The Torah is the basis for Jewish life.
The Torah consists of the five Books of Moses. These books form the basis of all Jewish law and practice. A Torah scroll is a parchment scroll on which all five books have been inscribed by a specially trained calligrapher. Torah scrolls are typically kept in synagogues, in a special cabinet called an ark.
On Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays the Torah scroll is removed from the ark, paraded around the room, and then a weekly portion is chanted aloud for the whole community. In Judaism, Torah scrolls are considered the holiest objects and are handled with extreme affection and care. In particular, we are careful not to touch the parchment or text with our hands. The Torah contains Jewish history as well as laws.