Talmud

It is called the Torah Shebaal Peh (Oral Torah), and is a continuation of the Torah Shebichsav (Written Torah). It is also called the Shas (Six), referring to the Six Orders of the Talmud.

For example, what is to be worn in Devarim 6:5-8 is mentioned in the Talmud.

Versions:

1. Yarushalami / Eretz Yisra’El / Jerusalem / Palestinian Talmud
2. Bavli / Babylonian Talmud

Vilna Layout Structure:

1. Daf (Middle Portion: Mishnah + Gemara (Aramaic: Completion); Also the main folio)
2. Tosafot (External Portion: Addentums to Rashi’s commentary (not to be confused with Tosefta))

Example:

This is the Oz veHadar edition of the first page of the Babylonian Talmud, with elements numbered in a spiraling rainbowː (1) Joshua Boaz’s Mesorat haShas, (2) Joel Sirkis’s Hagahot (3) Akiva Eiger’s Gilyon haShas, (4) Completion of Rashi’s commentary from the Soncino printing, (5) Nissim ben Jacob’s commentary, (6) Hananel ben Hushiel’s commentary, (7) a survey of the verses quoted, (8) Joshua Boaz’s Ein Mishpat/Ner Mitzvah, (9) the folio and page numbers, (10) the tractate title, (11) the chapter number, (12), the chapter heading, (13), Rashi’s commentary, (14) the Tosafot, (15) the Mishnah, (16) the Gemara, (17) an editorial footnote.

The Bavli Talmud’s pagination starts from page 2a. The Baalbatishe (formal) explanation is that it is due to typesetting reasons, where the title page is considered page 1. The Yeshivashe (religious) explanation is that it signifies how the Torah Shebaal Peh is not standalone, but is a continuation of Torah Shebichsav. Another reason I’d say is because page 1 could not be a folio since the left side is part of the book cover.

Each page-unit in the Talmud, called Daf, is a folio, with two pages a and b (left and right).

• Sederim / Seder (Orders / Order): 6
  • Masekhtot / Masekhet (Tractates / Tractate): 60 / 63
    • Perakim / Perek (Chapters / Chapter): 517
      • Building Blocks
        • Mishnayot / Mishnah
        • Gemara
          • Sugyot / Sugya (Each passage of the Talmud)
            • Each Sugyot is the portion from one Mishnah to another.
            • Components
              • Memra (Hebrew: “to say”, confused with Memrot (Logos / Divine Word))
              • Baraita (Aramaic: “external”, external Mishnaic Teachings)
              • Tosfeta (Portions of Baraita organized according to Mishnah)
              • Shakla and Tarya (Debate)
              • Stamim (Hebrew: “unattributed”, Last generation Amoraim, anonymous)
          • Description
            • Sugyot can refer to scriptural, Tannaic and Amoraic statements
            • Gemara points out inconsistencies between Tannaic and Amoraic statements
            • Gemara explores Halakhic (legal) and Aggadic (story) teachings

Rabbinical Eras

• Chazal / ḤaZaL / Ḥakhameinu Zikhronam Liv’rakh (Mishna-ic and Talmudic Era-s)
  • Zugot (Pairs)
  • Tannaim (Teachers)
  • Amoraim (Interpreters)
  • Savoraim (Reasoners)
• Geonim (Excellency-s - the presidents in the Abbasid Khilaafat)
• Rishonim (The Early Ones)
• Acharonim (The Last Ones)

Titles of Sages

A Sage from the Mishnah-ic era is called a Tanna (Aramaic: Teacher), while a Sage from the Talmud-ic era is called an Amora (Aramaic: Interpreter).

Rabbi is a formal title only given to sages through the ceremony called the Shemichah, done within Eretz Yisra’El. The ones who did not have this done are called Rav. So anyone who is called Rav is a Babylonian Amora.

Coverage

The Jerusalem Talmud covers 39 tractates, while the Babylonian Talmud covers 36 and a half tractates, and includes a few minor tractates.

Resources

• Mishnah: The portion of the Tanna-ic Era Midrash selected by Yehudah HaNasi (Judah the Prince)
• Baraitot Sources: Teachings outside the Mishnah written by the Tanna-s
  • Midrash: The entire collection of teachings
• Tosefta: Baraita organiszed in accordance with the Mishnah, and is larger than the Mishnah

Mapping of the Mishnah-s to the Daf-s

The Sefaria project has a mapping of the beginning and end of each Mishnah to it’s Daf in the Bavli Talmud, here. There are 2391 Mishnah-s.

Reading

Daf HaYomi (Daf of the Day) refers to the Daf that is read each day. It takes 2711 days, or 7.5 years to complete the entire Talmud in this manner, as there are 2711 Daf-s.

This is often done as part of the Daf Yomi (Daily Daf) program, where all people read the same Daf each day. This idea was put forward by Rabbi Meir Shapiro in 1923.

The Siyum HaShas (Completion of the Six) is the event marking the completion of one Daf Yomi cycle, and it is held every 7.5 years.