Many are misunderstanding how the Jewish people engage in Torah study, it is not simply memorizing passages or stories, or the act of just reading it. Studying Torah to the Jewish people is an active, living, and very lively experience. Studying Torah is a spiritual act, full of discourse, finding hidden truths, arguing for the sake of heaven (aka not to be petty), all to come to new realizations, interpretations, and applications of the Torah text. This brings very deep meaning and understanding of the Torah portions read and examined.

Torah is uniformly read and studied across the globe, at the same time, this breeds unity amongst the Jewish people, even with massive distances, cultures, nationalities, and because of great diversity yet unity, we are one in Torah. Through doing this, every year we collectively read through the whole of the Torah and study the Torah actively to explore its deepest depths of wisdom. 

When I first learned this in my journey, I watched videos online, read the many Torah commentators from various rabbinical scholars, sages, and laypeople alike. My favorite so far has been the Rashi commentaries on the Torah, as his wisdom shines through as he makes a point to simplify the text of the Torah so that all gain a deeper understanding. Other commentaries offer other insights, so it’s important to study from several on your own, as well as to study the weekly Torah portion together. 

Being an active participant in Torah is a principle act in Judaism, Torah is at the heart of Judaic beliefs and practices, and so its study is paramount. This deep dive into Torah is one of the aspects that links the Jewish people of today, directly with those of millennia ago.