It's the End of the Torah and I feel fine: Where does the Torah end? Where does the Tanakh end?

ByDan Epstein

בראשית נ׳:כ״ו

(כו) וַיָּ֣מָת יוֹסֵ֔ף בֶּן־מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִ֑ים וַיַּחַנְט֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ וַיִּ֥ישֶׂם בָּאָר֖וֹן בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃

Genesis 50:26

(26) Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

שמות מ׳:ל״ח

(לח) כִּי֩ עֲנַ֨ן ה' עַֽל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֙ יוֹמָ֔ם וְאֵ֕שׁ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַ֖יְלָה בּ֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י כָל־בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּכָל־מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃

Exodus 40:38

(38) For over the Tabernacle a cloud of the LORD rested by day, and fire would appear in it by night, in the view of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys.

ויקרא כ״ז:ל״ד

(לד) אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְוֺ֗ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה ה' אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּהַ֖ר סִינָֽי׃

Leviticus 27:34

(34) These are the commandments that the LORD gave Moses for the Israelite people on Mount Sinai.

במדבר ל״ו:י״ג

(יג) אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְוֺ֞ת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה ה' בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת מוֹאָ֔ב עַ֖ל יַרְדֵּ֥ן יְרֵחֽוֹ׃

Numbers 36:13

(13) These are the commandments and regulations that the LORD enjoined upon the Israelites, through Moses, on the steppes of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho.

דברים ל״ד:י״ב

(יב) וּלְכֹל֙ הַיָּ֣ד הַחֲזָקָ֔ה וּלְכֹ֖ל הַמּוֹרָ֣א הַגָּד֑וֹל אֲשֶׁר֙ עָשָׂ֣ה מֹשֶׁ֔ה לְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Deuteronomy 34:12

(12) and for all the great might and awesome power that Moses displayed before all Israel.

Egypt > Journeys > Mount Sinai > Jericho > Israel

-The end can change the entire story

- The end serves as a Coda or summary for the entire work

The Hexateuch ("six scrolls") is the first six books of the Hebrew Bible: the Torah (Pentateuch) and the book of Joshua.

The term Hexateuch came into scholarly use from the 1870s onwards mainly as the result of work carried out by Abraham Kuenen and Julius Wellhausen

יהושע כ״ד:כ״ט-ל״ג

(כט) וַיְהִ֗י אַֽחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיָּ֛מָת יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ בִּן־נ֖וּן עֶ֣בֶד ה' בֶּן־מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃

(ל) וַיִּקְבְּר֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ בִּגְב֣וּל נַחֲלָת֔וֹ בְּתִמְנַת־סֶ֖רַח אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּהַר־אֶפְרָ֑יִם מִצְּפ֖וֹן לְהַר־גָּֽעַשׁ׃ (לא) וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ד יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־ה' כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֑עַ וְכֹ֣ל ׀ יְמֵ֣י הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶאֱרִ֤יכוּ יָמִים֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר יָדְע֗וּ אֵ֚ת כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה ה' אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

(לב) וְאֶת־עַצְמ֣וֹת י֠וֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר־הֶעֱל֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל ׀ מִמִּצְרַיִם֮ קָבְר֣וּ בִשְׁכֶם֒ בְּחֶלְקַ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָנָ֧ה יַעֲקֹ֛ב מֵאֵ֛ת בְּנֵֽי־חֲמ֥וֹר אֲבִֽי־שְׁכֶ֖ם בְּמֵאָ֣ה קְשִׂיטָ֑ה וַיִּֽהְי֥וּ לִבְנֵֽי־יוֹסֵ֖ף לְנַחֲלָֽה׃

(לג) וְאֶלְעָזָ֥ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן מֵ֑ת וַיִּקְבְּר֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ בְּגִבְעַת֙ פִּֽינְחָ֣ס בְּנ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִתַּן־ל֖וֹ בְּהַ֥ר אֶפְרָֽיִם׃

Joshua 24:29-33

(29) After these events, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of one hundred and ten years.

(30) They buried him on his own property, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. (31) Israel served the LORD during the lifetime of Joshua and the lifetime of the elders who lived on after Joshua, and who had experienced all the deeds that the LORD had wrought for Israel.

(32) The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought for a hundred kesitahs from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, and which had become a heritage of the Josephites.

(33) Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him on the hill of his son Phinehas, which had been assigned to him in the hill country of Ephraim.

שמואל א ל״א:י״ג

(יג) וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־עַצְמֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּקְבְּר֥וּ תַֽחַת־הָאֶ֖שֶׁל בְּיָבֵ֑שָׁה וַיָּצֻ֖מוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִֽים׃ (פ)

I Samuel 31:13

(13) Then they took the bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.

איוב מ״ב:י״ז

(יז) וַיָּ֣מָת אִיּ֔וֹב זָקֵ֖ן וּשְׂבַ֥ע יָמִֽים׃

Job 42:17

(17) So Job died old and contented.

מלכים ב כ״ה:כ״ח-ל׳

(כח) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ טֹב֑וֹת וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־כִּסְא֔וֹ מֵעַ֗ל כִּסֵּ֧א הַמְּלָכִ֛ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בְּבָבֶֽל׃ (כט) וְשִׁנָּ֕א אֵ֖ת בִּגְדֵ֣י כִלְא֑וֹ וְאָכַ֨ל לֶ֧חֶם תָּמִ֛יד לְפָנָ֖יו כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיָּֽיו׃ (ל) וַאֲרֻחָת֗וֹ אֲרֻחַ֨ת תָּמִ֧יד נִתְּנָה־לּ֛וֹ מֵאֵ֥ת הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ דְּבַר־י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֑וֹ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיָּֽו׃

II Kings 25:28-30

(28) He spoke kindly to him, and gave him a throne above those of other kings who were with him in Babylon. (29) His prison garments were removed, and [Jehoiachin] received regular rations by his favor for the rest of his life. (30) A regular allotment of food was given him at the instance of the king—an allotment for each day—all the days of his life.

