The Torah For Dummies (For Dummies (Religion & Spirituality))

The Torah For Dummies (For Dummies (Religion & Spirituality))
by Arthur Kurzweil

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Book Summary Information

Author: Arthur Kurzweil
Edition: Paperback
Published: 2008-01-03
ISBN: 0470173459
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: For Dummies

Book Reviews of The Torah For Dummies (For Dummies (Religion & Spirituality))

Book Review: Dissapointed
Summary: 2 Stars

I have come to realize that Judaism (particularly the Torah aspect) is a difficult religion to explain simply. There are many apparent contradictions, myths and misunderstandings. My hope was that this book would discuss the Torah accurately and somewhat objectively.

On the first page of Chapter 1, the Author lost my trust by promoting the religious myth that the Torah was communicated to Moses by God. Torah historical scholars universally agree that the Torah was written by at least three to five individuals or groups during quite different time periods due to the presence of time-related content and different writing styles. This was not mentioned.

I also was not highly impressed by the section: Ten Frequently Misunderstood Quotes from the Torah. As a Jew, I found some of the explanations such as the 'Jealous God' one to be lacking in merit and problematic.

Lastly, the Author did not explain the contradiction of there being nothing holy but God (a common Jewish foundational belief) and treating the Torah and several other items in Judaism as holy. Nor did the Author explain how the Torah is delivered from God yet seems to promote various ethics that today we find immoral (sexism, etc.). Lastly, the Author did not explain why God chose to present itself as anthropomorphic (human like) including human negative qualities such as destroying a city out of rage yet simultaneously also teaching that God is perfect. Such cognitive dissonance appears to be preemtivly excused by the author as due to either anti-semitism or ignorance or serious Torah study. All I know is that as a Jew, my basic Torah questions were not answered.

All in all, I would not recommend this book to my non-Jewish friends as it lacks depth, clarity and scientific rigor.

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Summary of The Torah For Dummies (For Dummies (Religion & Spirituality))

An easy-to-understand introduction to Judaism's most sacred text

The foundation of Hebrew and Jewish religion, thought, law, and society is the Torah-the parchment scroll containing the text of the Five Books of Moses that is located in every synagogue. This accessible guide explains the Torah in clear language, even to those who were not raised in the Jewish religious tradition. Christians who want to know more about the Jewish roots of Christianity need to understand the Torah, as do followers of Islamic tradition and those interested in the roots of Abrahamic faiths. The Torah For Dummies explains the history of the Torah, its structure and major principles, and how the Torah affects the daily lives of people who follow the Jewish way of life.

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