Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash

About the Book

Although called an "Introduction..." this book is not for novices, but for people who have already substantial level of familiarity with the subject. As such, it continues to be one of the most widely used advanced level introductory texts to the field. It aims to give objective, factual information concerning the whole of the Talmud and to lead into the study of this literary monument equal...

About the Author

Hermann L. Strack ---

A Christian German orientalist (1848-1922); the founder of Berlin’s Institutum Judaicum. Strack is the author of several important works dealing with Hebrew language and Talmud. On more then one occasion Strack defended the Jews and Judaism against anti-Semitic attacks. However, he was an eager propagandist of Christianity among Jews and one should keep it in mind.

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

§ 1 Abbreviations .................................................................. xiii
§ 2 Transliteration of Hebrew Characters ................................. xv
§ 3 Mode of Citation .............................................................. xv

PART I
INTRODUCTION TO THE TALMUD

Chapter I: Definition of Terms ..................................... ............3–7
§ 1 Mishna ............................................................................3
§ 2 Mathnitha ........................................................................3
§ 3 Baraitha ..........................................................................4
§ 4 Gemara ...........................................................................5
§ 5 Talmud ................................................................ ...........5
§ 6 Midrash.................................................................  .........6
§ 7 Halakah ...........................................................................6
§ 8 Haggada ..........................................................................7

Chapter II: A Sketch of the History of the Talmud.............. ........8–25
§ 1 The Beginnings of Traditional Lore.......................................8
§ 2 The Interdict on Writing Down ............................................12
§ 3 The Traditional Law up to the Codification of the Mishna by Rabbi ..........20

Chapter III: The Division of the Mishna (the Talmuds, the
Tosephta) and the Arrangement of its Parts .............................26–28
§ 1 Orders, Tractates, Chapters .............................................26
§ 2 Tabular Survey of the Tractates in Mishna, Talmuds and Tosephta ............28
§ 3 Alphabetical List of Tractates in the Mishna ...................... 28
§ 4 The Opening Words of those Chapters in the Babylonian Talmud
which have Gemara, in alphabetical order ................................28

Chapter IV: Contents of the sixty-three Tractates of the
Mishna according to the Order of Moses Maimonides ..............29–64
§ 1 First Order: Zera‘im ‘Seeds’ .............................................29
§ 2 Second Order: Mo‘ed ‘Festivals’ .......................................34
§ 3 Third Order: Nashim ‘Women’ ..........................................43
§ 4 Fourth Order: Nezikin ‘Damages’ ......................................48
§ 5 Fifth Order: Kodashim ‘Sacred things’ ...............................54
§ 6 Sixth Order: Toharoth ‘Purities’ .........................................59

Chapter V: The Palestinian Talmud .......................................65–69
§ 1 A Sketch of the History of the Palestinian Talmud............. 65
§ 2 The Absence of Many Tractates ......................................66
§ 3 The Authority of the Palestinian Talmud ...........................69

Chapter VI: The Babylonian Talmud ......................................70–72

Chapter VII: The Extra-canonical Tractates.............................73–74
§ 1 The Tractates which are joined to the Babylonian Talmud ..73
§ 2 The Other ‘Small Tractates’ ........................................... 74
Chapter VIII: The Tosephta ...................................................75–76
Chapter IX: History of the Talmud Text ..................................77–86
§ 1 General Remarks ..........................................................77
§ 2 Manuscripts (and Ancient Citations in lieu of them)...........79
§ 3 Editions.........................................................................83

Chapter X: A Characterization of the Talmud...........................87–92
§ 1 How opinions clash ........................................................87
§ 2 How a correct point of view may be obtained .....................88
§ 3 Obligatory Character and Significance of the Talmud for Judaism .............89

Chapter XI: Hermeneutics of the Talmud and the Midrashim ....93–98
§ 1 Introductory Remarks ....................................................93
§ 2 The oldest norms of interpretation.................................. .93
§ 3 The thirteen Middoth of R. Ishmael ..................................95
§ 4 The two and thirty Middoth............................................ .95
§ 5 Concluding Remarks .....................................................98
Chapter XII: Textual Specimens in Translation........................99–104
§ 1 Hullin 8. 1 with Gemara 103b–104b .............................. ..99
§ 2 Baba Mesi‘a 1. 8 with Gemara 20a–21a...........................100

