The Denver Jewish news., 1923-01-03


mud is strange fan.
tastic work written in still more
fantastic style, in which bits of all
sorts of more or less exact knowi-
edge, tosaher with dreams and
fables, are found.
But If people would take little
more interest and study the Talmud,
they would find that the Talmud rep
resents the uninterrupted work Of
Judaism from Ezra to the sixth century
of the common era, the resultant of
an the living forces of the religious
activity of Il nation.
The Talmud is the faithful mirror
of the manners, the institutions, the
knowledge of the Jews. the all of their
civilization in Jerusalem and Baby
lolia during centuries. 1t is work
in which a nation expressed their feel
ings, their belief, their soul
The Talmud is composed of two
distinct parts,y the Mishna and the
Gemora. The Mishna is the text; the
Gemora is the commentary, the ex-
PLANTATION, upon the text. Both were
written in different times, as we shall
explain.
According to belief of Judaism. all
the Jewish laws. all the ceremonies
and injunctions were received by
Moses on the Mount Sinai, together
with the ten commandments. The Tai
mud expresses in the following words
"Halocho le-Moshe Mi-Sinai," which
means 1.-The Laws Given to Moses on
the Mount Sinai" These laws were
supposed to go over from generation
to generation from mouth to mouth.
The Mishna (Perke Abotl says: Moses
received the Torah on Sinai and hand
the elders to the prophets; and the
prophets handed it down to the men of
the Great Synagog; and this law was
supposed to go from generation to gen.
Grafton and was to remain, in the
memory of the men and form living
tradition"
But misfortune came on the chill
dren of Israel. Titus destroyed the
Temple and scattered the children of
Israel and forbade the study of the
law, and foT fear that the chain of
tradition might be ruptured. Il. Judah.
the Holy, decided to write the law.
This is the origin of the Mishna.
Rabbi Judah the Holy divided the
Mishna into six sections (sadorim) +,
subdivided the sections into trcatises
literally web (masichtes), chapters
(parokim) and paragraphs (called
Mishna).
Section l.: Seeds (Sader Zroim)
Devoted to the first fruits, sacrifices,
gifts due from the product of the land
to the priests, Levites, and poor, the
agricultural labor during Sabbatical
year, the forbidden mixtures of Seeds
and in grating. also benedictions. This
sader contains eleven Masichetes.
Section II: Feasts (Moed) About
Sabbath and Sabbatical rests, feasts
and fasts. all the work forbidden to
them, ceremonies to be observed, and
sacrifices to he brought in those days.
Contains twelve Misichtes.
Section III: Women (Noshim)
Everything concerning marriage. di-
vorce, the levirate marriage, adultery,
and VOWS. oaths, and promises. Con-
tains seven Misichtes
Section ": Fines (NaZikin) Civil
| legislation, commercial transactions,
purchases. sales. mortgages, the or
ganiZation of tribunals, witnesses also
one Masichta called Pi:ka Obot. con
taining collection of ethical SEN
tences Contains ten Misichtes.
Skction V: Sacred things (Kod-
slim. All concerning sacrifices, first
born. clean and unclean animals. and
the description of the Herod's temple.
Contains eleven Misichtes.
Section VI: Publication (Thares).
Laws concerning cleanness and un-
cleanness, clean and unclean persons,
cotagious sickess, and hygiene. Con-
tains twelve Misichtes.
This is the MishRa collected and
brought in order by Rabbi Judah the
Holy. In next weeks issue we shall
discuss the Gemora.