What Is the Talmud? A Clear Introduction for Believers

Read the transcript below, or watch the video teaching by Samuel.

Introduction to the Talmud

Shalom, this is Samuel from Netivyah.

In the past, we have published specific materials about the Talmud, like Joseph Shulam’s video on Bava Batra 60B, his lecture on the Heretical Rabbis of the Talmud, and our magazine on Yeshua in the Talmud, but never have we provided you with an introduction to the Talmud to understand better what we are talking about when we talk about the subject of "Talmud."

Now we’re making up for that with a short series explaining: what the "Talmud" is and what it talks about; its history and how it came to be; as well as how should we as believers approach and relate to this body of literature.

First of all, I want to point out that generally, when people talk about the "Talmud," they usually refer to the Babylonian Talmud unless they specify otherwise. There is a second Talmud called the "Jerusalem Talmud," which is much shorter and not used as much, but I will explain more about the difference between these two versions in the next session about the History of the Talmud.

In this first video, I would like to give you a general introduction/or overview of what the Talmud is.

The Talmud (which means "learning" or "instruction") represents the central body of literature of Rabbinic Judaism covering subjects regarding all aspects of Jewish life, faith, and practice.

It is basically a vast compilation of teachings, discussions, and opinions of many different Rabbis and is generally divided into two main parts: the Mishna & the Gemara.

The Mishna

The word Mishna means repetition, which was the main method of keeping and preserving tradition by oral means. The Mishna therefore presents us with the first extensive and major written compilation of the Jewish oral traditions, also known as the "Oral Law." According to Jewish tradition, this "Oral Torah" was given to Moses on Mount Sinai along with the written Torah that constitutes the first five books of the Bible, even though this claim is historically inaccurate.

This work is organized into 6 ‘orders’ called "Sedarim" in Hebrew, which are then divided into 63 tractates altogether and from there into chapters and paragraphs.

The first order is called ‘Zeraim,’ meaning "Seeds," and it talks and teaches about the topics of prayer and blessings, dietary laws, as well as agricultural laws, like for example, the laws regarding the gifts to the poor when harvesting one’s field, vineyard, or trees, or tithing.

Number two is ‘Moed,’ meaning "an appointed time, place, or meeting." Here we find teachings, laws, and traditions regarding the Shabbat and the appointed times, the holidays that are part of the biblical calendar, as well as fasting.

Then we have ‘Nashim,’ meaning "Women," which talks about, as the name says, women, but also about engagement, marriage, and marital responsibilities, family life, and divorce. Here we also find the laws of the Nazirite as well as laws regarding vows.

The order of Nashim is followed by ‘Nezikin,’ meaning "damages," which talks about a variety of issues, but mainly about civil matters like damages and compensations, one’s rights and responsibilities as an owner of property, courts and criminal law, witnesses, and oaths. It also talks about finances, idolatry, and how to live in an idolatrous culture, and it contains a famous tractate called Pirkei Avot (chapters of the Fathers), which to me personally is one of the most interesting tractates of the Mishna, as it is solely made up of ancient ethical teachings and sayings.

The second to last order is ‘Kodashim,’ meaning the "holies," and it deals with all kinds of Temple-related matters, which is very interesting if you are trying to understand what the Second Temple was like and how the biblical laws and procedures were put into practice during that period of time. It deals in great detail with sacrifices and offerings, slaughter, the laws of the firstborn, as well as the intentional committing of certain sins.

Last but not least, we have ‘Tohorot,’ meaning "Purities," which, as the title implies, talks about purities and impurities of vessels, foods, and people. It describes certain diseases and the laws and procedures pertaining to them, the ‘red heifer,’ and ritual immersions.

The Gemara

Now to the second part of the Talmud, the Gemara, which means "study" in Aramaic and "completion" in Hebrew.

The Gemara is not a unique type of work that could function as a "stand-alone" like the Mishna, but it rather serves as its complement, featuring extensive commentaries, explanations, and discussions on the Mishna. Both together form what we know as the "Talmud."

As I mentioned in the beginning of this video, you can see now that this compilation of traditions, discussions, and laws deals with every aspect of Jewish life, which explains why this body of literature has been the most central body of Jewish rabbinical literature until this very day. And while it deals a lot with oral traditions and customs, it also heavily draws from and references the Hebrew Bible.

Now if you would like to know more about the history of how and when this enormous work came together and why there is more than just one Talmud, stay tuned for part 2 next week.