They are often referred to as the Chumash which means "five". The Torah scroll itself is hand written by a scribe in black ink on parchment. The parchment sheets are sewn together with the veins of a kosher animal. Wooden rollers are attached to the ends so that we can read from portion to portion on the scroll without the parchment being handled, this is because it is all hand written and the ink becomes brittle with age. Looking at a Torah scroll you can see that there are no vowels or punctuation marks. Start early and practice for your Bar or Bat Mitzvah ! http://www.akhlah.com/parsha/parisha.php 2009 Akhlah Inc. Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:54:36 -0500 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:53:16 -0500 webmaster@akhlah.com FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.1) http://www.feedforall.com http://www.akhlah.com/images/akhlah_rss.png http://www.akhlah.com/parsha/parisha.php The weekly Torah portion (Parsha) for children 78 31 This week's parsha is Korach (Numbers 16:1 - 18:32). Korach and 250 others lead a rebellion against Moses. HaShem tells Moses to have them take pans of incense and whomever HaShem accepts their offering will be the leader. HaShem causes the ground to swallow up the rebels. HaShem tells Moses to tell the leaders of each tribe to bring his staff and then inscribe his name on it and place it in the Ohel Moed. The next day Aaron's staff has blossomed, sprouting a bud and ripened almonds. His staff is placed in front of the Ark as a reminder to those who would rebel against HaShem. http://www.akhlah.com/parsha/bemidbar/korach.php 53037623-18B6-4F3C-B26D-2452120F22D6 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:54:06 -0500 Have some fun and test your knowledge about the Torah reading. http://www.akhlah.com/parsha/bemidbar/korach_puzzle.php 1DDF3A8C-28E3-4A85-B10F-995A2B4605F7 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:54:18 -0500 Bereshit means "in the beginning". The is the first book of the Torah and it tells the story of the creation, the patriarchs and matriarchs (people like Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob), and goes on to tell about the Israelites settling in Egypt. http://www.akhlah.com/parsha/bereshit/bereshit_index.php 65FFB42E-7E21-4621-A74F-71F8AFC21877 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:54:21 -0500 Shemoth means "Names" and it is the second book of the Torah. This book tells the struggles to leave Egypt, receiving the Torah on Mt Sinai and the beginning of our journey in the wilderness. http://www.akhlah.com/parsha/shemoth/shemoth_index.php ABA842CE-30B5-43FD-B838-A847DD2E7CEE Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:54:24 -0500 VaYikra means "and He called", and it is the third book of the Torah. Most of the book is concerned with priestly matters, but there are many wonderful ethics lessons that are taught in the stories. http://www.akhlah.com/parsha/vayikra/vayikra_index.php 3CBEF964-AB0E-4C4F-8E7C-8676DEF30B12 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:54:27 -0500 BeMidbar means "in the wilderness" and it is the fourth book of the Torah. It begins with the census of the tribes and continues with the journey through the wilderness. http://www.akhlah.com/parsha/bemidbar/bemidbar_index.php 4F558556-D179-43CC-998A-02E5DE586F06 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:54:29 -0500 Devarim means "words" and is the fifth book of the Torah. It is Moses' view of the journey and it concludes with the death of Moses and the Israelites entering Israel. http://www.akhlah.com/parsha/devarim/devarim_index.php D4F65D96-1E5B-4DDA-B951-CA23AAD6D505 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 09:54:32 -0500