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The Talmud (התלמוד) is
considered an authoritative record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law,
Jewish ethics, customs, legends and stories
| It is a
fundamental source of legislation, customs, case histories and moral
exhortations. The Talmud comprises two components, the Mishnah and the
Gemara. It expands on the earlier writings in the Torah in general and
in the Mishnah in particular, and is the basis for all later codes of
Jewish law, and much of Rabbinic literature. The Talmud is also
traditionally referred to as Shas (an abbreviation of shishah sedarim,
the "six orders" of the Mishnah) |
Structure and Function
Rabbinical
Judaism has always held that the books of the
Tanakh were transmitted in parallel with a
living, oral tradition. (The Torah "lists the
rules" while the oral law deals with
application.) The Talmud, ultimately,
constitutes the authoritative redaction of
Judaism's oral tradition.
Mishna and
Gemara
The Jewish Oral law was recorded by Rabbi
Judah haNasi and redacted as the Mishnah in
200 CE. The oral traditions were committed to
writing to preserve them, as it became
apparent that the Palestine community, and its
learning, was threatened. The rabbis of the
Mishnah are known as Tannaim (sing. Tanna);
teachings in the Mishnah are generally
reported in the name of a Tanna.
Over the next three centuries the Mishna
underwent analysis and debate in Israel and
Babylon (the world's major Jewish
communities). This analysis is known as Gemara.
The rabbis of the Gemara are referred to as
Amoraim (sing. Amora). See Gemara for further
discussion.
The Mishnah and the Gemara together comprise
the Talmud. The Talmud is thus the combination
of a core text, the Mishnah, or “redaction”
(from the verb shanah שנה, to repeat, revise)
and subsequent analysis and commentary, the
gemara, or “completion” (from gamar גמר, to
complete). It is also in two languages, with
the Mishna sections and Bibilical references
in Hebrew, and the Gemara sections in Aramaic.
continue: Talmud |
