An incomparable introduction to a work of literature that has lived a full and varied life, this accessible book shows why the Talmud is at once a received source of traditional teachings, a touchstone of cultural authority, and a powerful symbol of Jewishness for both supporters and critics.

Table of Contents

• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• PROLOGUE: THE TALMUD—ESSENTIAL, ENHANCED, AND EMBLEMATIC
• Gestation and Birth (Essential Talmud Part One)
• Anatomy (Essential Talmud Part Two)
• Election: How the Talmud's Discourse Developed (Enhanced Talmud)
• Rivals, Naysayers, Imitators, and Critics (Emblematic Talmud)
• Golden Old Age: Talmud in Modernity—Three Stories