"The Talmud is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (halakha) and Jewish theology."
The Talmud is a compilation of Jewish law and scholarship that is essential to understanding rabbinic thought.
Talmudic Terminology: There are a number of specialized terms and phrases that are commonly used in the Talmud which are essential to understand in order to gain a full appreciation of its meaning.
Mishnah: The Mishnah is a collection of Jewish teachings and traditions that were compiled by Rabbi Judah the Prince around 200 CE, and is considered the foundational work of the Talmud.
Gemara: The Gemara, which is also known as the Talmudic tractate, is a commentary on the Mishnah that was written in both Aramaic and Hebrew.
Talmudic Logic: One of the most important aspects of the Talmud is its logical reasoning and argumentation, which is essential to grasp in order to fully understand the text.
Talmudic Halacha: Halacha refers to the Jewish legal code, which is discussed extensively in the Talmud.
Talmudic Ethics: The Talmud is also concerned with ethical and moral issues, and contains a wealth of insights on this topic.
Talmudic History: The Talmud provides valuable insights into historical events and personalities, and understanding its historical context is crucial to appreciating its meaning.
Talmudic Textual Criticism: The Talmud is a complex work with numerous textual variations, and understanding how scholars have worked to decipher its meaning over the centuries is an essential area of study.
Talmudic Hermeneutics: Hermeneutics refers to the study of interpretation, and there are numerous methods used to interpret the Talmud that are worth studying in depth.
Talmudic Literature: The Talmud is just one of many texts that comprise the wider body of Jewish literature, and understanding the connections between these texts is an important aspect of Jewish studies.
Babylonian Talmud: This is the more authoritative of the two Talmuds and is the more widely studied. It was compiled over several centuries in Babylonia (currently Iraq) and includes commentaries on the Mishnah, as well as discussions and debates between scholars.
Jerusalem Talmud: This Talmud was compiled in the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael) and is also known as the Palestinian Talmud. It is less authoritative than the Babylonian Talmud and contains discussions and debates between rabbis, as well as commentaries on the Mishnah.
Mishnah: This is the first major work of Jewish law, comprising the oral traditions that were passed down through generations. It was compiled by Rabbi Judah the Prince.
Gemara: This is the collection of discussions and debates on the Mishnah that together with the Mishnah make up the Talmud.
Halakhic Midrashim: These are collections of discussions and interpretations of the Torah that mainly focus on Jewish law and ethical teachings.
Aggadic Midrashim: These are collections of discussions and interpretations of the Torah that mainly focus on ethical and moral teachings.
Tosefta: This is a collection of discussions and debates on the Mishnah that was compiled in the 3rd century CE. It includes additional material that is not found in the Mishnah.
Mekhilta: This is a halakhic midrash that is focused on the laws of Passover.
Sifra: This is a halakhic midrash that focuses on the laws of Leviticus.
Sifre: This is a halakhic and aggadic midrash that focuses on the laws of Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Ein Yaakov: This is a collection of aggadic midrashim that provide insights into the ethics and morals of the Jewish people.
"Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewish cultural life and was foundational to 'all Jewish thought and aspirations'."
"[The Talmud] serves also as 'the guide for the daily life' of Jews."
"The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah...and the Gemara..."
"The Mishnah...is a written compendium of the Oral Torah."
"[The Gemara] is an elucidation of the Mishnah and related Tannaitic writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Hebrew Bible."
"It is written in Mishnaic Hebrew and Jewish Babylonian Aramaic..."
"The entire Talmud consists of 63 tractates..."
"In the standard print, called the Vilna Shas, there are 2,711 double-sided folios."
"[The Talmud] contains the teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis...on a variety of subjects, including halakha, Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs, history, and folklore, and many other topics."
"The Talmud is the basis for all codes of Jewish law..."
"It is written in Mishnaic Hebrew and Jewish Babylonian Aramaic..."
"[The Talmud] contains the teachings and opinions of thousands of rabbis (dating from before the Common Era through to the fifth century)..."
"[The Talmud] may also traditionally be called Shas (ש״ס)..."
"[The Talmud] is the primary source of Jewish religious law (halakha) and Jewish theology."
"The term Talmud normally refers to the collection of writings named specifically the Babylonian Talmud..."
"...although there is also an earlier collection known as the Jerusalem Talmud (Talmud Yerushalmi)."
"The Talmud is...widely quoted in rabbinic literature."
"...a Hebrew abbreviation of shisha sedarim, or the 'six orders' of the Mishnah."
"The Mishnah...[was written] c. 200 CE...and the Gemara... [was written] c. 500 CE."