What is torah books in hebrew?

The Hebrew word for Torah books is ספרי תורה (Sifrei Torah), referring to the sacred scrolls and books of Scripture. More broadly, the complete Hebrew Bible — Torah, Prophets, and Writings — is called תנ"ך (Tanakh), an acronym for Torah, Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).

Key Takeaways

• The Torah itself is called תּוֹרָה (Torah), meaning "teaching" or "instruction."
• The five books of Moses are known as חֲמִשָּׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תּוֹרָה (Chamisha Chumshei Torah), or simply חוּמָשׁ (Chumash).
• The complete Hebrew Bible is called תַּנַ"ךְ (Tanakh) — Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim.
• A handwritten Torah scroll is called a סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה (Sefer Torah), and multiple scrolls are סִפְרֵי תּוֹרָה (Sifrei Torah).
• The Torah is described as the eternal inheritance of the Jewish people [Deuteronomy 33:4].

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The Names of the Torah Books in Hebrew

The Torah (תּוֹרָה) — The Five Books of Moses

Each book has a Hebrew name, typically taken from one of its opening words:

| Hebrew Name | Transliteration | Common English Name | |---|---|---| | בְּרֵאשִׁית | Bereishit | Genesis | | שְׁמוֹת | Shemot | Exodus | | וַיִּקְרָא | Vayikra | Leviticus | | בַּמִּדְבָּר | Bamidbar | Numbers | | דְּבָרִים | Devarim | Deuteronomy |

Together, these five books are called חֲמִשָּׁה חוּמְשֵׁי תּוֹרָה (Chamisha Chumshei Torah), meaning "the five fifths of the Torah," shortened to חוּמָשׁ (Chumash).

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The Full Tanakh (תַּנַ"ךְ)

Beyond the five books of Moses, the Hebrew Bible includes:

• נְבִיאִים (Nevi'im) — the Prophets (e.g., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the Twelve Minor Prophets)
• כְּתוּבִים (Ketuvim) — the Writings (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Esther)

The retrieved sources confirm that ספרי תורה נביאים וכתובים (Sifrei Torah, Nevi'im u'Ketuvim) — Torah, Prophets, and Writings — are the three divisions of the Hebrew canon [Torah Temimah, Genesis 9:27].

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The Torah as "Good Teaching" and Eternal Heritage

The Torah is described in Proverbs as לֶקַח טוֹב (lekach tov), "good teaching":

"כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם תּוֹרָתִי אַל־תַּעֲזֹבוּ" — "For I have given you good teaching; do not forsake My Torah." [Proverbs 4:2]

And in Deuteronomy, the Torah is declared the eternal inheritance of Israel:

"תּוֹרָה צִוָּה־לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב" — "The Torah that Moses commanded us is the heritage of the congregation of Jacob." [Deuteronomy 33:4]

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A Note on Language

The Torah Temimah [Genesis 9:27] notes that while the Torah was given in לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ (Lashon HaKodesh, the Holy Tongue — Hebrew), the Talmud records that Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel permitted sacred books to also be written in Greek, as it was considered the most beautiful of all languages among the nations [Megillah 9b]. However, Hebrew remains the primary and sacred language of Torah.