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The Talmud, An Important Jewish Literature Next To The Bible

by Christa
written by Christa

The Talmud is a collection of rabbinical discussions and teachings about Jewish law and tradition. Jews hold the document as sacred and true, placing it second to the Bible.

Talmud

Talmud is a Hebrew word that means “study” or “learning.” And like its meaning, the book is intended to be studied, not just read.

According to Rabbinic Judaism, when God gave Moses the Torah or the law and commandments at Mount Sinai, He gave them into two parts: the written Torah and the Oral Torah. The former was later inscribed in the Bible as the books of Moses (from Genesis to Deuteronomy). And the latter was transmitted orally from Moses to his successors and from generation to generation until the rabbis.

History

During the Second Temple era, Jews faced persecution, and they were having a hard time learning from the rabbis the oral law. So, Rabbi Yehudah the Prince finally decided to collect the teachings, rules, and commentaries heard from Moses and were taught in the courts. He analyzed each word and brought out a single authoritative text available for everyone.

Rabbis continued to expound and teach over the next several hundreds of years. They studied the texts of Rabbi Yehudah and worked out its inner logic. The Talmud now consists of the Mishnah (the compiled original laws by Rabbi Yehudah) and the Gemara (the continued studies of the rabbis after Rabbi Yehudah).

Furthermore, the Talmud was collected into two great bodies, the Jerusalem Talmud (which contains the teachings of the rabbis in Israel) and the Babylonian Talmud (which includes the teachings of the rabbis in Babylon).

Sections

There are six sections, called Sedarim or “orders,” inside the curious book:

  1. Zera’im or Seeds deals with the agricultural laws.
  2. Mo’ed or Festival deals with the laws of Shabbat and holidays.
  3. Nashim or Women deals with marriage and divorce.
  4. Nezikim or Damages deals with civil and criminal law, including ethics.
  5. Kodashim or Holy Things deals with sacrificial laws, dietary laws, and the Holy Temple.
  6. Taharot or Purities deals with the laws of ritual purity.

Reference: Chabad.org

 

 

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ArticlesIsrael Insider

The Bible As An Ancient Jewish Meditation Literature

by Christa
written by Christa

The Bible is undoubtedly the world’s most-selling and widely distributed book. As of September 2020, it has been translated and read in 704 languages. Although various cultures around the world widely use it, the Bible is originally ancient Jewish meditation literature.

The Bible

The Bible is a collection of books with literary styles such as narrative, poetry, and prose. While having many authors, it is also believed to have one. Because ultimately, the Bible is a divine book. But, to read the Book well, we need to keep in mind that the Bible was written during the ancient Jewish period.

Literary forms produced from time periods such as the Greek writings, or the Medieval Literature, have unique features that should be observed properly. If not, we tend to impose our own cultural assumptions that would lead to bad interpretations. So, the Bible as Jewish literature lacks details that some modern readers expect to have in stories.

For example, the story of Adam and Eve; where did the talking serpent come from? Did God allow it to be there? Why did God mention an offspring of the woman that would crush the serpent’s head but is bitten by it?

Most often, the questions we have of the Bible are not the focus of the authors. But, at the same time, some of the ambiguities invite the reader to discover and study more.

Jewish Meditation Literature

Psalm 1 indicates an ideal Bible reader – one who meditates on it day and night. Because, as it turns out, reading the Bible takes a lifetime to embark on its wonderful journey in discovering the Word of God. That is why it is called meditation literature. It needs to be read and re-read to understand its whole message.

For example, the “offspring” of the woman that would crush the serpent. The word “offspring” hints that would guide readers to pay attention to genealogies evident throughout the whole Bible. It traces back to the lineage of Eve, to David’s dynasty, and up to Jesus. Even the Revelations showed prophetic imagery of a woman bearing her offspring, which would conquer the dragon.

We cannot discover all of these in just one sitting, and it needs to be meditated day and night. And as you let the Bible interpret itself, it will also start to transform you.

Ancient Jewish Meditation Literature

Reference: Bible Project

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ArticlesIsrael Insider

The Bible As An Ancient Jewish Meditation Literature

by Christa
written by Christa

The Bible is undoubtedly the world’s most-selling and widely distributed book. As of September 2020, it has been translated and read in 704 languages. Although various cultures around the world widely use it, the Bible is originally ancient Jewish meditation literature.

The Bible

The Bible is a collection of books with literary styles such as narrative, poetry, and prose. While having many authors, it is also believed to have one. Because ultimately, the Bible is a divine book. But, to read the Book well, we need to keep in mind that the Bible was written during the ancient Jewish period.

Literary forms produced from time periods such as the Greek writings, or the Medieval Literature, have unique features that should be observed properly. If not, we tend to impose our own cultural assumptions that would lead to bad interpretations. So, the Bible as Jewish literature lacks details that some modern readers expect to have in stories.

For example, the story of Adam and Eve; where did the talking serpent come from? Did God allow it to be there? Why did God mention an offspring of the woman that would crush the serpent’s head but is bitten by it?

Most often, the questions we have of the Bible are not the focus of the authors. But, at the same time, some of the ambiguities invite the reader to discover and study more.

Jewish Meditation Literature

Psalm 1 indicates an ideal Bible reader – one who meditates on it day and night. Because, as it turns out, reading the Bible takes a lifetime to embark on its wonderful journey in discovering the Word of God. That is why it is called meditation literature. It needs to be read and re-read to understand its whole message.

For example, the “offspring” of the woman that would crush the serpent. The word “offspring” hints that would guide readers to pay attention to genealogies evident throughout the whole Bible. It traces back to the lineage of Eve, to David’s dynasty, and up to Jesus. Even the Revelations showed prophetic imagery of a woman bearing her offspring, which would conquer the dragon.

We cannot discover all of these in just one sitting, and it needs to be meditated day and night. And as you let the Bible interpret itself, it will also start to transform you.

Ancient Jewish Meditation Literature

Reference: Bible Project

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