Chapter XIII: The More Important Teachers............................ 105–134
§ 1 Bibliography..................................................................105
§ 2 The oldest period and the five ‘Pairs’ ...............................107
§ 3 First Generation of Tannaim ...........................................109
§ 4 Second Generation of Tannaim (ca. 90–130 C.E.) ............110
§ 5 Third Generation of Tannaim (ca. 130–160 C.E.) .............. 114
§ 6 Fourth Generation of Tannaim .........................................116
§ 7 Fifth Generation of Tannaim.............................................118
§ 8 First Generation of Amoraim ...........................................119
§ 9 Second Generation of Amoraim .......................................121
§ 10 Third Generation of Amoraim .........................................124
§ 11 Fourth Generation of Amoraim .......................................128
§ 12 Fifth Generation of Amoraim...........................................130
§ 13 Sixth Generation of Amoraim: Babylonia .........................132
§ 14 Seventh Generation of Amoraim: Babylonia .....................133
§ 15 The Saboraim................................................................133

Chapter XIV: Literature...........................................................135–198
§ 1 Introductions .................................................................. 135
§ 2 Translations ....................................................................142
§ 3 Commentaries .................................................................145
§ 4 Aids for the Understanding of Language .............................159
§ 5 Halakah ..........................................................................163
§ 6 Haggada .........................................................................166
§ 7 Further Material for the Understanding of the Old Testament 171
§ 8 Theology, Liturgy, Sects, Superstition................................172
§ 9 Ethics ............................................................................ 178
§ 10 Further Material for the Understanding of the New Testament....179
§ 11 Philosophy, Mathematics, Linguistics, Pedagogy .............182
§ 12 Jurisprudence ................................................................183
§ 13 History ..........................................................................189
§ 14 Geography ....................................................................192
§ 15 Natural Sciences and Medicine .......................................193
§ 16 Antiquities .....................................................................195

PART II

INTRODUCTION TO THE MIDRASHIM

Chapter XV: Introductory Remarks ...........................................201–205
§ 1 Character of Midrash .........................................................201
§ 2 Committing the Midrash to Writing ......................................203
§ 3 Remarks on the Structure of the Midrashim..........................204

Chapter XVI: The Tannaitic Midrashim Mekiltha, Siphra, Siphre ...206–209
§ 1 Midrashim of the School of Akiba ........................................206
§ 2 Midrashim of the School of Ishmael .....................................207
§ 3 Bibliography.......................................................................208

Chapter XVII: The Homiletic Midrashim ......................................210–216
§ 1 Pesiktha (deRab Kahana) ...................................................210
§ 2 Wayyikra Rabba ................................................................211
§ 3 Tanhuma or Yelammedenu .................................................212
§ 4 Pesiktha Rabbathi ............................................................ 213
§ 5 Debarim Rabba, Bemidbar R., Shemoth R.............................214
§ 6 Smaller Homiletical Midrashim .............................................215

Chapter XVIII: The Oldest Expositional Midrashim .......................217–219
§ 1 Bereshith Rabba .................................................................217
§ 2 Midrash on Lamentations.....................................................218

Chapter XIX: Midrashim on the Five Megilloth ..............................220–222
§ 1 The so-called Rabboth .........................................................220
§ 2 Other Midrashim on the Megilloth .........................................221

Chapter XX: Other Expositional Midrashim...................................223–224

Chapter XXI: Other Haggadic Works............................................225–229
§ 1 Narrative Haggada............................................................... 225
§ 2 Ethical Midrashim................................................................227
§ 3 Mysticism (also Symbolism of Letters and Numbers) .............228

Chapter XXII: Collective Works and Commentaries which go by
the Name of Midrash ........................................................... ....230–232

Chapter XXIII: Midrash Collections and Translations......................233–234
§ 1 Midrash Collections.............................................................233
§ 2 Translations .......................................................................233

NOTES
To Part 1..................................................................................235
To Part II .................................................................................328

INDEXES
I Hebrew and Aramaic Words Explained ....................................347
II Titles of Books ..................................................................... 349
III Proper Names ......................................................................351

APPENDICES
I Tabular Survey of the Tractates in Mishna, Talmud and Tosephta ..357
II Alphabetical list of Tractates in the Mishna .................................359
III The Opening words of those Chapters in the Babylonian Talmud
which have Gemara, in Alphabetical Order ....................................360

An Excerpt from the Book

§ 1. Midrashim of the School of Akiba. a. Siphra, ‘The Book,’ or Torath Kohanim, on Levit., contains but little haggadic matter.1 The name Siphra is due to the fact2 that in the schools a beginning was made with the third book of the Torah and not with the first. As the basic element we may consider the exposition by Judah ben El‘ai;3 the final compiler was Hiyya the Elder, pupil and friend of Rabbi.4 It is not likely that the Midrash of the School of Ishmael was drawn upon except indirec...