People of the Book Trivia Quiz

Answer: The first five books of the Tanach (Old Testament).

The Torah is also referred to as the Five Books of Moses or the Pentateuch, and contains the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Torah scrolls are handwritten on parchment, placed in beautifully decorated covers and kept in the Holy Ark in the synagogue.

But to limit the definition of the word "Torah" to the physical scroll would not do justice to the concept of Torah. When a Jew refers to "Torah", he refers to the covenant between the Almighty and the Jewish people, and the system of moral and spiritual laws outlined in the Torah.

Answer: True

Acronyms are very common in Hebrew. "Tanach" comes from the letters T (Torah), N (Neveiim or Prophets) and K (Ketuvim, or Writings), the three major divisions of the Hebrew Bible. The Bible, undoubtedly the most influential book in the history of humankind, is one of the great contributions of the Jewish people to civilization.

The Bible has been translated into countless languages.

Answer: All of these.

The Mishnah was originally passed from generation to generation orally, and hence is also known as the "Oral Law". It was compiled and committed to writing about the year 200 C.E. by Yehudah HaNasi. It consists of six tractates, each dealing with a different subject, with a total of 24 volumes. The Mishnah provides a legal framework for daily behavior as well as moral teachings.

Answer: The Gemorah.

The word "Gemorah" means "completion" because it completes the commentary started in the Mishnah. The Gemorah was complied between the years 300-500 C.E. The Gemorah expands on the rulings given in the Mishnah and includes lively discussions and debates amongst the various rabbis and scholars of the day.

As well as ritual law, the Gemorah contains stories and moral and educational tales. Together, the Mishnah and Gemorah constitute the Talmud. The Gemorah was compiled following the destruction of the First Temple and the exile of the Jews to Babylon, hence the two versions.

The Babylonian Gemorah is more widely studied than the Jerusalem one, which includes laws specific to the Land of Israel.

Answer: A prayer book.

"Siddur" comes from the word meaning "Order", since prayers are said in a given order. There are many kind of siddurs available - Sephardic and Ashkenazic, - Orthodox, Conservative or Reform. Some siddurim (plural of "siddur") contain prayers for the weekdays and Sabbath, while others contain prayers for the holidays. Prayer books for the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are usually called "machzorim" ("machzor" in the singular).

Some siddurim are like a miniature Jewish handbook, and contain, in addition to the standard prayers, the wedding and circumcision service and blessings for all types of occasions.

Answer: Guide to the Perplexed.

Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon, also known as the Rambam or Maimonidise, was a 12th century Jewish scholar and physician. Born in Spain, he was forced to flee to Egypt due to increasing religious intolerance in his native country. "The Guide to the Perplexed", written in Arabic, is one of his most important works, and one of the Jewish texts most often studied by Gentile scholars. For instance, St. Thomas of Aquinas was acquainted with the "Guide" and refers to "Rabbi Moses" in his writings. "The Guide to the Perplexed" was the Rambam's attempt to reconcile Jewish thought with Aristotelian thought. (Some of this information came from the Jewish Virtual Library.)

Answer: False

According to traditional wisdom, a man should be married, over the age of forty and well-versed in Torah and Talmud, before studying Zohar or other mystical texts. It was feared that emerging oneself in such deep texts would be dangerous for people who did not have a firm foundation in Torah, maturity, and a stable family life.

The study of Kabbalah has recently been popularized, and many well-known celebrities have taken it up. I suspect they may approach Zohar in a different fashion from traditional Torah students and rabbis.

Answer: A compilation of Jewish law in abbreviated form.

Rabbi Joseph Caro of Safed, wrote the "Shulchan Aruch" or "Set Table" in the seventeen century. It is a comprehensive guide to Jewish law. Rabbi Caro's intention was to provide accessible answers to day-to-day questions for people who did not have the time or means to consult a rabbi or delve into Talmud.

The "Shulchan Arch" is used to this very day. Interestingly, Rabbi Caro also wrote a Kabbalistic text called "Beit Yosef", in addition to the ultra-practical "Shulchan Aruch". Player "Arpeggionist" has added some interesting information. Rabbi Caro collaborated with Rabbi Moshe Isserlis in the writing of the "Shulchan Aruch", a remarkable example of cooperation between an Ashkenazic and a Sephardic rabbi.

Answer: The Haggadah.

The "Haggadah" (telling) relates the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Parts of it come directly from the Torah, and others from the Mishnah. It contains songs and prayers, as well as instructions for the person leading the Passover feast, or Seder. Haggadas have been printed in many forms.

Some are works of art, and can be found in museum and libraries throughout the world. In modern times, kosher food manufacturers and other Jewish organizations have taken to printing Haggadas and distributing them to customers before the holiday.

Some of you may have fond memories of Haggadas distributed by Maxwell House Coffee or Manischewitz Foods. Since the Haggadah is used during a meal, it often becomes soiled by wine or food.

Answer: The Wars of the Jews.

"The War of the Jews" is Josephus Flavius' account of the Jewish revolt against Roman role in the year 63-66 C.E. Josephus, a Jew of priestly descent, is one of history's more controversial figures. Mysteriously, he was one of two soldiers to escape the mass suicide of Jewish partisans in Yodvat. Following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Josephus went to Rome and received a pension from the Roman government. Though scorned by both Jews and Christians throughout the ages as a traitor, his writings provide a rare look into this turbulent period.

His book includes a detailed account of the siege of Masada, where Jewish fighters and their families had found refuge in one of King Herod's palaces near the Dead Sea. Faced with certain defeat by the massed Roman legion beneath them, they committed suicide. Josephus' writings were translated into English in 1732, according to the Wikipedia, and found their place alongside the family Bible in many English homes during the nineteenth century.