*TALMUD (tarmud), (Heb. law'mad, to learn). The Talmud is the work which embodies the civil and canonical law of the Jewish people. It contains those rules and institutions by which, in addition to the Old Testament, the conduct of that nation is regulated. Whatever is obligatory on them, besides the Law, is recorded in this work. Here doubts are resolved, duties explained, cases of conscience cleared up, and the most minute cir cumstances relative to the conduct of life dis cussed with wonderful particularity. Hence the contents of the Talmud are of a diversified char acter, relating not merely to religion, but to phi losophy, Medicine, history, jurisprudence, and the various branches of practical duty.
There are two works which bear this name, the Talmud of Jerusalem and the Talmud of Babylon. Each of these is composed of two parts—the Mishna, which is the text, and is common to both; and the Gemara, or commentary.
The Mishna, signifying repetition, comprehends all the laws, institutions, and rules of life, which, besides the ancient Hebrew Scripture, the Jews thought themselves bound to observe. It was composed, according to the unanimous testimony of the Jews, about the close of the second century, and was the work of rabbi Jehuda (or Dula) Hakkadosh, who was the ornament of the school of Tiberias. It is said to have occupied him forty years. The commentaries and additions which succeeding rabbis made, were collected by rabbi Jochanan Ben Eliezer, some say in the fifth, others say in the sixth, and others in the seventh century, under the name of Gemara: that is, completion, because it completed the Talmud. A similar addt tion was made to the Mishna by the Babylonish doctors in the beginning of the sixth century, ac cording to Enfield; and in the seventh according to others.
The Talmud of Babylon is most valued by the Jews; and this is the book which they mean to express when they talk of the Talmud in general.
Prof. Samuel Davidson says: "The Jews set so high a value on the Talmud as to place it gen erally above the inspired Law. Hence we find in the Masseccth Sopherint the saying, 'The Biblical text is like water, and the Mishna like wine, and the six orders (scdarim) like aromatic wine.' In another passage the following words occur—'The Law is like salt, the Mishna like pepper, but the six orders like fine spices.' Again, 'The words of the scribes are lovely, above the words of the Law ; for the words of the Law are weighty and light, but the words of the scribes are all weighty.' 'He that shall say there are no phylacteries. trans gressing the words of the Law, is not guilty; but he that shall say, There are five totaphoth, adding to the words of the scribes, lie is guilty' (Hieros. Berac. fol. 3, 2). Such extravagant praises of their oral traditions correspond with the Savior's words. 'Making the word of God of none effect. through your tradition which ye have delivered' (Mark vii:13). But they do not harmonize with the real nature of the Talmud itself ; for the book contains many fabulous, trifling, absurd, and ir reverent things. It unites the allegorizing pro pensity of the East with a childish prying into the most curious questions.