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There is a misconception about Judaism common among Christians and Muslims.\u00a0 This is the misleading idea that Judaism is a \u2018biblical religion\u2019; that the Old Testament has in Judaism the same central place and legal authority which the Bible has for Protestant or even Catholic Christianity.\u00a0 The legal interpretation of sacred texts is rigidly fixed in Judaism – but by the Talmud, rather than by the Bible itself (Shahak 1994).\u00a0 The supremacy of the Talmud over the Bible may be seen in the case of the black Ethiopian Jews.\u00a0 Ethiopians are very knowledgeable of the Old Testament.\u00a0 However, their religion is so ancient that it pre-dates the Talmud, of which the Ethiopians have no knowledge.\u00a0 The New York Times wrote, \u201cThe problem is that Ethiopian Jewish tradition goes no further than the Bible or Torah; the later Talmud and other commentaries that form the basis of modern traditions never came their way.\u201d<\/span><\/strong>[1] Because they are not versed in Talmudic tradition, the black Ethiopian Jews are discriminated against and have been forbidden to perform marriages, funerals and other services in the Israeli state.\u00a0 It is the natural consequence of Jewish belief of considering the Talmud superior to the Torah.\u00a0 The Talmud states, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Erubin 21b (Soncino edition): \u201cMy son, be more careful in the observance of the words of the Scribes than in the words of the Torah.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Rabbi Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz is the founder of the Israel Institute for Talmudic Publications, and has enjoyed the backing of Israeli presidents and prime ministers; he is a recipient of Israel\u2019s highest civilian honor, the Israel Prize.\u00a0 He is currently translating the Talmud into English, French, and Russian.\u00a0 He writes,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf the Bible is the cornerstone of Judaism, then the Talmud is the central pillar, soaring up from the foundations and supporting the entire spiritual and intellectual edifice.\u00a0 In many ways the Talmud is the most important book in Jewish culture, the backbone of creativity and of national life.\u00a0 No other work has had a comparable influence on the theory and practice of Jewish life, shaping spiritual content and serving as a guide to conduct.\u201d<\/span><\/strong>[2]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHistorically speaking, the Talmud is the central pillar of Jewish culture.\u00a0 This culture is many faceted, but each of its numerous aspects is connected in some way with the Talmud.\u00a0 This is true not only of the literature that deals directly with the interpretation or continuation of the Talmud, but also of all other types of Jewish creativity.\u201d[3]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The importance of the Talmud and its authority can be understood by what the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia states,<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Talmud is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable literary productions of all times.\u00a0 It is an encyclopedia covering the whole scene of human life.\u00a0 It is almost impossible to convey to one who has not spent years in the study of this complex work an idea of its true nature, as even the most exact translations cannot catch the inner spirit of the Talmud \u2026 As a repository of the Oral Law, the Talmud\u2019s authority is regarded as divine by Orthodox Jews, and hence it is held to be binding and immutable.\u00a0 Conservative and Reform Jews, however, do not recognize the absolute binding power of the Talmud, although they acknowledge the great part it has played in determining Jewish religious ideas and observances.\u201d[4]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Herman Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author of eleven novels, three plays, and two works of nonfiction.\u00a0 In his book, This is My God; the Jewish Way of Life, serialized in the New York Herald-Tribune in 1959, he wrote:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe Talmud is to this day the circulating heart\u2019s blood of the Jewish religion.\u00a0 Whatever laws, customs or ceremonies we observe \u2014 whether we are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform or merely spasmodic sentimentalists \u2014 we follow the Talmud.\u00a0 It is our common law.\u201d[5]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Talmud is not an ancient document with no relevance to modern Judaism.\u00a0 On the contrary, Encyclopedia Britannica tells us that with the rebirth of a Jewish national state since 1948 and the revival of Jewish culture, the Talmud has achieved renewed importance.\u00a0 Orthodox Judaism has always focused upon its study and has believed it to be the absolute religious authority.\u00a0 It has become one of the aims of religious (Orthodox) Jews there to establish the law of Talmud as the general law of the state.\u00a0 Aside from Israel, the legal system described above has continued to function down to the present day in Jewish communities all over the world.\u00a0 The jurisdiction of rabbinic courts is voluntarily accepted by Orthodox Jews.\u00a0 These courts continue to exert authority, especially in the areas of family and dietary law, the synagogue, and the organization of charity and social activity.\u00a0 Furthermore, Conservative Judaism, too, has always been committed to the Talmud.\u00a0 Thus, a network of day schools and higher institutions of learning in which the Talmud occupies a major role in the curriculum has been established.\u00a0 Scores of young Conservative Jews now search in the Talmud for answers to their crucial problems.[6]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Footnotes:<\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n [1] N.Y. Times: Sept. 29, 1992, p.4<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [2] Rabbi Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz, The Essential Talmud, page 3<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [3] Adin Steinsaltz, The Essential Talmud, trans.\u00a0 Chaya Galai (New York: Basic Books, 1976) 266<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [4] Herschel Revel, Librarian of the Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, New York, The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, s.v. \u201cTalmud,\u201d Volume 10, page 165.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [5] Herman Wouk, This is My God; the Jewish Way of Life quoted by Elizabeth Dilling in The Jewish Religion: Its Influence Today, page 2.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n [6] \u201cTalmud and Midrash.\u201d Encyclop\u00e6dia Britannica<\/span>. 2006.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Ref. www.islamreligion.com \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 There is a misconception about Judaism common among Christians and Muslims.\u00a0 This is the misleading idea that Judaism is a \u2018biblical religion\u2019; that the Old Testament has… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":1474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other-faiths"],"yoast_head":"\nRole of Talmud in Contemporary Judaism<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
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