Oral Torah: Talmud

Compared to a sea.

Much is hidden and below the surface

Deep and vast

Purify and nourish

Dangerous and forbidding

Bible and Talmud

Derivative of Hebrew word for “study”Covers rabbinic teachings from 1st Century to the 6th and 7th centuries C.E.Composed of two separate works: Mishnah (the teaching), GemaraMishnah consists of compilation of Jewish laws written in Hebrew and edited around 200 C.E.Gemara are rabbinic commentaries and discussions on the Mishnah written in both Hebrew and Aramaic, emanating from both Babylonia and Israel over the next 300 to 500 years

Two Talmuds

the Yerushalmi (the Jerusalem” Talmud)

the Bavli (The Babylonian Talmud)

The latter It is printed in 20 volumes in over 5,400 pages and takes 7 years to complete at one page a day.

Mishnah

Topically arranged

Terse and compact easy to memorise

While it often paraphrases Scripture to clarify it, it does not quote Scripture

Six sections Zeraim (seeds) Moed (holiday), Nashim (women) Nezikin (damages) Kodashim (Holy things) and Teharot (clean things)

Each section is further divided into subsections (sixty-three in all) known as Masekhtot or tractates

From Mishnah to Gemara

Was originally called just the TalmudRabbis discovered new situations were arising that were not covered in the MishnahDeals more times than not with pedestrian topics, What objects can be carried in and out of a house on the Sabbath, how long must a woman wait after her monthly period before resuming marital relationsInstead of dealing with the marcocosm they concentrate on the microcosmThe challenge is to look beyond what the Rabbis are saying and what they are meaning

Talmud and Sabbath

39 basic labours or acts of creation

I.e. threshing, processing of leather, metal and fabrics

Quantitative - trivial

Qualitative

Intentionality

Talmud and Marriage

Not a sacramentOnly thing required is to say to two witnesses that the marriage has been solemnized either by the handing over of money, written guarantee or sexual intercourseTwo stages: Betrothal, marriage canopyMarriage contract

Logic of the Talmud

The Greek approach to logic, is exemplified by the outline form.

It moves from General to the specific, from the simple to the complex.

A circle is more appropriate to describe Rabbinic logic

There is no beginning or end and it goes on for eternity

You start learning the Talmud with any text and then move from there

P’shat and D’rash

P’shat refers to the simple, contextual meaning of the passageD’rashCreative reading as an attempt to uncover what God had put there“Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, browsing among the lilies.” (4:5) These are Moses and Aaron. For just as a woman’s breasts are filled with milk, so too Moses and Aaron sustained Israel through the Torah. (Midrash Song of Songs Rabbah 4:5)

Halakhah and Aggadah

Larger portion is called halakhah, which comes from the root meaning “to go” or “to walk”. It is often translated as lawIt is concerned with what we are obligated to do and how we are to do it.Aggadah, - the tellingIt is the response to the question “Why?”Two sides of the same coininteract the way the heart and mind interact in a human being

Esoteric Terms

Let us say - - the opinion will be ultimately rejectedT’nan we are taught – introduces a teaching from another MishnahTanna (he taught) brings a brief tradition from the ToseftaTanya (it was taught) quotes a passage from the Gemera

Rabbis

Root meaning “great”

In Babylonia - Rav

Rabbis following the destruction of Temple - Tannaim “repeaters”

Amoraim Aramaic for “explainers”

Shammai and Hillel

Another story of a non-Jew who came before Shammai. He said to him, “convert me on the condition that you teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.” He (Shammai) pushed him away with the builder’s measuring rod that was in his hand. He (the non-Jew) came before Hillel who converted him. He said to him what do you hate, do not do to your friend. That is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary. Go and learn.”

Mishnah 8:9

He who divorced his wife and spent the night with her at an inn - Bet Shammai says she does not need a second get from him, but Bet Hillel says she needs a second get from him. Under what circumstances? If she was divorced from marriage, but everyone agrees that if she was divorced from betrothal, she does not need a second get, because he is not yet intimate with her.

Gemara

Rabbah bar bar Hana said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan. The disagreement is only if she was seen having sex. Bet Shammai thinks that a man would have casual sex, while Bet Hillel thinks that a man would not have casual sex. But where she was not seen having sex, everyone agrees that she does not need a second get.