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The Essential Talmud
Adin Steinsaltz
Basic Books, 1976
ISBN: 0-465-02063-1 

Many Christians assume that modern Judaism is a religion of the Bible. For Jews, the Bible is the Tanach - what Christians call the Old Testament. And while religious Jews would claim allegiance to the Tanach, it is not a stretch to say that Talmud commands their attention. It is the primary focus of study and meditation. Here is how Adin Steinsaltz puts it:

If the Bible is the cornerstone of Judaism, then the Talmud is the central pillar, soaring up from the foundations and supporting the entire spiritual and intellectual edifice. In many ways the Talmud is the most important book in Jewish culture, the backbone of creativity and of national life. No other work has had a comparable influence on the theory and practice of Jewish life, shaping spiritual content and serving as a guide to conduct. [The Essential Talmud, p.3]

Few will dispute the remarkable achievement of Jewish people in virtually all walks life. But we might well ask how it is that a people who have been hounded and harassed throughout history can excel in so many pursuits.  Rabbi Abraham Hirsch Rabinowitz believes that much of Jewish success is related to the benefits of Talmud study.

The versatility and achievement of the Jewish mind is proverbial. There is hardly a field of human contemplation and endeavor in which Jews have failed to excel. Precocity and originality have usually marked the contribution of Jews to knowledge, as also a striking ability to improvise. Of the main factors that together created the Jewish mind, there can be little doubt that the contributon of the age-long preoccupation of the Jew with Talmud and halachah is formidable. The study of Talmud, undertaken at an early age and pursued assiduously, nurtured alertness, discernment, and acumen and cultured the ability to weigh situations and opinions. It encouraged debate and individual research, rewarded initiative, and lauded brilliance. [The Study of Talmud, Jason Aronson Inc, 1996, p.xiii]

But what is the Talmud? The Talmud is a multi-volume summary of oral law that evolved over several centuries of work by scholars who lived in Palestine and Babylonia. Jews believe that Moses received both the written law and the oral law on Mount Sinai, and that the Talmud is the codification of that oral tradition. Following the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (70 C.E.), leaders in Judaism began recognizing the importance of codifying these traditions lest they be lost to Jews who were dispersed throughout the known world. It was during those four to five centuries following the Temple’s destruction that these oral teachings were recorded, edited and assembled into what we know as the Talmud.

Anyone with even the most casual acquaintance with Jewish tradition will know that mastering the Talmud is a life-long pursuit. Only those convinced that their spiritual well-being rests upon knowing Talmud will make that commitment. And yet, Christians who desire to understand their Jewish friends and neighbours might do well to seek a basic understanding of the content of Talmud, and how these traditions guide Jews in their daily lives.

Adin Steinsaltz has provided just the volume for those looking for a basic introduction to how Jewish law functions. The Essential Talmud will give readers a fascinating look at codified oral tradition - an insider’s explanation of how religious Jews tackle the big questions of life in terms of fulfilling God’s law as they understand it. Though written more than thirty years ago, I have yet to find an introductory text that does the job as well as this one.

Steinsaltz covers his subject under three major headings: History, Structure and Content, and Method.

After answering the question, “What is Talmud?”, the author follows the long, arduous history of how the Talmud was produced. In doing so, he covers the two major centres of Torah study - Jerusalem and Babylon - showing how the Babylonian Talmud came to be the most authoritative Talmud.

The second major section of the book explores the structure of the Talmud, looking briefly at the various subjects treated within the oral tradition. The major themes covered are:

• Prayers and Benedictions
• The Sabbath
• The Festivals
• Marriage and Divorce
• The Status of Women
• Civil Law
• Criminal Law
• Sacrifices
• Dietary Laws
• Ritual Purity and Impurity
• Ethics and Halakhah
• Derekh Eretz (Deportment)
• The World of Mysticism

 For me, the third section provided the greatest insight into how the religious Jew thinks, for here Steinsaltz discusses Halakhic exegesis, methods of study, and how the Talmudic mind works. I suspect more than a few conservative Christians will find this section both fascinating and frustrating, because Talmudic thinking often runs counter to what would be considered clear biblical teaching. For example, there is in Talmud a debate among rabbis where one rabbi calls God as his witness. To our surprise, the rest of the rabbis discount any divine contribution on the basis that God, in giving Torah at Sinai, placed custody of Torah on earth - under the protection of Moses, and by extension, the rabbis. Not even The Almighty can speak against the rabbis!

Reading The Essential Talmud will not make you an expert in oral Torah, but it will provide insight into how religious Jews order their lives. It will also, I hope, encourage Christians to give greater attention to their own pursuit of mastering the living and enduring Word of God - in reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the words of Holy Scripture.

This article first appeared in ChristianWeek on December 1, 2009 (Vol. 23 No.18) 

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Not only is The Salvation Army Canada’s largest non-governmental direct provider of social services, it is arguably the world’s most trusted and respected charity. Be it a flood, hurricane or earthquake, or an ongoing need to help alleviate human suffering, it is hard to find a place of need in our world where the Salvation Army does not have a significant presence. 

Serving in 118 countries, speaking 175 languages, with more than 15,000 locations, and a force of officers and soldiers numbering close to 1.2 million, The Salvation Army is powerful example of holistic Christian ministry.

If you’ve wondered how this decidedly evangelical ministry has managed to grow so large and influential, you will want to get your copy of Christianity in Action: The International History of The Salvation Army by Henry Gariepy (Eerdmans, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-8028-4841-3). An adjunct faculty member at the Army’s Training College in London, Gariepy teaches Salvation Army history and Bible.

