Tradition and the Formation of the Talmud

Moulie Vidas; Moulie Vidas

Book

Tradition and the Formation of the Talmud

Moulie Vidas and Moulie Vidas

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2014

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About this book

Tradition and the Formation of the Talmud offers a new perspective on perhaps the most important religious text of the Jewish tradition. It is widely recognized that the creators of the Talmud innovatively interpreted and changed the older traditions on which they drew. Nevertheless, it has been assumed that the ancient rabbis were committed to maintaining continuity with the past. Moulie Vidas argues on the contrary that structural features of the Talmud were designed to produce a discontinuity with tradition, and that this discontinuity was part and parcel of the rabbis' self-conception. Both this self-conception and these structural features were part of a debate within and beyond the Jewish community about the transmission of tradition.

Focusing on the Babylonian Talmud, produced in the rabbinic academies of late ancient Mesopotamia, Vidas analyzes key passages to show how the Talmud's creators contrasted their own voice with that of their predecessors. He also examines Zoroastrian, Christian, and mystical Jewish sources to reconstruct the debates and wide-ranging conversations that shaped the Talmud's literary and intellectual character.

Author / Editor information

Moulie Vidas is an assistant professor in the Department of Religion and the Program in Judaic Studies at Princeton University.

Reviews

"Vidas's book is eloquent testimony to the high level of conceptual sophistication that has been achieved in the academic field of Talmud study in recent years. It bodes well for the future of the field in American academia."---Pinchas Roth, AJL Newsletter --- "Vidas's book exemplifies the best possibilities of contemporary Talmud scholarship--a foretaste, in just those moments when it upsets received wisdom about the Talmud, of the next step in the ancient dance of new and old."---Raphael Magarik, MAKE Literary Productions --- "Finalist for the Jordan Schnitzer Book Award, Association for Jewish Studies"

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
A Note on Style Conventions Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	vii
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
Part I
Chapter One. The Alterity of Tradition Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	23
Chapter Two. The Division into Layers Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	45
Chapter Three. Composition as Critique Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	81
Part II
Chapter Four. Scholars, Transmitters, and the Making of talmud Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	115
Chapter Five. The Debate about Recitation Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	150
Chapter Six. Tradition and Vision Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	167
Conclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	203
Acknowledgments Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	215
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	217
Source Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	233
Subject Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	237

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

June 16, 2015

eBook ISBN:

9781400850471

Edition:

Core Textbook

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400850471

eBook ISBN: 9781400850471

Keywords for this book

Mishnah; Baraita; Talmud; Recitation; Midrash; Rabbinic literature; Jews; Literature; Yohanan; Gemara; Rav; Religious text; Daniel Boyarin; Exegesis; Tractate; Rashi; Tosefta; Rabbi; Tannaim; Jewish studies; Princeton University Press; Zoroastrianism; Merkabah mysticism; S. (Dorst novel); Geonim; Torah study; Elijah; Judaism; Torah; Christine Hayes; Rav Papa; R.; American Council of Learned Societies; Redaction; Narrative; Naphtali; Oral Torah; Religious studies; Mekhilta; Responsa; Career; Late Antiquity; Karaite Judaism; Oral tradition; The Other Hand; Abaye; Anecdote; Leviticus Rabbah; God; Mamzer; Dichotomy; Superiority (short story); Shekhinah; Polemic; Rav Huna; Alterity; Abbahu; Memorization; Saul Lieberman; Levite; Jerusalem Talmud; Hekhalot literature; Suggestion; Genizah; Bava; Jewish culture; Ancient Judaism (book); Shabbat; Exilarch; Psalms

Audience(s) for this book

For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research

Tradition and the Formation of the Talmud

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Reviews

Topics

Table of contents

Bibliographic data