The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah

The Torah, the first five books of the Bible, is the moral guide of the Jewish people and the centerpiece of its religious life. For centuries, the teachings (Torah means "teaching") contained in this sacred 3,500-year-old document have been read aloud in the synagogue and studied privately by those seeking to extract from it meaningful life lessons.

Maintaining the sanctity of the Torah scroll is of high priority in Jewish tradition, and to achieve that end many laws have been introduced and customs established. In addition, numerous requirements relating to the writing of the Torah scroll and the reading of the scroll in the synagogue have evolved over time.

Following the "why" format he introduced in The Jewish Book of Why, in this volume Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch addresses hundreds of questions about the Torah rites and rituals that are followed today. He also traces the origins of the Torah and explains the different methods of interpretation and analysis that are used in its study.

From why Mount Sinai was chosen as the site of the Revelation, to why a Torah scroll must be written on parchment with a quill, to why non-Jews are permitted to handle a Torah scroll, Rabbi Kolatch explores a wide range of fascinating issues simply, concisely, and straightforwardly. As in his other best-selling books, he makes the information both crystal clear for the layman and reflective of the attitudes and practices of Jews of all denominations. This title was previously issued as This Is the Torah.

Alfred J. Kolatch, a graduate of the Teachers' Institute of Yeshiva University and its College of Liberal Arts, was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, which subsequently awarded him the Doctor of Divinity degree, honoris causa. From 1941 to 1948 he served as rabbi of congregations in Columbia, South Carolina, and Kew Gardens, New York, and as a chaplain in the United States Army.

Rabbi Kolatch authored more than fifty books, the most popular of which are The Jewish Book of Why and The Second Jewish Book of Why, The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah, The Jewish Mourner's Book of Why, Inside Judaism, A Handbook for the Jewish Home, The New Name Dictionary, The Comprehensive Dictionary of English and Hebrew First Names, The Family Seder, and The Jewish Child's First Book of Why. Among his other notable works are Great Jewish Quotations: By Jews and About Jews, The Presidents of the United States & the Jews (with David Dalin), What Jews Say About God, and Masters of the Talmud: Their Lives and Views.

In addition to his scholarly work, Rabbi Kolatch served as president of the Association of Jewish Chaplains of the Armed Forces and as vice-president of the interdenominational Military Chaplains Association of the United States.