Talmud

The Talmud is a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, comprising discussions, analyses, and commentaries on the Mishnah and related rabbinic literature. It records the oral law as interpreted by generations of rabbis and serves as a core source for Jewish law (halakhah), ethics, theology, and lore. The name Talmud means "instruction" or "study" in Hebrew.

There are two primary versions: the Babylonian Talmud (Talmud Bavli) and the Jerusalem Talmud (Talmud Yerushalmi). The Mishnah, compiled around 200 CE by Judah haNasi, forms the basis; the Gemara is a later expansion with discussions and analyses. The Bavli was developed in Babylonia (Sassanian Empire) and completed by the 6th century CE; the Yerushalmi was produced in the Land of Israel, completed earlier, by around the 4th-5th centuries. The Talmud is not a single work but a compilation of tractates, debates, and narratives in Hebrew and primarily Aramaic.

Content and structure: The Talmud comprises legal discussions (halakhah) that derive from the Mishna and its analysis, as well as Aggadah, narrative material, lore, and ethical teachings. It is organized into orders and tractates, with the Bavli generally more extensive and authoritative in mainstream practice; the Yerushalmi preserves parallel discussions. Commentaries from later scholars and schools, such as Rashi and Tosafot, accompany the text in standard editions.

Impact and study: The Talmud has shaped Jewish communal law, education, and culture. It has influenced later codes of law and rabbinic literature. It is studied in yeshivas around the world; editions include critical texts and modern translations. Some scholarly editions present the text with vocabulary and notes to aid study.