How to kickstart your religious studies?

How to kickstart your religious studies?

A lot of poeple who want to start learning the Holy Scriptures get lost in and overwhelmed by the massive amounts of materials and topics to study. This is completely normal and understandable and one should not feel any shame if they are in such a situation. Here are some pieces of advice for the ones who find themselves in such discomfort.



Where to start?

People say that the beginning is the hardest part of anything. The best option for beginning your study of the Scripture is actually the simplest one - start with reading the Book of Genesis. It does not have to be in Hebrew; any normal translation will do good enough work for a beginner. Therefore, pick up a translation written in a language you are very comfortable with (preferably your mother tongue) and start reading throughout the First Book of the Torah.

How should i continue afterwards?

After you are finished with reading the Book of Genesis, you will be ready to proceed with the other four of the Books of Moses. Then you can (somewhat) comfortably expand your studies into the realm of the Sacred texts not included in the Tanakh (or the Old Testament). Once you have knowledge of the Five Books of the Torah you can endeavour in the more detailed complex aspects of Scripture and begin reading Sifrei Kodesh expanding on it.

But which books should I pick then?

There is no specific order in which to read all the Scriptures outside the Tanakh as they are so many in number.

It is most advisable to employ the following studying strategy:

1. Think of the plots and subplots from the Torah which where most interesting to you.

2. Research which Sifrei Kodesh expand on and relate to it using the digital resources of Hohma Center Regional (HCR). A lot of our resources are made specifically to be easy to use for beginners (and for more advanced learners as well).

3. Start reading the books you have found during the second step in chronological order (you will find chronologies in HCR's materials).

Thus, for example, if you were intrigued by the times before the Flood, you can use our many digital resources to find works like the Three Books of Enoch, the Book of Giants, and many others.

You will also be able to see large numberof these same books in the form of audiobooks, adapted videos, translated e-books and physical books, etc. With all this you are going to find the best and most suitable for you way to study the Sacred texts. And, if you have any trouble finding what you need, you are always welcome to ask our team on our social media pages/accounts.

We wish you best experience and progress in your studies and for all blessings for the student of the Holy Books to be unto you!

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