The Talmud
The Talmud contains rabbinicRelating to rabbis of the first to sixth centuries CE and their interpretation and expansion of biblical law. teachings which interpret and expand Torah law to make it relevant to the daily life of Jews in the first five centuries CE. Rabbinic tradition as laid down in the Talmud is also referred to as the Oral Torah. For many Jews the Talmud is as holy and binding as the Torah itself.
Oral Torah
According to traditional belief, the Oral Torah was given by God to MosesThe man chosen by God to save the Jews from slavery and take them to the promised land. In the Qur'an he is a messenger chosen by God to give the revelation of the Torah to the Israelites. on Mount SinaiA mountain in the Sinai desert, believed to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments. at the same time as he received the Written Torah. It was passed down by word of mouth for generations until it was written down by rabbis in the Talmud.
The Oral Torah is the ancient rabbinic tradition of which the Talmud is the most important document. The Talmud consists of the MishnahLiterally ‘teaching’, the first document of rabbinic Judaism, assumed to have been written down from the oral tradition about AD200. and the GemaraThe Talmud’s commentary on the Mishnah.. Each commentary is related to a section of the Mishnah and presents rabbinic discussions about it.
Rabbinic Responsa
Rabbis continue to discuss the Talmud and other rabbinic works to provide guidance on issues that arise within the Jewish community today. For example, as a result of discoveries in genetic engineering and gene therapy, they may discuss questions that are raised about the use of these techniques and the concept of the sanctity of lifeThe belief that life is precious or sacred, because humans are made ‘in God’s image’. For many religious believers, only human life holds this special status..