Gariepy, an author of 29 books and contributor to 50 others, has provided a “meticulously researched yet engaging” account of the Army’s humble beginnings and phenomenal growth into an international evangelical relief and development organization.

The Army’s founder, William Booth, himself reared in poverty, came to faith as a teenager through the preaching of an American holiness preacher. By age 17, Booth was preaching the gospel on the streets of England’s cities. However, before long, the Methodist circles in which Booth ministered grew uncomfortable with his revivalistic methods.

Matters came to a head in May, 1861, when the annual church conference voted to deny Booth the opportunity to engage in full-time evangelistic. William and Catherine, his wife, left that meeting vowing to continue their gospel work without the blessing of the Church.

As William and Catherine Booth embarked on their Abraham journey, they formed the East London Christian Revival Society. By 1867, the ministry had been renamed the Christian Mission. Readers will enjoy discovering how the movement was eventually to be known as The Salvation Army - it was the result of an off-the-cuff remark by a ministry worker commenting on the wording of a promotional pamphlet written by William Booth.

If Booth is remembered as the public voice of the work, Catharine is surely acknowledged the organizational master-mind. Her influence on the Army’s beginnings extended to the role of women - every aspect of the ministry was to be equally accessible to both women and men. In some ways, The Salvation Army is the forerunner of evangelical feminism.

In 27 chapters, Gariepy distils 144 years of compassionate gospel ministry. From the Army’s humble, holiness-centered revivalism to one of the world’s largest compassionate outreaches, the Army has become what may well be one of Christianity’s greatest stories of holistic Christian ministry - a humanitarian giant immersed in gospel truth.

As well as recording the great councils, chronicling the opening of new countries, and reflecting upon strategic advances and challenging set-backs, Gariepy provides fascinating glimpses into the front-line service of Army workers. For example, how many of us would know that The Salvation Army operated the world’s first 24/7 donut shop?

In August, 1917, following 36 days of rain, Salvation Army women served freshly prepared donuts to cold, hungry and battle-weary soldiers fighting in France. They improvised by using a wine bottle as a rolling pin and an old helmet as the frying pan. The gesture was so appreciated that other Salvation Army workers began doing the same in other battlefield locations. Very soon this became a 24-hour, daily service provided to soldiers on the front.

Gariepy’s one volume history concludes with a series of appendices outlining the doctrinal convicitons of the Army, the Soldier’s Covenant, the Founder’s song, and several statistical lists. Readers will be amazed at the many programs operated by The Salvation Army.

The book is well-written and a joy to read. It is a timely reminder that evangelical ministry can effectively meet the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of our world’s most vulnerable citizens. I highly recommend it.

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The author of this article received a review copy from the publisher.

Down a Country Road
Eric E. Wright
Day One Publications, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-84625-106-1

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1 ESV*).

God has chosen to reveal something of his presence and power through creation. This led the Apostle Paul to write: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:20 ESV).

Eric Wright, with a life-time in vocational Christian ministry, both internationally and here in Canada - evangelism, church-planting, pastoral ministry, seminary teaching, writing and editing - brings God’s two books of revelation together in fifty-two superbly crafted seasonal readings. Down a Country Road (Day One Publications, 2008) does for 21st century readers what Jesus did for 1st century listeners - illustrate and reinforce spiritual truth by observing the surrounding creation.

Just as Jesus used “salt and light, trees and flowers, weather and sheep to illustrate divine truth”, Eric Wright draws vital spiritual lessons from observing life in the creation around him. Through fifty-two devotional readings - one for each week of the year, organized by month and following the four seasons - Eric Wright shows us how to see God’s truth in the everyday cycle of life.

Here is a sampling of what is in store for readers of Down a Country Road. A Scotch pine, toppled by howling winds, teaches a vital lesson about the importance of strong inner character. Noxious weeds which provide food for Monarch butterflies reinforce the importance of caring for this beautiful creation. The challenge of removing roots from garden soil - it added a week to Eric Wright’s work one summer - warns us of the ever-present danger of missing roots of bitterness which can grow in our lives. A picnic on the shores of the mighty St. Lawrence River recalls how Scripture utilizes the metaphor of rivers to convey rich truth about God’s relationship with his people.

Wright effectively establishes the importance of these readings in the opening paragraphs of the book:

We drive our ingenious machines along a labyrinth of asphalt pathways to vast malls, office towers, factories and sprawling suburbs. We arrive home, where, with the click of a button, our garage doors open. Inside, we have dishwahsers and microwaves, televisions and stoves, clocks and stereos. Outside, we have domesticated gardens, patios and swimming pools. Satellites orbit above us. We send probes into deep space.

We have arrived at the pinnacle of history! We are the lords of all we survey, sovereign over nature - a concept invented in the eighteenth century. We, the sophisticates of the twenty-first century, arrive in state-of-the-art hospitals and leave in elegant, gilded boxes.

Is this all there is? Absolutely not! God’s providence undergirds all of life. The operation of the created universe is so dependable that we often take it for granted: the rise of the sun in the morning, the tides that sweep our oceans, the hearts that pump life through our bodies and the kidneys that expel poison from our systems. These are not the result of blind forces, nor do we exist in a serendipitous moment in almost infinite time. We have not happened upon the luck of the draw in a cosmic game of chance.

Hebrew partriarchs, psalmists and prophets knew that the reality of God as Creator and Ruler of the universe is the most foundational fact of existence…(page 11).

I highly recommend this book to anyone desiring to see how God reveals himself, and his truth, in the everyday rhythms of life. Down a Country Road may be purchased online from the Author, at Amazon Canada, Amazon USA, or Christianbook.com.

*Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright, 2001, Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved.

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A free review copy of this book was provided to the author of this review.