ירמיהו נ״ב:ל״ב-ל״ד

(לב) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ טֹב֑וֹת וַיִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־כִּסְא֔וֹ מִמַּ֗עַל לְכִסֵּ֧א מלכים [הַמְּלָכִ֛ים] אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בְּבָבֶֽל׃ (לג) וְשִׁנָּ֕ה אֵ֖ת בִּגְדֵ֣י כִלְא֑וֹ וְאָכַ֨ל לֶ֧חֶם לְפָנָ֛יו תָּמִ֖יד כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיָּֽו׃ (לד) וַאֲרֻחָת֗וֹ אֲרֻחַת֩ תָּמִ֨יד נִתְּנָה־לּ֜וֹ מֵאֵ֧ת מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֛ל דְּבַר־י֥וֹם בְּיוֹמ֖וֹ עַד־י֣וֹם מוֹת֑וֹ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֥י חַיָּֽיו׃

Jeremiah 52:32-34

(32) He spoke kindly to him, and gave him a throne above those of other kings who were with him in Babylon. (33) He removed his prison garments and [Jehoiachin] ate regularly in his presence the rest of his life. (34) A regular allotment of food was given him by order of the king of Babylon, an allotment for each day, to the day of his death—all the days of his life.

קהלת י״ב:ז׳

(ז) וְיָשֹׁ֧ב הֶעָפָ֛ר עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ כְּשֶׁהָיָ֑ה וְהָר֣וּחַ תָּשׁ֔וּב אֶל־הָאֱלֹקִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נְתָנָֽהּ׃

Ecclesiastes 12:7

(7) And the dust returns to the ground As it was, And the lifebreath returns to God Who bestowed it.

דניאל י״ב:י״ג

(יג) וְאַתָּ֖ה לֵ֣ךְ לַקֵּ֑ץ וְתָנ֛וּחַ וְתַעֲמֹ֥ד לְגֹרָלְךָ֖ לְקֵ֥ץ הַיָּמִֽין׃

Daniel 12:13

(13) But you, go on to the end; you shall rest, and arise to your destiny at the end of the days.”

דברי הימים ב ל״ו:כ״ב-כ״ג

(כב) וּבִשְׁנַ֣ת אַחַ֗ת לְכ֙וֹרֶשׁ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֔ס לִכְל֥וֹת דְּבַר־ה' בְּפִ֣י יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ הֵעִ֣יר ה' אֶת־ר֙וּחַ֙ כּ֣וֹרֶשׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־פָּרַ֔ס וַיַּֽעֲבֶר־קוֹל֙ בְּכָל־מַלְכוּת֔וֹ וְגַם־בְּמִכְתָּ֖ב לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ס)

(כג) כֹּה־אָמַ֞ר כּ֣וֹרֶשׁ ׀ מֶ֣לֶךְ פָּרַ֗ס כָּל־מַמְלְכ֤וֹת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ נָ֣תַן לִ֗י ה' אֱלֹקֵ֣י הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְהֽוּא־פָקַ֤ד עָלַי֙ לִבְנֽוֹת־ל֣וֹ בַ֔יִת בִּירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּֽיהוּדָ֑ה מִֽי־בָכֶ֣ם מִכָּל־עַמּ֗וֹ ה' אֱלֹקָ֛יו עִמּ֖וֹ וְיָֽעַל׃

II Chronicles 36:22-23

(22) And in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, when the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah was fulfilled, the LORD roused the spirit of King Cyrus of Persia to issue a proclamation throughout his realm by word of mouth and in writing, as follows:

(23) “Thus said King Cyrus of Persia: The LORD God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and has charged me with building Him a House in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any one of you of all His people, the LORD his God be with him and let him go up.”

מלאכי ג׳:כ״ב-כ״ד

(כב) זִכְר֕וּ תּוֹרַ֖ת מֹשֶׁ֣ה עַבְדִּ֑י אֲשֶׁר֩ צִוִּ֨יתִי אוֹת֤וֹ בְחֹרֵב֙ עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל חֻקִּ֖ים וּמִשְׁפָּטִֽים׃

(כג) הִנֵּ֤ה אָֽנֹכִי֙ שֹׁלֵ֣חַ לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת אֵלִיָּ֣ה הַנָּבִ֑יא לִפְנֵ֗י בּ֚וֹא י֣וֹם ה' הַגָּד֖וֹל וְהַנּוֹרָֽא׃

(כד) וְהֵשִׁ֤יב לֵב־אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים וְלֵ֥ב בָּנִ֖ים עַל־אֲבוֹתָ֑ם פֶּן־אָב֕וֹא וְהִכֵּיתִ֥י אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ חֵֽרֶם׃
[הנה אנכי שלח לכם את אליה הנביא לפני בוא יום ה' הגדול והנורא]

Malachi 3:22-24

(22) Be mindful of the Teaching of My servant Moses, whom I charged at Horeb with laws and rules for all Israel.

(23) Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the LORD.

(24) He shall reconcile parents with children and children with their parents, so that, when I come, I do not strike the whole land with utter destruction. Lo, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before the coming of the awesome, fearful day of the LORD.