The Talmud

The Talmud (Hebrew: תַּלְמוּד talmūd "instruction, learning", from a root lmd "teach, study") is a central text of mainstream Judaism, in the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history.

The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (c. 200 CE), the first written compendium of Judaism's Oral Law; and the Gemara (c. 500 CE), a discussion of the Mishnah and related Tannaitic writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Tanakh.

The terms Talmud and Gemara are often used interchangeably. The Gemara is the basis for all codes of rabbinic law and is much quoted in other rabbinic literature. The whole Talmud is also traditionally referred to as Shas (ש"ס), a Hebrew abbreviation of shisha sedarim, the "six orders" of the Mishnah.

• The Name.
• Relation to Midrash.
• The Three Subjects of Study.
• The Gemara.
• Relation to Mishnah.
• The Palestinian Talmud.
• The Style of the Yerushalmi.
• Examples.
• Further Examples.
• Passages Repeated.
• The Haggadot of the Yerushalmi.
• Editions of the Babli.
• Missing Gemaras.
• Earliest Manuscript of the Babli.
• Examples from the Babli.
• Further Examples.
• Legal Example.
• Framework of Commentary.
• Haggadah of the Babli.
• Style and Language.
• The Halakah in Babli.
• The Framework Anonymous.
• Redaction.
• Technical Terms for Tradition.
• Date of Redaction.
• Activity of Jonah and Jose.
• Activity of Raba.
• Committed to Writing.
• No Formal Ratification.
• Influence of the Talmud.
• Edict of Justinian.
• Attacks on the Talmud.
• Early Editions.
• "Variæ Lectiones" and Translations.
• Function in Judaism.
• Its Authority.