Organization of the Talmud Contents The Sections and Tracts of the Talmud ................................. 2 Seder Zeraim (Seeds) ............................................ 2 Seder Moed (Festivals) ........................................... 2 Seder Nashim (Women) .......................................... 2 Seder Nezikin (Damages) ......................................... 3 Seder Kodashim (Holy Things) ...................................... 3 Seder Toharot (Purity) ........................................... 3 The rabbis of the 2nd and 3rd centuries after Christ At a certain point, probably during the 2nd cen- organized the Talmud in the form we find it to- tury after Christ, the Pharisees gave permission for day. Rabbi Jehudah the Nasi (3rd Century, presi- writing the law. Until then it was absolutely forbid- dent of the Sanhedrin) began the work of gathering den to put the oral law in writing. No sooner had together all the notes, archives, and records from this been granted that the number of manuscripts which the Talmud would be compiled. The scholars began to be very great, and when Rabbi Jehudah in Spain asserted that these notes had been in ex- had been confirmed in authority (since he enjoyed istence since schools had begun in Israel, possibly the friendship of a Roman named Antonius, who from as early as Ezra’s time. was in power in Rome), he discovered that “from the multitude of the trees the forest could not be Other Jewish scholars of that period, notably those seen.” living in France, declared that not a line was writ- ten down anywhere until this compilation began, The period of the 3rd century was very favorable for and that the writing was done from memory alone, this undertaking, because the Talmud, and its Jew- the memory of the living rabbis who were the con- ish followers, enjoyed a rest from persecutors. But tributors. there were still sharp differences of opinion among the students of the Talmud themselves. Modern scholars have compromised between these two versions of how things happened, by asserting Although Rabban Gamaliel the Elder (the that, during the first centuries, the commentators Gamaliel of the New Testament) had succeeded in of the Talmud had taken notes of their studies, then fixing the Law in accordance with Hillel’s school, later had written them out in permanent form. and had declared, with the consent of many of the most prestigious sages of the Talmud, that It was severe persecution that was the strong mo- the school of Schammai was of no validity, when tivation to write things down. The very lives of it differed from Hillel, there were more than 400 the scholars were threatened continuously in some students in his college alone. So it was decided periods, and the thought of important bodies of the individual opinions, even those of the minor- thought perishing with one or two individuals was ity, should be considered; and differences between a catalyst that lead to written transcripts. schools of thought were renewed with considerable Grace Notes, a ministry of Austin Bible Church http://gracenotes.info/ Organization of the Talmud 2 vigor. Thus, when Rabbi Jehudah began his com- Seder Moed (Festivals) pilation, he was compelled to give due weight to all the varying opinions. This section (12 tractates, 86 chapters)deals with Sabbath holidays, the duty of taxes before the hol- Another difficulty was in selecting from the mass idays, and of mourning during the festivals. of doctrines, laws, and commentaries those which were practicable and of direct application. One Tract Sabbath – Sabbath laws Rabbi’s account states that there were more than Tract Iruvin – laws of permissible limits on the 600 sections of Mishnah, and even if this is an ex- Sabbath. aggeration, it was no easy task to reduce them to six. Tract Pesahim – laws of hametz and matzah and the paschal sacrifice. Tract Shekalim – the shekel dues to the Temple The Sections and Tracts of the Tal- and Temple ceremonies mud Tract Yoma – sacrifices and the fast on Yom Kip- pur The six sections of the Talmud contain 63 tractates Tract Sukkah – the building of a sukkah; the four and 520 chapters. The subjects (orders: sedarim) species; the festival in the Temple. of the sections and the tracts of the Talmud are as follows: Tract Betza – general festival laws Tract Rosh Hashanah – fixing the months and years; blowing the shofar; and the Rosh Hashanah Seder Zeraim (Seeds) prayers. Tract Taanit – the regular fast days. This section (11 tractates, 74 chapters) contains the law relating to agriculture and crops, heave of- Tract Megillah – laws of Purim. ferings, tithes, the sabbatical year, and gifts to the Tract Moed Katan – laws of the intermediate fes- poor. At the head of this section is the tract on tival days benedictions, which man owes to his Maker every day, beginning with those of the evening, which Tract Hagigah – Laws for pilgrimage festivals commences the day, according to Jewish custom. Tract Berakhot – prayers and benedictions Seder Nashim (Women) Tract Pe’ah – laws of gleanings and charity This section (7 