Overview

The Hebrew term Chumash (also spelled Ḥumash) denotes the Five Books of Moses presented in a printed book, rather than in a ritual Torah scroll. The name comes from the Hebrew word for five, ḥamesh, and the formal phrase is Ḥamishah Ḥumshei Torah — "five fifths of Torah." A chumash typically prints the Masoretic Hebrew text with vowel marks and cantillation and often includes translations and classical commentaries. For context, see Torah and the lexical entry Chumash.

Characteristics

Printed chumashim differ from a handwritten Sefer Torah in form and function. Key features commonly found in chumash editions include:

  • The consonantal Masoretic text supplemented with niqqud (vowel signs)
  • Cantillation marks (taʿamim) used to guide traditional chanting
  • Classic rabbinic commentaries (for example Rashi and Ramban) presented either interlinearly or in margins
  • Modern translations, explanatory notes, and cross-references for study

Books included

A chumash contains the Five Books of Moses, often brought together in one volume and arranged in the traditional Hebrew order. These are:

History and development

Before the era of printing, Jewish communities relied on hand-copied manuscripts and on scrolls for public synagogue reading. The arrival of printed books made the Biblical text far more accessible for private study, classroom use, and preparation for public readings. Over centuries publishers have produced many types of chumashim: scholarly editions that preserve masoretic notes, classic editions that collect rabbinic commentary, and popular study editions with vernacular translations and pedagogical aids.

Uses and distinctions

Chumashim serve as primary study texts in homes, schools and synagogues and are used to prepare the weekly parashah and aliyot. They are not substitutes for a Sefer Torah in ritual contexts: a Torah scroll is written on parchment by a trained scribe following exacting halakhic rules and is required for public Torah readings, while a chumash is a reference and study book. In academic and interfaith settings the same five books may be called the Pentateuch; printed chumashim help bridge religious practice and scholarly study.