The Tenakh and the Talmud
The Tenakh
The The collected 24 books of the Jewish Bible. There are three sections: Torah, Nevi'im and Ketuvim (TaNaKh). May also be spelled Tenakh. is a sacred text in Judaism and is often referred to as the Hebrew Bible. It is known by Jews as the written law. The word Tenakh is an A word formed from the initial letters of other words. made up of the three sections found within the book:
- Law; teaching. The word Torah can be used in a narrow sense to mean the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (The Five Books of Moses) and also in a wider sense to include the whole of the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud.
- Prophets. The second section of the Tenakh.
- Writings. The third section of the Tenakh.
The Tenakh contains the same books as the Christian The first part of the Christian Bible which corresponds to the Hebrew Bible but is arranged differently. but in a different order.
The sections of the Tenakh are as follows:
| Torah | 𱹾’i | Ketuvim |
| This is seen as the holiest part of the Tenakh. It contains the five books of Moses and the mitzvot. | This section contains the words of 15 prophets, including Isaiah, Joshua and Samuel. They encourage Jews to follow the laws in the Torah. | This is a further collection of writings that don’t necessarily relate to each other. Some are based on history and others are based on poetry. |
| Torah | This is seen as the holiest part of the Tenakh. It contains the five books of Moses and the mitzvot. |
|---|---|
| 𱹾’i | This section contains the words of 15 prophets, including Isaiah, Joshua and Samuel. They encourage Jews to follow the laws in the Torah. |
| Ketuvim | This is a further collection of writings that don’t necessarily relate to each other. Some are based on history and others are based on poetry. |
The Talmud
Although the Tenakh is the central text of Judaism, some Jews find it difficult to understand how to fulfil the laws set out within it. Jews have the A work that is part of rabbinic oral law and made up of the Mishnah and the Gemara (a commentary on the Mishnah)., the oral law, to help them interpret the written laws of the Tenakh. The Talmud is a written collection of teachings that were originally spoken among Jewish scholars and An ordained Jewish religious leader who is trained in interpreting and applying the sacred scriptures to contemporary issues and circumstances..
The Talmud is split into two parts. The Literally ‘teaching’, the first document of rabbinic Judaism, assumed to have been written down from the oral tradition about AD200. explains how to apply the commandments set out in the Torah. The The Talmud’s commentary on the Mishnah. discusses the Mishnah in further detail and helps to clarify teachings in the Torah that may need further explanation.
Pirkei Avot
Pirkei Avot is a section of the Mishnah that stresses the value of Torah study:
If he has acquired the words of the Torah he has attained afterlife.
Question
What is the Talmud?
The Talmud helps Jews to understand the laws set out in the Torah and how to apply them today.