Talk:Torah

I realize that in shul, the Torah is the scroll kept in the Aron HaKodesh. But if can't also be a book, just what do I call the book sitting on my shelf that says Torah on the spine (in English and Hebrew)? I suspect the contributor here is pointing out that the Torah used in services is a scroll and not a book, which is fair enough.

As to etymology, the Hebrew תורה may or may not have originally had to do with vision, but from an English perspective &mdash; and this is the English entry &mdash; the word "torah" is simply a borrowing from Hebrew. Information on the roots of the Hebrew word should go under the Hebrew entry.

With these points in mind, I'm going to revert the etymology, add a second definition for the "book" sense, and mention ceremonial use of the Torah scroll. -dmh 02:25, 12 October 2005 (UTC)


 * Well, I could also call it a Chumash -dmh 02:39, 12 October 2005 (UTC)

Yes, the one that you have at home is a Chumash or Torah,but not Sefer Torah as the one in the Shil. Because Sefer Torah is called the scroll in the Aron.