Talmud, Babylonian and Palestinian:

Records of the processes by which Hebrew scholars debated and developed their laws and rulings.

(See also: Talmud, Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Talmud (Hebrew, Jewish). Rabbinic Commentaries on the Jewish faith. It is composed of two parts, the older Mishnah, and the more modern Gemara. Hebrews, who call the Pentateuch the written law, call the Talmud the unwritten or oral law.

The Talmud contains the civil and canonical laws of the Jews, who claim a great sanctity for it. For, save the above-stated difference between the Pentateuch and the Talmud, the former, they say, can claim no priority over the latter, as both were received simultaneously by Moses on Mount Sinai from Jehovah, who wrote the one and delivered the other orally.

(See also: Talmud, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Talmud (Hebrew) [from the verbal root lamadh to teach, train in learning, discipline]

Study of and instruction in anything (whether by anyone else or by oneself); learning acquired; style, system (as such it is synonymous with Mishnah -- oral tradition -- in one of its meanings); theory in contradistinction to practice; interpretation of the Mosaic law as is apparent on the surface and not requiring further disquisition; the noncanonical tradition (Barayetha'); the oldest commentary on the canonical tradition (Gemara'); the texts of tradition and commentary combined -- this last meaning being the one commonly applied. The Talmud is the body of Rabbinical commentaries on Judaism.

There are two recensions of the Talmud: 1) that of Palestine called the Jerusalem Talmud although the work was prepared by the pupils of Rabbi Yohanan ben 'El`azar in the school of Tiberias situated some 45 miles north of Jerusalem: it was entitled Talmud of the Benei Me-`arba' (of the Sons of the West) by early writers; 2) that of Babylon composed principally in the 5th century from old oral courses by Rabbi 'Ashshei bar Sinai, headmaster of the Academy at Sura' and completed in the 6th century by Rabbi Yosei. These works are not the religious or natural philosophy of the Jews, but oral traditions and discussion of the rabbis upon these legends. Christian Orientalists have given most attention to the Palestinian recension, although the Babylonian is preferred by the rabbis who call it the Shas -- i.e., Shishshah Sedarim -- six books ordered or arranged. The Babylonian is four times as large as the Jerusalem.

The Talmud proved the greatest factor for keeping alive the religious ideas of the Jewish people, especially after the fall of Jerusalem and its temple, together with the Old Testament becoming the Bible of the Hebrews. Both were regarded reverentially, for whereas the Pentateuch was the Torah or written word of Moses, the Talmud was believed to be the prophet's oral teaching transmitted.

(See also: Talmud, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Talmud

The collection of Jewish law and tradition containing fundamental principles; a text and commentary in book form

(See also: Talmud, Body Mind and Soul)

About 1873 Kohut began to compile his Dictionary of the Talmud, entirely in German, encouraged by the promise of a Christian nobleman to bear all costs of publication. He had proceeded as far as the third letter of the alphabet when he found that the work was assuming such gigantic proportions as to preclude the possibility of its being confined within the projected limits. Arduous as the merely mechanical labor of copying the manuscript was, he rewrote what he had written, intending to publish the original text of the old 'Aruk,See also:

Alexander Kohut, Alexander Kohut - Early Training, Alexander Kohut - Talmud Dictionary, Alexander Kohut - New York

Gal-hinnom (Hebrew, Jewish) The name of Hell in the Talmud.

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George Alexander Kohut (April 22, 1842 – May 25, 1894) was a rabbi and orientalist; born at Felegyhaza, Hungary; died in New York. He belonged to a family of rabbis, the most noted among them being R. Israel Palota, his great-grandfather, R. Amram (called "The Gaon," who died in Safed, Palestine, where he had spent the last years of his life), and R. Chayyim Kitssee, rabbi in Erza, who was his great-granduncle. Th ...

Including:

Alexander Kohut - Early Training Alexander Kohut - Talmud Dictionary Alexander Kohut - New York

Read more here: » Alexander Kohut: Encyclopedia - Alexander Kohut

Hagadah (Hebrew, Jewish) A name given to parts of the Talmud which are legendary. [w. w.w.]

(See also: Hagadah, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Tanaim (Hebrew, Jewish). Jewish Initiates, very learned Kabbalists in ancient times. The Talmud contains sundry legends about them and gives the chief names among them.

(See also: Tanaim, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Halachah (Hebrew, Jewish) A name given to parts of the Talmud, which are arguments on points of doctrine; the word means "rule".

(See also: Halachah, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Acher (Hebrew, Jewish). The Talmudic name of the Apostle Paul. The Talmud narrates the story of the four Tanaim, who entered the Garden of Delight, i.e., came to he initiated; Ben Asai, who looked and lost his sight; Ben Zoma, who looked and lost his reason; Acher, who made depredations in the garden and failed; and Rabbi Akiba, who alone succeeded. The Kabalists say that Acher is Paul.

