Torah

Degree of authenticity

"..the Torah that God hath confirmed consists of the exact words that streamed forth at the bidding of God from the tongue of Him Who conversed with Him (Moses)."

(Bahá'u'lláh, from a previously untranslated Tablet; in The Bible: Extracts on the Old and New Testaments, at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_old_new_testaments )

"Know ye that the Torah is that which was revealed in the Tablets to Moses, may peace be upon Him, or that to which He was bidden. But the stories are historical narratives and were written after Moses, may peace be upon Him."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, from a previously untranslated Tablet; in The Bible: Extracts on the Old and New Testaments, at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_old_new_testaments )

"Know ye that the Torah is that which was revealed in the Tablets unto Moses, may peace be upon Him, and in that which He was commanded to do.... The glorious Book, the Mighty Decree, is what was in the Tablets which Moses, upon Him be peace, brought from Mount Sinai, and that which He proclaimed unto the Children of Israel, in accordance with the explicit text of those Tablets."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, from a previously untranslated Tablet; in The Bible: Extracts on the Old and New Testaments, at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_old_new_testaments )

"The essential part of the story is that Abraham was willing to obey God's command to sacrifice His son. Thus, although the account in the Torah is inaccurate in detail, it is true in substance....

"...The Bahá'ís believe that God's Revelation is under His care and protection and that the essence, or essential elements, of what His Manifestations intended to convey has been recorded and preserved in Their Holy Books. However, as the sayings of the ancient Prophets were written down some time later, we cannot categorically state, as we do in the case of the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, that the words and phrases attributed to Them are Their exact words"

(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, 9 August 1984 to an individual believer; in The Bible: Extracts on the Old and New Testaments, at https://bahai-library.com/uhj_old_new_testaments )

See also

• https://bahai-library.com/abdul-baha_tablet_wisdom_questions

Prayer for believer to teach meanings of the Torah with eloquence

"I ask of God that with His assistance and strong support thou mayest teach the inner meanings of the Torah with eloquence, understanding, vigour and skill. Turn thy face toward the Kingdom of God, ask for the bestowals of the Holy Spirit, speak, and the confirmations of the Spirit will come."

(Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 153, p. 179)

To-dos for this page

• Are there quotes on Torah being used more widely than the first 5 books of the Bible, and referring more generally to the Hebrew Bible? Add more quotes
• Reconcile with Bible authenticity