Since it was first published in 1989, the Talmud Reference Guide has introduced thousands of people to the study of the books of Jewish law. The guide is an historical treatise on the Talmud and its role in Jewish life, as well as an essential road map to the twenty projected volumes of the Steinsaltz translation. Brilliantly written and lavishly designed and illustrated, this full-length guide will raise interest in the Talmud.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Indispensable:
Whatever your level of study there is something in this book for you. At its most basic it provides a quick who's who and an explanation of the wieghts and measures used. But it also deals with regularly found phrases and their interpretation, historical background and context (ultra-orthodoxy studies Talmud as if it is ahistorical), and concepts. It is beautifully written and it illuminates the entire Gemara.
A great aid in understanding what the Talmud is:
This reference work is a wonderful introduction to the Talmud. It explains what the Talmud is, outlines and describes the various tractates, provides a definition of key terms, has a dictionary which translates key Aramaic concepts. I used it the way I sometimes in the past have used encyclopedias or dictionaries to help me fill gaps in my own knowledge, and to understand more clearly vague terms that I had a rough but not certain idea of.
This reference work is an introduction to the Talmud as a... more info
Very comprehensive. Maybe a little too academic for some.:
Note: this review is not just for this one volume but for the entire series. This volume is a reference guide and is a good basis, but the meat of Talmud study takes place in the rest of the series.
The main problem with studying Talmud is that at any point in the Talmud, you are expected to know the rest of the Talmud. The way to circumvent this problem is to study Talmud with a group and make sure there is at least one rabbi presence (two or more is optimal since much of the learning comes from the... more info
An Introduction to "Wisdom Literature" for All Faiths.:
It is said that there is a Talmud for every generation, and the one for now and the next fifty years or so is the Steinsaltz edition, first in Hebrew, and now appearing in English at the rate of a couple of volumes a year from Random House. The "Reference Guide" is a "how to use this tool" sort of book, but in Steinsaltz's unusual case such a specialised book turns out to have general application. For the Christian who wonders about the relevance of Scripture to life -- and what exegesis can mean for lay... more info
