what is talmud

The Talmud is a central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law and Jewish theology. It is a collection of writings that comment and expand upon the Mishnah, the first work of rabbinic law, published around the year 200 CE by Rabbi Judah the Prince in the land of Israel. The Talmud is made up of two separate works: the Mishnah, primarily a compilation of Jewish laws, and the Gemara, the rabbinic commentaries and discussions on the Mishnah. The Talmud is the basis for all codes of Jewish law and is widely quoted in rabbinic literature. The Talmud is not easy to read, and there are often gaps in the reasoning where it is assumed that the reader already knows what they are talking about, and concepts are often expressed in a sort of shorthand. The Talmud is indispensable to understanding the laws and customs still practiced today, and studying the Talmud can help us search for the many important issues and values that are essential to a thinking and committed Jew.