The Essential Talmud

By Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz

Book Overview

A masterful introduction to the to the great repository of Jewish wisdom, the Talmud
In The Essential Talmud, the renowned Israeli scholar and teacher Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz succinctly describes the history, structure, and methodology of the sacred text by which the Jewish people have lived and survived through the ages. Rabbi Steinsaltz summarizes the Talmud's main principles, demonstrates its contemporary relevance, and captures the spirit of this unique and paradoxical text as a human expression of divine law. This expanded edition features a historical overview of life in the times of the Talmud and an in-depth look at the content and appearance of the original Talmudic page. As Rabbi Solomon S. Bernards of the B'Nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League puts it, "this book is indispensable to those, Jews and Christians alike, who would like to gain an insight into what it is that moves the contemporary Jew."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465082734
• ISBN13: 9780465082735
• Release Date: September 2006
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A very good short introduction

This is the best short introduction to the Talmud I know. The first section that relates the history of the Talmud's creation is the most extensive and interesting part of the work. The short summaries of various tractates also provide a basic knowledge. But there is no substitute for ' learning the Talmud with others' Hopefully this work will encourage many to do so.

My l i t t l e review

I liked this book and found it very helpful. It is more about how the Talmud was actually put together, than a review or commentary on what the Talmud actually contains.

Clear, Interesting Summary of Some of the Talmud's Teaching

Trying to summarize the Talmud in a paperback is quite an undertaking, but Steinsalz has provided readers with a taste of the Talmud's wisdom.Steinsalz clarifies some interesting distinctions. For example, women were exempted from certain legal responsibilities out of concern for their limitations in rearing children, etc., but not forbidden from many of them (e.g., going to the Temple for the Feasts).I write as a Christian pastor whose interest lies in the Jewish roots of my particular faith. So whether investigating Judaism as a Jew or whether probing into the Talmud as a non-Jew, this book is a valuable distillation.