"The Talmud" by Harry Freedman (2104)

Get ready to relearn some of the things you think you already know about the Talmud with this exciting and compelling book by author Harry Freedman. It’s exciting because the Talmud is often confusing to people who are not of the Jewish faith; prompting some to ask me where they can get a “Jewish Bible.” I usually answer “Well, just rip the last 300 or so pages out of your King James Version and you’ll have a Jewish bible.” But that doesn’t really explain much. This book does a better job of it than I do.

The reason for the confusion is simple enough. Many Jews; Rabbi’s included; often tell stories from the Mishnah or the Talmud, which lead the listener to think they are hearing stories from a Jewish Bible. A few years ago I went to a temple to see a lecture on Judaism which was aimed at non-Jews. The audience was left in the dust as soon as the Rabbi began relating stories from the Mishnah and Talmud, giving them the full weight of Biblical stories and confusing the audience in the process.

The importance of this book is that it serves as a ground level entry for the seriously interested; or confused; where the Jewish faith is concerned. The Talmud is simply a codification of the first 5 Books of Moses which comprise the Jewish Torah. It is often referred to as the Old Testament; unless you’re Jewish. Then it’s simply the Torah.

The Talmud goes hand in hand with the Mishnah in that it explains further the traditions and meanings behind the Commandments spelled out in the Torah itself. These are the explanations behind the 613 Commandments contained in the Torah. And you thought it was hard enough to keep only 10! These explanations are akin to the Christian Parables. While they may not be the actual word of God, they are important in the understanding of the New Testament and the things which Jesus did. The same is true of the Talmud.

The author very carefully goes though the history behind the Talmud, beginning with the Torah; or the 5 Books of Moses; which was handed down to Moses on Mt. Sinai some 3,000 years ago. That was called the written law. But the next step was the “oral law”, which was not transcribed but verbally transmitted by Moses to Joshua in the desert after Mt. Sinai. Think of this as Moses telling Joshua all the details of his encounter with the God of Abraham.

Next there came the Mishnah, in about 100B.C. This was a codification of the 5 Books of Moses and it would be written and reworked for over 2 centuries, until about 100 A.D. This codification explained just how to accomplish the 613 commandments in the Bible. It is divided into 63 sections and is the forerunner to the Talmud itself, which first made its appearance around 150 A.D. during the Roman occupation of the Holy Land. This is known as the Jerusalem Talmud, not to be confused with the later Babylonian Talmud, which was written between the years 230 and 500 A.D.

The book also gives great insight into the differences between the Saducees and the Pharisees. These 2 sects were somewhat akin to the differences between Conservatives and Liberal, with the Saducees, who had assimilated with the Romans, believing only in the Torah and not the Oral Law or the Mishnah, making them kind of like today’s Conservatives. The Pharisees, on the other hand, believed in the Torah and the Mishnah. They believed that the two went hand in hand, with the Mishnah guiding the understanding of the Torah. Kind of like the “living Constitution” in which today’s Liberals believe.

The author takes the history all the way forward through the centuries, examining each of the times in the world’s history when we almost lost the Talmud, along with the race of people who were chosen to receive the Torah. For those who wonder why that is of any importance this book will both educate and enlighten you. 

You needn’t be Jewish to enjoy this book; it has much to offer in the way of explaining today’s religious differences, many of which drive today’s world politics. That’s the part which makes it compelling.

Is God Fair? A Question of Faith.

This is Michelangelo's beautiful work from the Sistine Chapel showing God Creating Adam. Whether or not you believe in Creationism, or even God, the works of Michelangelo are certainly evidence of the beauty we are capable of carrying within us.

Man has been arguing religion for so long now, thousands of years, with no progress having been made concerning the respect for different beliefs. At times it seems more like a war than a theological discussion. And, at times, it has been just that.

I really enjoy stories from the Talmud and the Mishna. They are the codifications of the events, and their meanings, in the Old Testament. The Talmud and Mishna are almost as old as the Bible itself, and though they are chiefly concerned with the teachings of the Old Testament, many lessons can be learned from these wonderful stories. From them have sprung up many Talmudic "type" of stories, which usually illustrate some principle which has already been expressed in either the Talmud or the Mishna. My favorite is the one about "Two Men Coming Down the Same Chimney", which I have posted here before. But there are so many more. Here is another of my favorites, illustrating a basic concept;

Once a man was visiting a small town for the weekend. He attended the local services at the synagouge. When it was time to honor some of the congregants with Torah blessings, he noticed that the Rabbi was calling random people to be blessed, without regard to name, age or community status. After the service he went to the Rabbi to complain about what he perceived to be an unfair practice. The Rabbi said, "You have been in this synagogue only one day, and yet you feel that there is no order here? I have a list, and I make sure that everything is in order. Remember, we are only on this earth for a short time, and that God has a list, too. Rest assured, verything is in order."

The point here is that we never get to see the whole, larger picture. So how can we judge what is fair, or not? Just a thought for the day...

The Woman Who Named God by Charlotte Gordon

This book is a confirmation of most of what I believe to be true concerning the Biblical story of Abraham and Sarah; his child by Hagar, Ishmael; and thier banishment at Sarahs' insistance. This ignited a whole series of events that we all understand to have led to the creation of 3 Religions- all laying claim to the same Patriach-Abraham.

At the heart of the "Arab-Israeli" question has always been the dispute over who received Gods' mercy, or who should have? The first born son of Abraham with his hand maiden Hagar-Ishmael; or should it have been Isaac; his first born by his marraige to Sarah? Our cultural and social moors were set by this story and are almost "etched in stone" so to speak. And culminating with the creation of Islam in 625 AD we have been at odds since. Christian against Jew and Islamic versus everyone.

Ms. Gordon with her careful analysis of this Biblical story shows us the difference in the roles of women in Judeo-Christian tradition since Sarah and juxtoposes it against the same issues in the Islamic world. The social diffences and political ramifications lead to a polarized current based on this one story. And the more firmly entrenched we become in each of our respective versions of this story, the further the polarization becomes.

This book tackles the issues of the role of women in the oppossing cultures, and how it all affects us today. That it does so in a style that is at once easy to read, yet preserves the historical context and insights of the subject, is a feat in itself. At the same time the author steers you to a new understanding of what may have taken place on Mt. Moriah so long ago.

This will be a controversial read for some, and an exciting journey for others. The important thing to remember is when you read a book like this you are getting another piece of the puzzle that has been the center of literary and philosphical argument for thousands of years.

With my own understanding of the Bible and it's history somewhat limited I found this book to be full of stuff I did not know. What is the Islamic version of this event? Where did it occur? How old was Isaac at the time? Did Abraham visit his illegitimate first born, Ishmael? What happened to the relationship between Abraham and Isaac after the trip to the mountain? And how did that affect the history of the Mid East? And how does all this affect us right down to the present day?

You may come away with more questions than answers- and either you will have gained some insight into your own doubts- or reinforced your previous convictions. And of course the third possibility is that these challenges to the conventional "take" on this subject will lead you to try and know more.