What is the Torah?

What’s this “Torah” thing I keep hearing about? Do the people talking about “Torah” belong to some weird cult? ‘ No, it’s not a cult, and it’s not weird. Torah is a Hebrew word which, in English versions of the Bible, is most often translated as “law”. So, why call it “Torah”? Why not just call it “law”, like everyone else does? There are a few reasons. One reason is that the word “law” conjures up certain preconceived and usually negative ideas in people’s minds. The main reason though is that “law” is not the best translation in very many instances. “Instructions” would often be better. Contrary to what most Christians seem to think, the Torah isn’t a set of laws that people had to obey to be saved and they weren’t punished with eternal damnation if they didn’t keep “the law” perfectly. The Torah is God’s instruction manual on how He wants us to live. It can refer either to the books of Moses or the instructions they contain. It was not given by a vindictive God who delights in punishing those who don’t do everything He sais perfectly, but by a loving God who wants the best for His children. In the Torah, God tells us the best possible way for us to live.