Download or read book Why the Torah Begins with the Letter Beit written by Michael J. Alter and published by Jason Aronson, Incorporated. This book was released on 1998-08-01 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why does the Torah begin with the letter beit, the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet? In seeking answers to this question, Michael J. Alter has gathered a wealth of material drawing from the Oral Law (Mishnah and Talmud), the Midrash, anonymous kabbalistic texts, and the works of many prominent rabbis, scribes, and writers spanning the past 2,000 years.