The foundation of  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.

The Torah For Dummies by Arthur Kurzweil explains the Torah in clear language, even to those who were not raised in the Jewish religious tradition.

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.

Understand Jewish celebrations, symbols, and observances, discover how the Torah guides all aspects of human behavior

Jewish tradition teaches that hidden within the letters of the Torah is the wisdom of the universe. This plain-English guide to this profound collection of insight and guidance explains how the basic principles of the Five Books of Moses continuously apply to new situations as human history unfolds.

Discover:

• The Torah’s view of G-d and G-d’s message
• The celebration of holy days in Torah time
• Ways to follow Jewish customs according to the Torah
• The different levels of Torah interpretation
• Translations for studying the Torah

The Torah for Dummies is chock full of invaluable, meaningful, and fascinating information, answering questions I’ve had for years about what the Torah is, and what the Torah actually says.

The book is presented in a comprehensible, organized and reader-friendly manner. It’s divided into six sections. The first, called Torah 101, provides a clear overview of the basic and most important concepts in the Torah. Second section addresses each of the five books of  Moses, describing the contents, the main ideas and the significance of  each one. The third section teaches us how Torah relates to our everyday lives, offering an abundance of  examples of how we are meant to use it as a manual for life. Fourth section talks about the importance of the Torah in Judaism and in Jewish tradition, elaborating on the Shabbat, the Jewish holidays, life cycles, traditions and symbols, as well as on the laws and reasons for kashrut. Fifth section discusses, in detail, the Ten Commandments and several common misconceptions people have, both about the commandments and about other quotes from the Torah. The last section, apart from offering a glossary of names and terms used in the Torah, includes a list of all 613 commandments (both the do’s and don’ts), categorized according to subject.

The book provides direct references to the Torah throughout, making it easy to find exactly where in the Torah a particular quote or idea can be found. The margins of the pages of  Torah for Dummies contain occasional icons, or symbols, which call the reader’s attention to particularly important concepts, misconceptions, or words of wisdom found in the Torah. (Amazon.com)

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Arthur Kurzweil‘s own personal quest eventually led him to explore his spiritual identity, which resulted in his seminal book on Jewish genealogical research, the classic best seller From Generation to Generation.

Realizing that there were relatively few serious Jewish books available to the English language reader, Arthur Kurzweil developed what has been described as a visionary plan to transform the experience of the Jewish seeker looking for nourishing Jewish books. During his tenure as an editor and publisher, Arthur Kurzweil has commissioned and published over 700 volumes of Jewish interest.

Arthur is the author of On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz: 25 Years of Pre-Dawn Car Trips, Mind-Blowing Encounters and Inspiring Conversations with a Man of Wisdom. The book is Arthur’s spiritual memoir about his experiences as a student and chauffeur for one of the great Jewish leaders of our time, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. Arthur is also the author of Pebbles of Wisdom from Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz (2009), a collection of teachings on a wide range of subjects by Rabbi Steinsaltz.

Arthur was approached by the famous “for Dummies” series, who invited him to write Kabbalah for Dummies, based on his serious private studies with some of the leading authorities in the field of Kabbalah, and because of Arthur’s reputation as a teacher who is able to explain difficult spiritual concepts in down to earth, accessible language. Arthur is also the author of The Torah for Dummies.

Arthur has had a lifelong passion for books. Trained as a professional librarian, editor-in-chief of the Jewish Book Club for 17 years, past president of the Jewish Book Council, Judaica acquisitions editor and literary agent, Arthur Kurzweil came to a personal conclusion that the ultimate book for him is the one often described as the cornerstone of Jewish culture, the Talmud.

With the guidance of his teacher, the renowned Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, Arthur Kurzweil has inspired many people across the United States to discover and get entangled with the Talmud. As the Coordinator of the Talmud Circle Project, under the direction of Rabbi Steinsaltz, Arthur Kurzweil’s mission has been to introduce the Talmud to Jewish spiritual seekers. He has been the catalyst for many individuals as well as synagogue groups who now study Talmud regularly.

Arthur Kurzweil is also an accomplished magician. A member of the Society of American Magicians (founded by Harry Houdini) as well as a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Arthur Kurzweil blends his spiritual interests with magical effects, adding his own insights and weaving together an enchanting presentation for his audiences.

Often described as America’s foremost Jewish genealogist, Arthur Kurzweil’s name has become synonymous with Jewish genealogical research. His highly praised book, From Generation to Generation: How to Trace Your Jewish Genealogy and Family History, has become known as the definitive guidebook to the field. Arthur Kurzweil has spoken before hundreds of Jewish groups on a variety of topics related to Jewish genealogy. A co-founder of the very first Jewish Genealogical Society in the 1970′s, today there are nearly 70 Jewish Genealogical Societies throughout the world.

Arthur Kurzweil is also the author of The Encyclopedia of Jewish Genealogy as well as My Generations: A Course in Jewish Family History. My Generations is a popular textbook that has been used for almost twenty years in many synagogue schools throughout the United States and Canada.

As a writer, Arthur Kurzweil has been published by New York Magazine, the L.A. Times, the Miami Herald, Newsday, most of the national Jewish periodicals, and for two years served as a weekly columnist for the Jewish Week of New York.

Arthur Kurzweil is the recipient of the Distinguished Humanitarian Award from the Melton Center of Ohio State University for his unique contributions to the field of Jewish education. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies. For many years he has been one of the most popular teachers at the annual conference of the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education as well as at Elat Chayyim: The Jewish Spiritual Retreat Center.

In addition to his work as a literary agent representing a number of authors, Arthur Kurzweil also serves as Judaica consultant for Jossey-Bass, a division of John Wiley Publishers, where he has begun to build another list of important Jewish books. A popular, engaging, humorous and moving lecturer and entertainer, Arthur Kurzweil has spoken and performed before hundreds of audiences of all ages. (source)

“The Torah for Dummies” by Arthur Kurzweil is available for iPhone,  iPod Touch,  iPad with free Amazon app (download app – here)

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1871 KB
Publisher: For Dummies (January 3, 2008)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
Price: $15.50 (Buy now)

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