Thread by @ZechariahSharab

🧵on the Talmud תלמוד

1) Social media is full of fake quotes attributed to the Talmud and myths about "talmudic rituals"

It's due time for some truth and education about the Talmud!

The central text recording the ancient oral traditions of Judaism

2) Originally, Jewish scholarship was oral and transferred from one generation to the next

Rabbis expounded and debated the Torah without the benefit of recording the discussions or conclusions

Traditions were transferred from Rabbi to student, from parents to their children

3) Following the Roman destruction of the 2nd Temple in #Jerusalem in 70 BCE, the traditional system oral scholarship could no longer be maintained

It is during this period that rabbinic discourse began to be recorded in writing

4) The Talmud records rabbinic discussion and discourse, not rulings

It enables us to examine the various opinions and detailed analysis of the Torah in practice

In order to understand Jewish Law in practice, one must study the conclusions of later scholars such as Maimonides

5) As such, the Talmud is the main text we study in yeshiva

It allows us to not only learn Jewish laws and traditions, but also understand the sources and how they came about

Many dedicate their entire life to this study

6) Talmud study requires fluency in Babylonian Aramaic as well as understanding of Rabbinic logic

Reading an English translation will not work, as Aramaic is key to understand the flow of discussions and opinions

7) The Talmud also allows us to understand how Jewish communities across the globe accepted different opinions recorded in the Talmud

For example, the Torah commandment of Tzitzith ציצית - specially knotted ritual fringes we wear on our prayer shawls (or any 4 cornered garment)

8) The Torah in Numbers 15:38

"Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue"

9) But what are these fringes?

How do we tie them?

And what is the exact definition of "blue"?

The Talmud records long discussions on this subject, and the various opinions can be seen across different Jewish communities

The Jews of #Yemen follow Maimonides' conclusion

10) Most Ashkenazi Jews follow the tradition in the top part of the picture

Most Sephardic Jews follow the tradition in the bottom part of the picture

11) Most Jews avoid the blue tassles as the Talmud describes it was produced exclusively from a marine creature known as the Ḥilazon חילזון

Despite modern research, it's still not clear if the Hexaplex Trunculus found on the coastal plains of #Israel fits the description

12) The Karaites, a small sect that follows the written Torah only, use blue tassels of any source

They also look at the tassels during prayers, based on their understanding of Numbers 15:39

"That you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments..."

13) The Samaritans, who also did not accept the Talmud, wear 4 cornered garments without the fringes

14) I have seen many Tweets falsely claiming "Jews follow the Torah, Zionists follow the Talmud" 😂

Some of the most fervent anti-Zionists were great Talmud scholars!

The Satmar Rebbe based his entire political opinion based on a minority opinion in the Talmud

15) So if you see stories about "talmudic rituals", please respond with this 🧵

And if they are still not convinced, I am always happy to answer their questions...