The Talmud In Its Historical Setting : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. 53 THE TALMUD IN ITS HISTORICAL SETTING THE AFTERMATH OF WAR The fall of the Temple had left a void in Jewish religious life. Gladly, the Jews would have labored at its reconstruction, but that was banned by the Romans. Jerusalem which...
The Jurisprudence Of The Talmud : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. 134 p. 135 THE JURISPRUDENCE OF THE TALMUD Talmudic law differs from other systems of jurisprudence in its all-inclusive character. It is not confined to the realm of social relations. It seeks to implement the entire range of values...
The Talmud As Literature : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. 1 THE TALMUD AS LITERATURE In the library of the world's literary classics, a place of special distinction belongs to the approximately forty volumes which are designated collectively by the name "Talmud". Formidable in size, written...
The Forerunners Of The Talmud : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. 28 p. 29 THE FORERUNNERS OF THE TALMUD THE SOPHERIM In biblical times the work of supplementing the written Torah was in the hands of priests (Kohanim), Levites and community elders. When the second Jewish commonwealth was founded by...
Introduction : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. ix INTRODUCTION The literature of the Talmud represents approximately a thousand years of Jewish thought. Its foundations were laid by the work of Ezra during the middle of the fourth century B.C.E., in the community of the returned...
Notes : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. 168 p. 169 NOTES INTRODUCTION 1. "Beer ha-Golah", ch. 7. 2. Vol. V, p. 773. 3. See A. B. Tager, "The Decay of Czarism. The Beiliss Trial, Based on Unpublished Materials in The Russian Archives", Philadelphia, 1935. 4. This work is...
The Theological Elements In The Talmud : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. 84 p. 85 THE THEOLOGICAL ELEMENTS IN THE TALMUD THE EXISTENCE OF GOD The Talmudists, like their Biblical predecessors, assert the existence of God, and from the perspective of that assertion interpret all life in the universe. They do...
Human Wisdom In The Talmud : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. 150 p. 151 HUMAN WISDOM IN THE TALMUD The world outlook of the rabbis is often an elaboration of some revered utterance by a Biblical writer or some other master of tradition; occasionally it is the fruit of some new inspiration that h...
Untitled : * This is a fairly up-to-date and highly readable introduction to the Talmud, the age-old storehouse of Jewish wisdom. Bokser covers the long history of the Talmud, from its origin in the Babylonian exile, its growth through the five centuries after the Roman destruction of the Temple...
Title Page : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], THE WISDOM OF THE TALMUD A THOUSAND YEARS OF JEWISH THOUGHT By RABBI BEN ZION BOKSER New York: Philosophical Library [1951] First page of the tractate Berakot, from the first Talmud ever published, printed by Joshua Soncino, Dec. 19, 1483...
Personal Morality In The Talmud : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. 120 p. 121 PERSONAL MORALITY IN THE TALMUD The Talmud is concerned with man himself, and not only with the social consequences of his actions. Scattered throughout Talmudic literature, we have therefore a description of the ideal...
Social Ethics In The Talmud : * "The Wisdom of the Talmud", by Ben Zion Bokser, [1951], p. 102 p. 103 SOCIAL ETHICS IN THE TALMUD THE UNITY OF MANKIND The Talmudic conception of mankind is that of a unity, deriving its character from a common origin and a common destiny. The basic elements of this doctrine are already...
