Torah-keeping friends or those who have questions about Torahism; this is the foundation from which we must start.
The meanings of Torah
- We must start by acknowledging that the Torah is part of the Christian Bible. As such, it is part of our sacred Scripture, our faith history, and God’s redemptive story (Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 4:16-17).
- The Hebrew word torah means “teaching, law (direction), doctrine, or instruction.”
- Torah most commonly refers to the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch or the Books of Moses.
- Torah can also be used in a narrower sense to refer to the Law of Moses, which consists of the 613 commandments found in Exodus through Deuteronomy. The Mosaic Law served as the terms of the Covenant that God made with Israel at Sinai. If Israel kept this law, she would be blessed, but if she disobeyed, the LORD would curse her (Deuteronomy 28:1-29:1).
- The entire Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh), what Christians call the Old Testament, can also be called Torah.
- In the broadest sense, Torah refers to the whole body of Jewish law and teachings, including the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud.
How I will use Torah in this series
As we journey through our study of Torahism and the Scriptures, I will refer to the Torah as the first five books of the Bible and the Law of Moses (the Mosaic law) to describe the set of commands given by the LORD to Israel at Mount Sinai.
Aren’t the Torah and the Law of Moses the same thing?
Although many Torah-keepers oppose the idea that the Torah and the Law of Moses are different, Scripture supports the distinction between the two.
This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise (Galatians 3:17)
We see that the Torah, the content of the first five books of the Bible that are part of God’s redemptive story, began before and is distinct from the law God gave to Moses (the Mosaic law). Galatians 3:17 tells us that the Mosaic Law is a part of the Torah, and the Torah is part of the Bible’s metanarrative. The Bible’s big story is one of God leading His people into a right relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ.
Concluding Thoughts
Whether one uses Torah to describe the Mosaic Law, the Bible’s first five books, or both, it describes part of God’s revealed revelation to mankind. Understanding how each person defines Torah provides a foundation for meaningful conversations with those who keep it.
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