G-d and Torah

How many words are there in the Torah? Various numbers are given in various sources, ranging from 79,856 to 79,980. These numbers all date from before the availability of a computerized text; a computer count should settle the issue.

What is the meaning of the concept that man was created "in the image of G-d"? Adam was distinguished from all the other created things in this world by his power of speech (see Targum on Gen. 2:7: "The man…

How do we know that G-d is One? The unity of G-d is one of the fundamental principles of Judaism. The Biblical source for this principle is the first verse of the Shema (Deut. 6:4). The Moslems too believe that…

Was the world perfect when it was created? Some commentators relate the word BARA ("created") to the two-letter stem B"R, which has the connotations of clarity (B’RURAH) and choiceness (B’REIRAH). This supports the idea that the world was created in…

How does one "cleave" to G-d? The Torah (Deut. 11:20) speaks about "cleaving" to G-d, but the Talmud (Kesubos 111b, Sotah 14a) points out that this isn’t possible in a literal sense; rather, it means that one should "imitate" G-d…

Where does it say in the Bible that the Torah is a source of truth? Here are some Biblical quotes that refer to Torah as a source of truth: Malachi 2:6: “Torah of truth was in his mouth”; Psalms 119:142:…

What are the Tanach and the Torah? “Tanach” is a contraction for “Torah, Neviim, Kesuvim” – the three parts of the Bible (or as the Christians call it, the Old Testament). The first part, the Torah, contains the five books…

What does it mean that the Torah is "eternal?" The eternity of the Torah is the ninth of Maimonides’ 13 principles of the Jewish faith; see also the ninth stanza of the poem Yigdal. Maimonides emphasizes the aspect that we…