What is the Talmud?

The Talmud is one of the cornerstones of Judaism, but it is not a religious work. The Babylonian Talmud contains about 2½ million words, and is composed of conversations and debate among rabbis (rabbi means teacher) that cover virtually every aspect of life, from medicine to child-rearing, and from business to building a house. Some call it a manual for life.

The Talmud is the written rendition of oral commentary on the Torah. The Torah, usually seen in the form of scrolls, contains the history of the early Jews, stories from the Bible with which most of us are familiar. The Torah and other works form the Old Testament, which is the foundation of the New Testament and other religious teachings that followed.

The Talmud was written in the 5th and 6th century, but the oral work it is based on goes back centuries before. Modern day rabbis still answer questions based on discussions and arguments of the Talmudic rabbis.

Copyright © 2010 Larry Kahaner