Webinar/Video Suggestion: using the Talmud modules

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

I recently purchased the neusner English translation of the Babylonian Talmud, and I’m struggling a bit to figure out the search options and the organization.  (For example, what is the Mishnah quotation vs. the Talmud text vs. Neusner’s own comments/explanations.). I did find the recording of the Webinar that Roy Brown did a few years ago on the Hebrew & Aramaic resources available in Accordance, including the Talmuds, which helped me sort out a bit of what is Mishah quotation, etc.  But I’m still struggling with the rest.

 

I’d love to see a video that goes into all the different search fields, that explains how the Talmud is organized, and maybe even a bit of a primer on what the Talmud is/how it is used led by a rabbi or other Jewish scholar but aimed at Christians (like me) for whom this is all new.  

 

I don’t (yet?) have the Targums, but a video focusing on similar issues with them would also be helpful.   

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

I’ve been using the Talmudim for the daily Daf Yomi, so I’ve spent some quality time in them. I’ll try to whip up a video when I get a moment. I’m in touch with other Jewish rabbis and Torah scholars. I may see if I can feature one in an introduction to the Talmudim video.

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

In addition to info on working directly with the Talmud, if you’ve got time in the video, I think it would be helpful to show how to start from a resource like the Jewish Annotated New Testament or the JPS Commentary and click on a Babylonian Talmud (& Jerusalem Talmud?) link from there, and find what is being referred to.  What I’m finding is the Talmudic sections are pretty long: while Neusner breaks the Talmud down into discrete bits, the traditional Talmud referencing system used in other Jewish works in Accordance refer to pretty long sections (entire pages in the early printed Talmud folios as I understand it) and it can take a bit of reading through seemingly unrelated material to find the sentences in that Talmud reference that is meant.   If I’m not clear about what I mean there, let me know, and when I’ve got a chance I’ll give you an example or two.

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

Sure thing. I might be understanding what you’re saying, but examples would be great.

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

Here is one example:

in the Jewish Annotated NT (2nd Edition), on the note for Matthew 4:12, there is a reference to b Qidd. 20a, part of a list of references that back up the statement that Galilee was a (future) seat of rabbinic activity.  Tapping on that link takes one to the top of “page” 20a in Quidd., where one is dropped into the middle of a conversation about betrothal, that does not appear to have anything to do with Galilee.  The JANT is likely referring to the line that Neusner marks as VI.41, “Said Abbayye, “Lo, I am equivalent to Ben Azzai in the marketplaces of Tiberias [who challenged all comers to ask him hard questions].” ”

 

So one has to scroll/skim quite a bit to find it.  This is a bit of a paradigm shift for Christians unaccustomed to the Talmud, because we tend to be used to chapter and verse citations, and the verses are quite short.  In this particular example, one also has to know that Tiberius is on the coastline of the sea Galilee and/or that the Sea of Galilee is also called the Sea of Tiberius.  As it happens, I figured out what I needed to look for in b Quidd by checking the b. Arrak reference in the same JANT note, as the quote from about Ben Azzai in Tiberius is at the very top of that page/reference…and I happened to remember the significance of Tiberius.

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

Great feedback! Let me think of how I could put together a training video on this, as well as on the Talmud in general. The Talmud is a real ocean of Jewish knowledge. I’m still wading through it myself!

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

Some more thoughts/ideas for a potential "training" video on the Talmud modules:

-Discussion of the difference between the Folio and "non-folio" versions of the English Babylonian talmud (trans. by Neusner)

 

-how to do more complicated searches.  Today I was trying to find a particular passage in the Sanhedrin tractate in the non-folio version of the English Babylonian Talmud.  I tried using the key word ass (field type: All English) and restricting to the Sandhedrin tractate (Reference: Sanh).  It told me there were no matches.  But there are clear matches.  Those matches can be found if one just searches for the key word and don't try to restrict it by tractate, but it's a hassle to sift through all the hits in other tractates.  It's possible it's a bug, but it's more likely I just don't understand how to use the search fields offered in these modules

[Leopold Green]

On 3/25/2023 at 1:17 AM, Lorinda H. M. Hoover said:

I’d love to see a video that goes into all the different search fields, that explains how the Talmud is organized, and maybe even a bit of a primer on what the Talmud is/how it is used led by a rabbi or other Jewish scholar but aimed at Christians (like me) for whom this is all new.  

 

I

This is a great idea - I would love to see this too... especially a primer on the Talmud and Mishnah 

 

I have the targums but I know I am not using them to anything like I could so would welcome this as well

[Dr. Nathan Parker]

Thanks for the feedback!