Title: To Know Torah Vol. 1 – The Book of Genesis
Author: Dr. Ephraim Chamiel
Genre: Spirituality, Judaism, Biblical History
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Dig deep into the plain meaning of the Bible’s stories and commandments

Would you like to know what the Old Testament (Pentateuch) is all about from a Jewish point of view? This book reveals the morals, ethics, and ideas behind the stories and commandments of one of the oldest books in the history of mankind – a book that serves as the foundation of Jewish and Christian religion. Given the difficult Hebrew in which the Old Testament was written and how challenging it is to translate and to explain, the author wanted to offer to the reader the simple meaning of the text (p’shat) in accessible and friendly language.

The Book of Genesis is opened before you – from a Jewish perspective

The series includes 5 books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Book 1, Genesis tells the stories of the Creation, the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Ark, the three patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and their families, and their journey from Canaan to Egypt.

I have to say that I never expected I would read a book like To Know Torah – I’m not Jewish, I don’t really know anyone who is Jewish personally, and while religion has always interested me up to some point, I didn’t think I would one day explore the Book of Genesis, and from a Jewish perspective at that.

In this book, Dr. Ephraim Chamiel exlains how to approach the Torah from this perspective, it explains the morals and ethics behind the stories in Genesis, and how to interpret the ancient Hebrew language in which it was originally written.

It’s an intriguing read, especially for people interested in religion or broadening their own world view. It’s a book you need to take your time for, and rather than rushing through the pages to get through the end as soon as possible, readers should take the time to let it all sink in.