Have you ever sat in a synagogue and wondered why the Torah scroll is treated with such extraordinary care? Or why it must be handwritten on parchment with a quill rather than simply printed? If questions like these have ever crossed your mind, then The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah by Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch is exactly the book you need. Thoughtfully written and meticulously researched, this remarkable volume peels back the layers of tradition, law, and meaning that surround the Torah — Judaism's most sacred and enduring text.

Understanding The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah

When we talk about the Jewish Book of Why the Torah, we're talking about one of the most reader-friendly deep dives into Jewish scripture ever written. The Torah — comprising the five books of Moses, from Genesis to Deuteronomy — is far more than a religious text. It is the beating heart of Jewish identity, a 3,500-year-old document that continues to guide Jewish communities in matters of faith, law, ethics, and daily life.

Rabbi Kolatch approaches this sacred subject through the lens of curiosity. Just as he did in his widely celebrated earlier work The Jewish Book of Why, he structures this volume around real questions that real people ask — and he answers every single one with clarity, care, and scholarly depth. The result is a book that feels less like a lecture and more like a conversation with a trusted and knowledgeable guide.

The Power of Asking "Why"

There is something deeply Jewish about the act of asking questions. It is woven into the fabric of the tradition — from the Four Questions of the Passover Seder to the centuries-long debates of the Talmud. Questioning is not seen as doubt; it is seen as devotion. The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah honors that spirit wholeheartedly.

Among the many thought-provoking questions Rabbi Kolatch explores are:

  • Why was Mount Sinai the chosen site for the Revelation? This seemingly simple question opens a window into Jewish theology, humility, and the nature of divine communication.
  • Why must every Torah scroll be written by hand on parchment with a quill? The answer stretches back through centuries of halakhic law and speaks to the irreplaceable value of human intention in sacred work.
  • Why are non-Jews permitted to handle a Torah scroll? A nuanced question that touches on Jewish law's surprisingly open and respectful stance toward interfaith engagement.

These questions, and hundreds more like them, make The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah not just an informative read — but a genuinely fascinating one.

Why the Torah Scroll Is Unlike Any Other Book

One of the most captivating aspects of this book is the attention it gives to the Torah scroll itself — the physical object that sits at the center of Jewish worship. For those unfamiliar, the Torah scroll is not simply a printed copy of a text. It is a handcrafted ritual object, painstakingly written by a trained scribe (called a sofer), dressed in ornamental coverings, and treated with a reverence that has no parallel in most religious traditions.

Throughout the year, congregations gather to hear the Torah read aloud in a carefully structured cycle. The scroll is lifted, carried, and kissed. If one is dropped, the entire congregation fasts. These aren't superstitions — they are the outward expressions of a community's profound connection to its foundational document. Rabbi Kolatch traces the origins of every one of these practices, helping readers understand not just what Jews do, but why they do it.

The Man Behind the Book: Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch

To appreciate The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah fully, it helps to know something about its author. Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch was not simply an academic writing for other academics. He was a congregational rabbi, a U.S. Army chaplain, and ultimately one of the most prolific and beloved Jewish writers of his generation.

Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America — which later conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree — Kolatch brought both scholarly rigor and genuine pastoral warmth to everything he wrote. Over the course of his career he authored more than fifty books, including The Jewish Mourner's Book of Why, The Second Jewish Book of Why, Inside Judaism, and The Jewish Child's First Book of Why. His hallmark was always the same: making Jewish knowledge genuinely available to every reader, regardless of background or denomination.

The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah was previously issued under the title This Is the Torah, and its reputation has only grown since its original publication.

Praise from Readers and Scholars Alike

Few books earn the kind of across-the-board acclaim that this one has received. Scholars, rabbis, and everyday readers have all found something to love in it.

Library Journal praised the book as "authoritative" and "excellent." The Canadian Jewish News called it "a winner" and a work "destined to be referred to in countless homes and libraries for years to come." Rabbi Solomon B. Freehof, one of the great rabbinic minds of the twentieth century, described it as "an immeasurable contribution to Judaic literature." Rabbi Robert Pilavin called it "a learned but popular introduction to virtually everything worth knowing about the reading and writing of a Torah scroll."

Praise like this doesn't come easily — and it reflects a book that has genuinely earned its place as a classic of accessible Jewish scholarship.

Who Will Benefit Most from This Book?

The beauty of The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah is how wide its appeal truly is. It speaks to:

  • Lifelong Jewish readers who grew up with these rituals but never fully explored the reasoning behind them.
  • Students and teachers of Jewish studies who need a reliable, comprehensive, and readable reference.
  • Interfaith readers and seekers who are curious about Jewish practice and want to understand it with both accuracy and empathy.
  • Anyone who has ever attended a Jewish service, watched a Torah procession, or simply felt the pull of an ancient tradition and wondered where it all came from.

Rabbi Kolatch's genius was writing a book that a rabbi could recommend from the pulpit and a complete newcomer could pick up with no prior knowledge — and both would walk away enriched.

Get Your Copy Today

The Jewish Book of Why: The Torah is available in hardcover at a list price of $24.95 (ISBN: 978-0-8246-0454-7, 432 pages). Order your copy through JDBooks.com or find it on Amazon. For bulk or quantity orders, reach out at [email protected] or call 718-456-8611.

A Final Word

Three and a half thousand years after it was first given, the Torah remains the cornerstone of Jewish life. Yet for many — both inside and outside the Jewish community — the rituals and reverence surrounding it can feel mysterious or even impenetrable. The Jewish Book of Why the Torah by Rabbi Alfred J. Kolatch is the bridge that closes that gap.

Written with warmth, grounded in scholarship, and driven by the timeless Jewish impulse to ask and understand, this book invites every reader — curious, devout, or somewhere in between — to encounter the Torah not as a distant relic, but as the living, breathing teaching it has always been.