Part I
„When we come to the Babylonian Gemara, we are dealing with what most
people understand when they speak or write of the Talmud. Its birthplace,
Babylonia, was an autonomous Jewish centre for a longer period than any other
land; namely, from soon after 586 before the Christian era to the year 1040
after the Christian era - 1626 years.“ (Rabbi
Hertz, English Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, the Soncino Talmud (1935), p.
XXI, Rabbi Hertz).
„The Talmud must not be
regarded as an ordinary work, composed of twelve volumes; it posies absolutely
no similarity to any other literary production, but forms, without any figure
of speech, a world of its own, which must be judged by its peculiar laws.
The Talmud contains much that
is frivolous of which it treats with great gravity and seriousness; it further
reflects the various superstitious practices and views of its Persian
(Babylonian) birthplace which presume the efficacy of demonical medicines, or
magic, incantations, miraculous cures, and interpretations of dreams. It also
contains isolated instances of uncharitable judgments and decrees against the
members of other nations and religions, and finally it favors an incorrect
exposition of the scriptures, accepting, as it does, tasteless
misrepresentations.
The Babylonian Talmud is
especially distinguished from the Jerusalem or Palestine Talmud by the flights
of thought, the penetration of mind, the flashes of genius, which rise and
vanish again. It was for this reason that the Babylonian rather than the
Jerusalem Talmud became the fundamental possession of the Jewish Race, its life
breath, its very soul, nature and mankind, powers and events, were for the
Jewish nation insignificant, non- essential, a mere phantom; the only true
reality was the Talmud.“ (Professor H. Graetz, History of the Jews).
„The Talmud has been the banner which has served as a rallying sign to
the Jews, dispersed in diverse countries; it has maintained the unity of
Judaism.“ (Graetz, History of the Jews).
„Pharisaism became Talmudism...But the spirit of the Ancient Pharisee
survives unaltered. When the Jew...studies the Talmud, he is actually repeating
the arguments used in the Palestinian academies. From Palestine to Babylonia;
from Babylonia to North Africa, Italy, Spain, France and Germany; from these to
Poland, Russia and eastern Europe generally, ancient Pharisaism has wandered...“ (The
Pharisees, by Louis Finkelstein, Foreword, Vol. 1).
„The Talmud derives its authority from the position held by the ancient
(Pharisee) academies. The teachers of those academies, both of Babylonia and of
Palestine, were considered the rightful successors of the older Sanhedrin...At
the present time, the Jewish people have no living central authority comparable
in status to the ancient Sanhedrins or the later academies. Therefore, any
decision regarding the Jewish religion must be based on the Talmud as the final
resume of the teaching of those authorities when they existed.“ (The
Jews - Their History, Culture, and Religion, by Rabbi Louis Finkelstein, Vol.
4, p. 1332, Jewish Publication Society of America, 1949).
„The Talmud: Heart's Blood of the Jewish Faith...“ (November
11, 1959, New York Herald Tribune, based on The Talmud, by Herman Wouk).
„The Talmud is to this day the circulating heart's blood of the Jewish
Religion. Whatever laws, customs or ceremonies we observe - whether we are
orthodox, conservative, reform or merely spasmodic sentamentalists = we follow
the Talmud. It is our Common Law.“ (The Talmud, by Herman Wouk).
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