(See also: Acher, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Gemara' (Hebrew) (from the verbal root gamar to complete, perfect)

Teaching leading to full initiation; the supplementary part of the Talmud based upon the Mishnah. The arrangement of the present Gemara' is attributed originally to Rabbi Ashi (352-427).

(See also: Gemara, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Asmodeus. The Persian Aeshma-dev, the Esham-dev of the Parsis, "the evil Spirit of Concupiscence", according to Bréal, whom the Jews appropriated under the name of Ashmedai, "the Destroyer ", the Talmud identifying the creature with Beelzebub and Azrael (Angel of Death), and calling him the " King of the Devils ".

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Achath (Hebrew, Jewish). The one, the first, feminine; achad being masculine. A Talmudic word applied to Jehovah. It is worthy of note that the Sanskrit term ak means one, ekata being "unity", Brahma being called ák, or eka, the one, the first, whence the Hebrew word and application.

(See also: Achath, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Mishnah (Hebrew, Jewish). The older portion of the Jewish Talmud, or oral law,, consisting of supplementary regulations for the guidance of the Jews with an ample commentary. The contents are arranged in six sections, treating of Seeds, Feasts, Women, Damages, Sacred Things and Purification. Rabbi Judah Haunasee codified the Mishnah about AM. 140.

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Gemara (Hebrew, Jewish) The latter portion of the Jewish Talmud, begun by Rabbi Ashi and completed by Rabbi Mar and Meremar, about 300 A.D.  Lit., to finish. It is a commentary on the Mishna.

(See also: Gemara, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Jewish shamanism: A philosophy taught by Rabbi Gershon Winkler. It stems from the cabala, the Talmud (a rabbinic code), the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible), and other Jewish writings, and it includes demonology, lunar astrology, and reincarnation.

(See also: Jewish shamanism, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Acher 'aher (Hebrew) (from ahar to remain behind, tarry, follow after)

Following; another, a stranger. In an allegory in the Talmud (Hag 14b), one of four tanna'im (teachers) to enter the Garden of Delight, i.e., to seek initiation into the sacred science. His real name was 'Elisha` ben 'Abuyah. A famous Talmudic scholar before he "failed" the initiation, he became an apostate and was called Aher (stranger). Of the four that entered, Ben Asai looked -- and died; Ben Zoma looked -- and lost his reason; Aher made ravages in the plantation; and Aqiba, who had entered in peace, left in peace (Kab 67-8).

(See also: Acher, aher, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

'Eloah 'eloah (Hebrew) Goddess -- although because of masculine anthropomorphic predisposition, it has been commonly rendered god by European translators; used as a title of eminence both for the Jewish Jehovah and the deities, especially the goddesses, of other nations.

'Elohim is the masculine plural form; in Talmudic literature, however, the plural is frequently given as 'elohoth, oth being the feminine plural ending. The word is pointed 'eloha in the Zohar in its connection as a divinity of feminine potency with the fifth Sephirah, Geburah.

(See also: Eloah, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Lilith (Hebrew) (from layil night)

In popular Jewish legend a female demon, commonly but erroneously supposed to be nocturnal, counterpart of the Babylo-Assyrian Lilit or Lilu. In Rabbinical writings Lilith is the first consort or wife of the mindless Adam, and it was from the snares of Eve-Lilith that the second Eve, the woman, become his savior (IU 2:445).

"The numberless traditions about Satyrs are no fables, but represent an extinct race of animal men. The animal 'Eves' were their foremothers, and the human 'Adams' their forefathers; hence the Kabalistic allegory of Lilith or Lilatu, Adam's first wife, whom the Talmud describes as a charming woman, with long wavy hair, i.e., -- a female hairy animal of a character now unknown, still a female animal, who in the Kabalistic and Talmudic allegories is called the female reflection of Samael, Samael-Lilith, or man-animal united, a being called Hayoh Bishah, the Beast or Evil Beast. (Zohar, ii, 255, 259). It is from this unnatural union that the present apes descended" (SD 2:262).

Lilith or the Liliths in the common Talmudic idea are nocturnal specters or female creatures usually appearing at night and haunting human beings. The Rabbis describe these entities as having the female form, as being elegantly dressed, and as lying in wait for children by night. These Jewish fables,which have direct reference to female elementaries and other denizens of the astral light, and correspond to the Roman and Greek empusas, stringes, and lamiae; the Arabian ghulah (masculine ghul), entities of monstrous character dwelling in the sandy deserts, awaiting men and destroying them if possible; and to the Hindu pramlocha, khados, and dakinis.

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