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The word "Talmud" is a Hebrew word meaning "learning, instruction." The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism and consists primarily of discussions and commentary on Jewish history, law (e...

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What is the Talmud?

The Talmud is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism, a vast collection of Jewish oral Law, traditions, and rabbinic discussions on ethics, Law, philosophy, and history, serving as a guide for Jewish life and interpretation of the Torah. It's comprised of two main parts: the Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish Law (c. 200 CE), and the Gemara, rabbinic commentaries and debates on the Mishnah, forming a comprehensive record of centuries of Jewish learning and legal reasoning. 

Key Components:

1: Mishnah: The foundational text, written down from oral tradition, explaining how to apply the Torah's commandments.

2: Gemara: Extensive discussions and commentaries on the Mishnah, clarifying and expanding its teachings, with two versions (Jerusalem and Babylonian). 

Function & Importance:

1: Source of Jewish Law (Halakha): It's the primary source for Jewish Law and theology, with codes of Law derived from it.

Interpretation of the Torah: It offers deep insights, making the written Torah understandable and applicable to daily life.

2: A Living Text: The Talmud is not just read but studied intensely in a dialectical, debate-focused way, reflecting differing rabbinic opinions and fostering deep engagement with Jewish thought. 

The Talmud follows the organisation of the Mishnah, which is divided into Six Orders (Shisha Sedarim, often abbreviated as Shas): 

1: Zera'im (Seeds): Agricultural laws and prayers.

2: Mo'ed (Festivals): Laws of the Sabbath and holy days.

3: Nashim (Women): Marriage, divorce, and family law.

4: Nezikin (Damages): Civil and criminal Law.

5: Kodashim (Holy Things): Sacrificial rites and dietary laws.

6: Taharot (Purities): Ritual purity and impurity. 

Talmud:

A compilation of traditional oral Law, containing Jewish civil and religious regulations, which consists of two main parts: the Mishnah, a law code, and the Gemara, a commentary on that code.

The Talmud:

From the Gentile point of view, the "Tanakh," or Jewish Bible, is the most important of Jewish writings. However, the Jewish view is different. Many Jews would agree with the comment by Adin Steinsaltz, a rabbi: "If the Bible is the cornerstone of Judaism, then the Talmud is the central pillar, soaring up from the foundations and supporting the entire spiritual and intellectual edifice... No other work has had a comparable influence on the theory and practice of Jewish life." (The Essential Talmud) What, then, is the Talmud?

Orthodox Jews believe not only that God gave the written Law, or Torah, to Moses at Mount Sinai but also that God revealed to him specific explanations of how to carry out that Law, and that these were to be passed on by word of mouth. This was called the oral Law. Thus, the Talmud is the written summary, with later commentaries and explanations, of that oral Law, compiled by rabbis from the second century C.E. into the Middle Ages.

The Talmud is usually divided into two main sections:

The Mishnah: A collection of commentaries supplementing Scriptural Law, based on the explanations of rabbis called Tannaim (teachers). It was written down in the late second and early third centuries C.E.

The Gemara (originally called the Talmud): A collection of commentaries on the Mishnah by rabbis of a later period (third to sixth centuries C.E.).

"[The Talmud is] one of the great intellectual accomplishments of humankind, a document so dense, so rich, so subtle that it has kept superb minds busy for more than a millennium and a half."—Jacob Neusner, Jewish scholar and author.

"The Talmud is the central pillar [of Judaism] supporting the entire spiritual and intellectual edifice of Jewish life."—Adin Steinsaltz, Talmudic scholar and rabbi.

"The Talmud is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable literary productions of all times."—The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia.

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