Torah

noun

To·​rah ˈtȯr-ə 

ˈtȯi-rə

1

: the body of wisdom and law contained in Jewish Scripture and other sacred literature and oral tradition

2

: the five books of Moses constituting the Pentateuch

3

: a leather or parchment scroll of the Pentateuch used in a synagogue for liturgical purposes

Examples of Torah in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Madonna's 18-year-old son David can also be seen at the service carrying an open Torah over his head while wearing a tallit around his neck and rocking a cream-colored suit. —Emma Aerin Becker, Peoplemag, 9 Sep. 2024

The day of the assault was both Shabbat and Simchat Torah, the last of a series of important holidays in the fall. —David Remnick, The New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2024

StandWithUs Center for Legal Justice, a nonprofit that fights antisemitism, filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of seven Jewish people who planned to attend a real estate and religious event on June 23 at the Adas Torah Synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2024

During its heyday, the synagogue was surrounded by a complex of other synagogues, ritual baths and community institutions that formed a large center of Torah study and community life—the beating heart of Lithuanian Jewry. —Jns Staff Report, Sun Sentinel, 25 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Hebrew tōrāh

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Torah

• Simchas Torah
• the Torah

Kids Definition

Torah

noun

To·​rah ˈtōr-ə 

ˈtȯr-;

ˈtȯi-rə

1

: the wisdom and law contained in Jewish Scripture and other sacred writings and in oral tradition

2

: a scroll containing the first five books of the Old Testament used in a synagogue for religious services