The Talmud Selections

The Talmud is the source of Jewish law, a holy text of enormous significance in Rabbinic Judaism. These selections by scholar H. Polano are poignant, valuable highlights of the Talmudic lore.

Beginning with a background history of the Bible, we are given insight into how the Jewish teachings and precepts were altered over time. The social and political upheavals of ancient Judaea led the temple to draft new laws and rules; Rome's occupation, and its destruction of the Second Temple amid a popular revolt against its rule, led adherents to write and make copies of Jewish law. The previous system of oral tradition, whereby religious precepts were passed on to generations of new priests and Rabbis, was obsoleted.

The process of creating the Talmud was painstaking; the ancient Jewish scholars strove for accuracy. The new, written form of Talmud took centuries to be completed - hostility by the ruling Roman authority, linguistic differences between regions, and structural variations characterized the versions produced. Polano navigates these complexities deftly, placing the legal changes in context, while including pertinent biographies of Rabbis who had roles in the effort. The formalizing of ceremonies, holy days and elements of criminal and civil law are likewise identified.