From: rubinoff@linc.cis.upenn.edu (Robert Rubinoff)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish
Subject: Re: Rabbinical Literature
Date: 8 Oct 92 20:37:57 GMT
Organization: University of Pennsylvania

In article <1992Oct6.235305.18787@techbook.com> bferguso@techbook.com (Robert Ferguson) writes:
>The oral traditions/laws (Halachah) were written down and were called the
>Mishna. Interpretations (or commentary) on the Mishna are called Gemara;
>which together with the Mishna make up the Talmud. Is this correct? 

Yes, except that "halachah" refers to the entire body of Jewish law, including
much more than just what's in the Mishnah.  The mishnah is a record of the oral
law as developed at the time it was written.

>[...]  but when you buy the Talmud, are you
>getting the Mishna with the Gemara? or the Gemara only?

The standard format of the Talmud includes both the Mishnah and the Gemara as
well as a number of later commentaries.  It's essentially impossible to have
the Gemara without the Mishnah, because the Gemara is organized around the
verses of the Mishnah, and takes the Mishnah as its starting point (although it
often wanders far afield).  It is possible, though to get editions of just the
Mishnah, in Hebrew and/or English.

>The Midrash is (quoting from the article), "...the elaboration of law
>(Halachah) and a technique of preaching (Haggadah)...a literary compilation
>of Midrashic material." Is this "compilation" the same material as the 
>Talmud, or is it something else?

Midrash is a style of commentary, not a specific book.  There is some midrash
in the Talmud.  There is a particular collection of midrashic commentary called
"Midrash Rabbah" (The Great Midrash), which is a collection of midrashim based
on various books of the Bible.  There are many other works that contain some
midrash, though.  

>What are the differences between the Palestinian/Jerusalem Talmud and the
>Babylonian? The information I read said the Babylonian waas later and more
>authoritative, is there anything else?

The Babylonian Talmud was edited into final form about a century later than the
Jerusalem Talmud.  They are each records of the debates and discussions in the
Academies of their place of origin.  Each of them consists of a Gemara
organized around the Mishnah.  They differ both in the contents of the gemara
and in which tractates of the Mishnah they provide gemara for.  (Neither of
them provides commentary for the entire mishnah.)  There is a lot of overlap
in the material, though.

The Babylonian Talmud is generally considered the authoritative one, because it
is longer, later, and for other reasons not entirely clear to me.  The
Jerusalem Talmud is much less frequently referred to, studied, and printed.
(There is at least one English translation, though).

>I am aware of several english versions of the Talmud; one edited by 
>Isidore Epstein, The Babylonian Talmud, 18 vols. (1961), is this still in
>print? Also, a current one by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, which according to a
>description I have seen is in 5 vols. (I assume this is a work in progress)
>how long to completion? is this the Babylonian? Are there any other english
>editions available? Is there any site on the Internet accessible via Telnet,
>with an electronic version of the Talmud?
There are a number of translations around.  There is a standard one put out (I
believe) by Soncino Press.  Artscroll is currently putting out a translation,
as is Rabbi Steinsaltz.  The Steinsaltz Talmud includes his own commentary, and
will be many many volumes (my guess is at least 50); it appears to be running
2-3 volumes per tractate so far.

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