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An acronym for the sacred writings of Judaism: Torah, Nevi'im, Kethuvim (The Books of Moses, Prophets, and Writings). As Jews, we are the people of the Book. Torah is the Book; Tanach provides the "rest of the story" through the Prophets, the histories of the Kings and Judges, the poetry of Psalms and Ecclesiastes. So far, my study has focused more on Torah. I have attended Torah Study for several years now, reading and discussing portions with rabbis and other members of Temple Israel, reading commentaries both from the Tradition and contemporary. This year (2003), I also attended some Torah Study sessions at Macalester College (where I worked) during the week. I have attended some of the monthly discussions of Pirke Avot at synagogue, as well. I would like to read Nevi'im and Kethuvim more than I have.

The study of Torah, however, above all has provided guidance, revelation, solace, and intellectual challenge to me. I find it delightful and frustrating. Some weeks, I seem to be struggling in my life with some issue, then come to read the parsha, discuss its ramifications in Torah Study, and discover a key to unlock the struggle. Other weeks, life goes on smoothly, then something from the parsha or our discussion opens up onto a question I must wrestle with, or all too often, wrestle with once again. This, for me, is the wonder at the center of Judaism: struggle, wrestling, engagement with larger meanings. And the wonder of Torah is that each time, nearly every time, I come to the portion, I find in it not a general relevance, but a very specific relevance to my life at that point in time. Once I heard Rav Wolf speak of this as the "danger" of studying Torahfinding revelation everywhere, and then becoming not afraid (as in full of Awe), but proud, as in the Greek notion of Hubris, thinking one can understand what is beyond human understanding: Ha'Shem and Creation. Keter emanates from outside of time and history, and thus from outside of human understanding. What seem like revelations of the Whole are mere glimpses of the Beloved through a distant window.

TALMUD, MISHNEH AND GEMARA The Talmud is a collection (or collections, given the Babylonian Talmud and Jerusalem Talmud) of Rabbinical question, discussion, thought and interpretation of Torah. It is both Commentary and Clarification. The Mishnah, essentially, is a summary of the laws (or Mitzvoth) of Torah. It represents one of the earliest attempts to codify the mitzvoth for easy translation into practice.

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