Talmoed

Talmoed, more commonly called the Talmud, is a central text of Rabbinic Judaism. It comprises the Mishnah, a codification of oral laws compiled by Rabbi Judah the Prince around 200 CE, and the Gemara, a later compilation of discussions and commentaries on the Mishnah produced by generations of Rabbinic scholars. The Talmud exists in two major medieval editions: the Babylonian Talmud (Talmud Bavli) and the Jerusalem Talmud (Talmud Yerushalmi). The Bavli, developed in Babylonia (present-day Iraq) from about the 3rd to the 6th centuries CE, is the more widely studied and considered authoritative in most traditional communities. The Yerushalmi was produced in the Land of Israel during roughly the 4th to 5th centuries.

Content and structure: The Mishnah is organized into six orders, covering agriculture, festivals, family law, civil and criminal law, sacred things, and purity. The Gemara expands upon the Mishnah, offering legal analysis, disputation, narratives, and interpretations. Together, the Talmud presents a comprehensive body of halakhic (legal) reasoning, ethical teachings, and aggadic (narrative) material. Differences between the two editions include emphasis, phrasing, and legal conclusions, with the Bavli generally containing a larger and more argumentative corpus.

Significance: The Talmud has had a profound influence on Jewish law, theology, and education. It serves as a primary source for halakha in many Jewish communities and is a central subject of study in yeshivas and scholarly settings. It has been translated, annotated, and interpreted in various languages, with numerous editions and commentaries reflecting different traditions. The term Talmoed is one transliteration of תלמוד, referring to this foundational text.