tractates, 71 chapters) deals with Tract Demai – doubtfully tithed produce laws regarding women, marriage, and divorce. There also laws on vows and Nazarites, because Tract Kilayim – various kinds of seeds, trees, and women’s vows are dependent on the decision of animals their fathers and husbands; and Nazarites depend on women, who may legally consecrate a child pre- Tract Shevi’it – laws of the sabbatical year vious to its birth, as for example, Hannah, the Tract Terumot – contributions to the priests mother of Samuel, and the mother of Samson. Tract Ma’aserot – tithes for the Levites and poor Tract Yebamot – Levirate marriage; prohibitions on marriage; testimony on the death of the hus- Tract Ma’aser Sheni – the second tithe, and band. bringing it to Jerusalem Tract Ketubot – the marriage contract and special Tract Halah – the dough offering to the priests agreements Tract Orlah – prohibition against harvesting trees Tract Nedarim – various types of vows. for four years Tract Nazir – the Nazarite laws Tract Bikurin – offering of the first fruits at the Tract Sotah – laws concerning an adulteress; mur- Temple. der in which the perpetrator is unknown; war Grace Notes, a ministry of Austin Bible Church http://gracenotes.info/ Organization of the Talmud 3 Tract Gittin – divorce; writing and sending the Tract Zevashim – laws of sacrifice get. Tract Menahot – meal offerings, tzitzit, tefilin Tract Kiddushin – the marriage act; laws of ge- Tract Hulin – laws of ritual slaughter and dietary nealogy laws Tract Behkorot – the first-born child and animal; Seder Nezikin (Damages) defective animals Tract Arakhin – valuation of Temple offerings and This section (10 tractates, 73 chapters) is also soil known as Yeshuot (Rescues), since a lot of it deals with saving a victim from his persecutor. Tract Temurah – substituting an animal offering It deals with laws of property, judges, penalties Tract Keritot – sins requiring extirpation and sac- which courts may prescribe. A section of the re- rifices for them ligious criminal code (Avodah Zarah) is devoted to the prohibition of pagan worship. Another trac- Tract Me’ilah – sins of sacrilege against Temple tate, Horayot (Decisions), deals with the prob- property and atonement for them lem of what to do in case the Sanhedrin makes Tract Tamid – Daily sacrifices in the Temple an erroneous decision that plunges the whole na- tion into error. The tractate Avot (Fathers) deals Tract Midot – measurements of the Temple with ethics and philosophy and contains the sayings Tract Kinim – what to do when various sacrifices and aphorisms of sages of the Mishnah. Because of have been mixed this unique content, this tractate was included in may prayer books and was translated into other languages. Seder Toharot (Purity) Tract Baba Kama (First Gate) – direct and indi- This section (12 tractates, 126 chapters) includes rect damages. the most complex and involved legal subjects, the Tract Baba Metzia (Middle Gate) – losses, loans, laws of ritual purity and impurity. These laws, work, and wage contracts. which were observed mainly in the period of the Temple, and for several subsequent generations in Tract Baba Batra (Final Gate) – partnership, Palestine, consist of minute and extremely involved sales, promissory notes, inheritance details based on ancient traditions, in which the log- Tract Sanhedrin – various types of courts, crimi- ical connection is not always discernible. One trac- nal law, principles of faith tate, Nidah, the only one which appears in either the Jerusalem or Babylonian Talmud, has practical Tract Makot – punishment by flagellation significance in that it discusses laws on the periodic Tract Shevuot – oaths ritual uncleanness of women. Tract Eduyot – a collection of testimonies on var- Tract Kelim – various types of utensils and their ious subjects sensitivity to pollution Tract Avodah Zarah – Keeping one’s distance Tract Oholot – laws of the uncleanness of the dead from idolatry and idolaters. Tract Negaim – laws regarding leprosy Tract Avot – ethics and derekh eretz. Tract Parah – preparation of the ashes of the red Tract Horayot – erroneous rulings of the courts heifer and purification after contact with the dead and their rectification Tract Tohorot – various laws of purification Tract Mikvaot – laws of the mikvaot for purifica- Seder Kodashim (Holy Things) tion Tract Nidah – ritual impurity of the woman This section (11 tractates, 90 chapters) is devoted Tract Makhshirin – ways in which foods become mainly to laws pertaining to the Temple and its ritually unclean sacrifices, and includes laws of ritual slaughter and details about kosher and non-kosher foods. Tract Zavim – gonorrhea and purification from it Grace Notes, a ministry of Austin Bible Church http://gracenotes.info/ Organization of the Talmud 4 Tract Tevil Yom – discussion of various kinds of Tract Uktzkin – categorization of things that are ritual uncleanness susceptible to ritual uncleanness. Tract Yadaim – ritual uncleanness of the hands Grace Notes, a ministry of Austin Bible Church http://gracenotes.info/.