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readers strong!
readers strong!
The Torah is our unending source of renewable spiritual energy. Far from just an antiquated set of holy books, it contains surprisingly modern insight about anything from who you should date to how you should run your business to what truly matters in life.
We hope you will join us and dive right into this treasure trove of wisdom, reading one short, moving portion each week, and discovering the stories that have guided the world for millennia.
To read a short portion of the Torah each week. It’s that simple. Just join the challenge, and we’ll send you an email each week that helps you explore the Torah and its insights.
The Torah is the foundational text of Judaism, consisting of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, delivered by God to Moses. They are Bereshit (Genesis), focusing mainly on the story of Abraham’s family and its covenant with God; Shemot (Exodus), telling the story of that family becoming a nation and, led by the great teacher and prophet Moses, leaving Egypt en route to the Promised Land; Vayikra (Leviticus), describing the work of the holy priests and delivering some essential mitzvot, or commandments, pertaining to moral behavior; Bamidbar (Numbers), detailing the preparations for entering the Promised Land and building a more perfect society there; and Devarim (Deuteronomy), consisting of Moses’s final speech, an epic poem that repeats the miraculous story of the Israelites and reminds them of God’s laws.
The Torah is divided into weekly portions, called parashot; we read one parasha per week in a cycle that takes us through the year and concludes on the holiday of Simchat Torah—literally meaning “rejoicing with the Torah”—in which we finish reading the Torah and start anew that same day.
The Torah is the central text in Jewish tradition. It’s the foundation for Jewish law (halacha), ethics, and identity. It has been studied, debated, and revered for thousands of years, shaping the way Jews understand their relationship with each other, the world, and with God.
Beyond Judaism, the Torah is deeply influential in Christianity and Islam as a sacred scripture. It’s also had a profound impact on modern culture, inspiring art, literature, philosophy, and more. Its timeless teachings resonate far beyond the Jewish community, making it, without exaggerating, one of the most impactful books of all time.
So when you read the Torah, you’re not just reading old stories in an old book. You’re engaging with life’s deepest questions - about purpose, morality, and our responsibilities to one another. You’re understanding a new layer of the culture around you. And you’re tapping into a shared history of the Jewish people, revealing its ancient wisdom and how it can still guide you in the modern world.
Commit to reading the weekly Torah portion. If you can, start on Simchat Torah, when the yearly Torah cycle starts anew. And if you’re late to the party, don’t sweat it - jump in where you can, cause you can be sure that we’ll make it back to the beginning next Simchat Torah.
Think about how the stories and lessons apply to your life. Read our analyses and partner content to broaden your knowledge, on Torah and on life. And write to us with your thoughts, difficulties, and perspectives on the weekly parsha!
Judaism isn’t a solitary religion. It’s centered around community, as is Torah reading. The Simchat Torah Challenge’s partner organizations, local events, and online zooms are all ways to get you reading and talking about Torah with others.
