What IS Torah?

What IS Torah? What does the term encompass? The word "Torah" means "teaching", not "Law" as it is often mistranslated. In Deuteronomy 5:19, we are told that at the Revelation we heard, "A great voice, v'lo yasaf." The latter term, ironically, can have two opposite meanings. It can mean, "and it didn't continue" or "and it didn't stop." Which is it? It's both! On one level, the revelation at Sinai was a one time, extraordinarily unique occurrence. G-d spoke directly to Man, communicating His will. We are told never to add to these words, nor take away from them. Even if a prophet should come, work miracles, but try to take us away from the Divine Teaching, he is subject to the death penalty (Deut. 13). So, on one level, the word "Torah" means exclusively the "Five Books of Moses," either in book or scroll form. It is indeed a "great voice...which didn't continue." There would be no new Torah. Yet, we are told in the Torah that there would be prophets, and, as long as their words don't contradict what G-d has said, we are to obey them. In fact, we are to obey the "elders" (rabbis) as well (Deut.17:8-13)! That is the second meaning of Torah: A voice that didn't stop. G-d speaks still through inspired men, prophets and sages. Some prophets heard the word of G-d directly, but not on the same level as Moses. The rabbis compare this to one looking through a translucent pane of glass, as opposed to a transparent one. Some prophets only saw symbolic visions, which needed to be interpreted. The age of prophecy ended shortly after the building of the Second Temple (5th century BCE) but there remained many who were inspired by G-d, even if they neither heard His voice nor saw visions. The sages of that era were faced with the task of determining which books were either revealed or inspired, and which were either false or simply human history and wisdom. Under the auspices of Ezra, Nehemiah, the last three prophets (Haggai, Zachariah and Malachi), the body of Priests and Sages began sorting through the books, deciding what was "in" and what was "out." They eventually settled on 24 books that were "in," (this took several centuries) although there were still debates on some until the first century BCE. Moreover, they had to decide on the authentic text. Errors had crept in. The Samaritan Torah has thousands of differences from ours, some extremely significant (the Samaritans are an ancient heretical offshoot of Judaism made up primarily of presumed insincere converts). For those who reject the Oral Torah, they must ask themselves how they can rely on the written Torah, when it was edited, and books chosen, by the body of elders specified in Deut. 17. But what is the point of the Prophets and Holy Writings if the Torah is immutable? The prophets elaborate on the Torah, exhort the people to obedience, tell of a bright future for those who follow G-d's word, and the ultimate downfall of Evil. No prophet has the right or the ability to change anything in the Torah. However, we do find practices and concepts in the prophets that are meant to ENHANCE our observance. For instance, Isaiah (58:13-14) tells us to "delight" in the Sabbath, and not to even speak of weekday concerns. This is not adding to the Torah, but "putting a fence around it." So, the prophets and Holy Writings are part of the Bible (Tanakh), but can add nothing new that isn't in the original Torah. When the prophetic era ended, the age of the Sages began. They would transmit, build "fences" and clarify the Word of G-d, in accordance with Deut. 17. Any teaching, insight or new interpretation made upon the foundations of the Torah is also Torah! So, when we speak of the Torah, it must be understood that there was the Voice that didn't continue: the Five Books that ultimately contain all. There was also the Voice that didn't stop: The words of prophets and sages, until this very day. This, too, is Torah.