The Talmud is Judaism’s vast rabbinic collection that combines the Mishnah with the Gemara.
The Mishnah, compiled around the beginning of the third century CE, organizes traditions of Jewish oral law. The Gemara consists of later rabbinic discussions, explanations, objections, and rulings about the Mishnah. Together, these layers form the Talmud.
There are two major versions: the Jerusalem Talmud and the Babylonian Talmud. The Babylonian Talmud, completed later and generally more influential in traditional Jewish legal study, is often what people mean when they say “the Talmud.”
The Talmud is not a simple law code. It preserves debates and multiple viewpoints, making argument and interpretation central to its study. It also contains stories, ethical teachings, biblical interpretation, and observations about daily life.