The Torah and the Talmud are two important religious manuscripts in Judaism, but they are different from each other. Here are the key differences between the two:
Torah
- Refers to the Five Books of Moses (also known as the Pentateuch) .
- Considered the core part of the Jewish faith and the source of the main laws and ethics.
- Contains the story of how God created the world and how God told the Jews to be a holy nation.
- Contains laws about how to live as a Jew, stories about Jewish history, and moral lessons.
- Written text that Moses received.
Talmud
- A record of the rabbinic debates in the 2nd-5th century on the teachings of the Torah.
- A compilation of commentary on the Torah.
- Considered the oral traditions that coincide with the Torah.
- Written in Hebrew, but the commentaries are written in Aramaic.
- Contains explanations of the Written Torah.
- Includes the Midrash, an explanation of the Written Torah, comprising both ethical and legal components.
- Often used to re-interpret the Biblical commands in the light of Talmudic debates.
In summary, the Torah is the written text that Moses received and contains the core part of the Jewish faith, while the Talmud is a record of rabbinic debates and a compilation of commentary on the Torah. Together, they form the background of Judaism today, with the Biblical commands often being re-interpreted in the light of the Talmudic debates.
