Menken - The everything Torah book : all you need to understand the basics of Jewish law and the five books of the Old Testament

THE

Torah Book

Dear Reader:

One of Charles Schultzs famous Peanuts cartoons portrays Charlie Brown facing a history test. The single question reads, Explain World War II. Use both sides of the paper if necessary.

Providing Every thing Torah in several hundred pages is a similarly daunting task. According to traditional Jewish thought, the Torah is nothing less than the Blueprint of Creation. The Written Torah is merely the beginning; the full Torah tells us why God Created the world, and what we should hope to accomplish now that were here. In a way, Everything Torah is redundantfor Everything is in Torah.

As a broad introduction to the Torah Path, I do hope that every reader finds this book a valuable source of insights and understanding. For those Jews unfamiliar with the idea of ongoing Torah study and discovery, I hope this will be a starting point in your Jewish learning, and lead to much morebecause it is critical to our Jewish future.

Torah study is a never-ending process. I look forward to meeting you, receiving your feedback, and corresponding with you, at www.everythingtorah.com!

Copyright 2005, F+W Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN: 1-59337-325-2
Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Menken, Yaakov. The everything Torah book / Yaakov Menken.
p. cm.(An everything series book) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-59337-325-2
1. JudaismSacred books. 2. JudaismEssence, genius, nature. 3. Judaism
History. 4. Bible. O.T. PentateuchCommentaries. I. Title. II. Series: Everything series.
BM496.6.M46 2005
296.1dc22
2005009552

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-872-5627.

THE

TORAH
BOOK

All you need to understand the basics of
Jewish law and the Five Books of the Old Testament

Rabbi Yaakov Menken

Editorial

Production

Visit the entire Everything Series at www.everything.com

In memory of my father-in-law, Rabbi Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld zl.

My parents, Dr. Matthew Menken and Prof. Jane Menken, sent me out to get an education and to value the truth. Rabbis beyond mention helped me find it, but Rabbis Nosson Tzvi Finkel, Dovid Gottlieb, Yisroel Rakowsky, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Yaakov Eliezer Schwartzman, and Avraham Teichman shlita all made different extraordinary and lasting contributions. Rabbi Moshe Silberberg shlita and family take hospitality to the next level, and provided constant guidance and support.

Rabbi Azriel Rosenfeld zl, and yblctva his wife Chava, made me truly a part of their family when I married their daughter. My father-in-law was both a leading computer scientist and a Torah scholar at the same time, and his encyclopedic knowledge and sharp insights would have been a great help as I wrote this bookwhich is dedicated to his memory, HaRav Azriel Yitzchak ben HaRav Avraham Tzvi zl.

My children bring joy to our house every day, and were more than patient as their father worked away each evening. Above all, I thank my wife Tova, without whose ongoing support projects like this book would never come to be.

1. Love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus 19:18

2. Serve God with joy. Psalms 100:2

3. In accordance with the effort, is the reward. Fathers 5:23

4. The past is gone, the future is yet to come, and the present is like the blink of an eyeso why worry? Rabbi Avraham ibn Ezra

5. Look not at the vessel, but at what it contains. Fathers 4:20.

6. Who is Wealthy? He who is happy with his lot. Fathers 4:1

7. Fix your own problems first, before you correct everyone else. Talmud Bava Metziah 107b

8. Educate Each Child According to His Way. Proverbs 22:6

9. Silence is an aid to wisdom. Fathers 3:13

10. The entire world is but a narrow bridgeand the key is not to be at all afraid. R Nachman of Breslov

A NON-JEW once came to the master teacher and Sage, Hillel, and said, Convert me, on condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot. Hillel told him, That which is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. This is the entire Torah; the rest is commentary. Now go and learn!

It seems almost inconceivable that this Torah, which has had an unequaled impact upon the entire world, should come from a people that is, even today, tiny among the nations. But its true: the Jewish Nation, whoaccording to the Bookreceived the Torah 3,300 years ago, represent barely 0.2 percent (merely 2 in every 1,000) of the worlds population.