what is talmud in judaism

The Talmud is a collection of ancient teachings regarded as sacred and normative by Jews from the time it was compiled until modern times and still so regarded by traditional religious Jews. It is the record of rabbinic teachings that spans a period of about six hundred years, beginning in the first century C.E. and continuing through the sixth and seventh centuries C.E. The Talmud is the basis for all codes of Jewish law and is widely quoted in rabbinic literature. The Talmud is made up of two separate works: the Mishnah, primarily a compilation of Jewish laws, and the Gemara, the rabbinic commentaries and discussions on the Mishnah. The Mishnah is a collection of originally oral laws supplementing scriptural laws. The Gemara is a collection of commentaries on and elaborations of the Mishnah, which in “the Talmud” is reproduced in juxtaposition to the Gemara. The Talmud covers the full gamut of Jewish law and tradition. The Talmud explains in great detail how the commandments of the Torah are to be carried out. The Talmud is studied, not read, due to its spare and laconic style. The Talmud is the background of Judaism today, with the Biblical commands often being re-interpreted in the light of the Talmudic debates.