Don’t be fooled by the title; it’s not just a commentary. It includes the text of the Torah in Hebrew and English translation, plus footnotes and scholarly introductions. (It also includes the Haftarah portions, but don’t worry if you don’t know about those.)

What is the Torah? It’s the first five books of the Jewish (and Christian) Bible—also known as the Books of Moses and the Pentateuch. It contains the laws that have sustained the Jewish people for 5,000 years, not to mention the stories of Genesis and Exodus.

Jews traditionally read portions of the Torah each week, completing (and beginning anew) the cycle at the holiday of Simchat Torah, which occurs in the fall just after the Jewish New Year. So, I will be reading this translation until Oct. 11, 2009.