First Order: Zeraim
The original text of the Jerusalem Talmud is here established on the basis of the edition princeps and the existing manuscripts. The text is fully vocalized. This edition also presents the first English scholarly translation and commentary of the Jerusalem Talmud. All technical terms and syllogisms are explained. The edition will serve as a necessary foundation for the understanding of all rabbinic tradition.
First Order: Zeraïm / Tractate Peah and Demay is the second volume in the edition of the Jerusalem Talmud, a basic work in Jewish Patristic. It presents basic Jewish texts on the organization of private and public charity, and on the modalities of coexistence of the ritually observant and the non-observant. This part of the Jerusalem Talmud has almost no counterpart in the Babylonian Talmud. Its study is prerequisite for an understanding of the relevant rules of Jewish tradition.
First Order: Zeraïm / Tractates Kilaim and Ševiït ist der dritte Band in der Edition des Jerusalemer Talmuds und ein grundlegendes Werk der Jüdischen Patristik.
Der Band präsentiert grundlegende jüdische Texte aus dem Bereich der Landwirtschaft: verbotene Mischungen von Saaten, Tieren und Geweben (Kilaim) sowie das Verbot landwirtschaftlicher Tätigkeit im Sabbatjahr, in dem auch alle Schulden zu erlassen sind (Ševiït).
Dieser Teil des Jerusalemer Talmuds hat so gut wie keine Entsprechung im Babylonischen Talmud. Ohne seine Kenntnis bleiben die diesbezüglichen Regeln der jüdischen Tradition unverständlich.
First Order: Zeraïm / Tractates Terumot and Ma'serot is the forth volume in the edition of the Jerusalem Talmud, a basic work in Jewish Patristics.
The volume presents the fundamental Jewish texts on obligatory gift to priests, and tithes to Levites, and the poor. In addition, it contains the main health regulations developed within Jewish ritual law, the rules of Jewish solidarity, and a discussion of the rules, taken for granted in the Babylonian Talmud, under which minute amounts of inadvertently added forbidden material may be disregarded.
This volume concludes the edition, translation, and commentary of the first order of the "Jerusalem Talmud". It contains four small but important tractates.
The first, Ma‘aser Šeni, deals with Second Tithe (Deut. 14:22-27) and the fourth-year fruit of a newly planted tree (Lev. 19:24). This is sanctified food, to be consumed by the laity at the holy precinct, for which redemption is expressly authorized. The tractate deals in large part with the problems of redemption of dedicated food. In addition, there is a long section on the interpretation of dreams, and a detailed description of the ceremony of presentation of the tithe in the Temple.
The second tractate, Hallah, details the application of the general rules of heave to the Cohen’s part of any bread dough.
The third tractate, ‘Orlah, the fruit of a newly planted tree during the first three years (Lev. 19:23), treats this as paradigm for all food whose usufruct is forbidden, and most of the tractate discusses the problems that may arise if any such food is not immediately disposed of.
The last tractate, Bikkurim, describes the rules for selection and presentation of First Fruits in the Temple on or after Pentecost. The rite is given in detail, with an excursus on the honor due elders.
A first appendix shows the position of the Tosephta as intermediary between Yerushalmi and Babli tradition, with a distinct slant towards Babylonian positions. A second appendix tries to identify the main authors of the tractates of this first order.
