Translated by Michael L. Rodkinson

[1918]

Book 1: Tract Sabbath

Book 2: Tracts Erubin, Shekalim, Rosh Hashana

Book 3: Tracts Pesachim, Yomah and Hagiga

Book 4: Tracts Betzh, Succah, Moed Katan, Taanith, Megilla and Ebel Rabbathi or Semahoth

Book 5: Tracts Aboth, Derech Eretz-Rabba, Derech Eretz-Zuta, and Baba Kama (First Gate)

Book 6: Tract Baba Kama (First Gate), Part II and Tract Baba Metzia (Middle Gate)

Book 7: Tract Baba Bathra (Last Gate)

Book 8: Tract Sanhedrin: Section Jurisprudence (Damages)

Book 9: Tracts Maccoth, Shebuoth, Eduyoth, Abuda Zara, and Horioth

Book 10: History of the Talmud

Book 1: Tract Sabbath

This book contains Tract Sabbath, which discusses what can and cannot be done on the Jewish Holy day. This tract has a wealth of information on everyday Jewish life in late Classical times, including, for some reason, a great number of medical recipies. Because almost everything is done differently on the Sabbath, this contains an incredible level of ethnographic detail about a wide range of household activities including livestock, clothing, meals, horticulture, hunting, and other more obscure topics, such as fire-fighting and feminine hygene.

Rodkinson makes the point in an appendix that many of the Talmundic regulations which seem to be arbitrary were developed as a response to political persecution. He also includes a prayer which is offered upon the conclusion of studying any tract.

Book 2: Tracts Erubin, Shekalim, Rosh Hashana

This book contains tracts from section Moed (Festivals). Tract Erubin deals with regulations concerning travel on the Sabbath, and the proper construction of "Erub", propitiatory offerings for transgressions of these rules, usually, but not always, constructed of food. Tract Shekalim deals with tithes. Tract Rosh Hashana discusses the Jewish New Year, a floating holiday tied to lunar observations.

Book 3: Tracts Pesachim, Yomah and Hagiga

This book also contains tracts from section Moed (Festivals), primarily discussions of the rituals to be performed on important holy days: principally Passover and the Day of Atonement. The short third tract, Hagiga, discusses the Holocaust ceremony, (meaning a burnt-offering), which today has come into use as a term for the Nazi genocide. Among other points of interest is description of the ritual of the scapegoat in Chapter VI. of Tract Yomah; and Chapter II. of Tract Hagiga has a notable digression on a variety of subjects, including the cryptic Chariot of God, and the names and characteristics of the seven heavens.

Book 4: Tracts Betzh, Succah, Moed Katan, Taanith, Megilla and Ebel Rabbathi or Semahoth

This rounds out the Festivals portion of Rodkinson"s Talmud translation. Tract Betzah details regulations about cooking, fishing, hunting and other activities on feast days. Tract Succah discusses the Festival of the Tabernacles, particularly the construction and use of the Succah, or booth. Moed Katan is about miscellaneous laws about some minor festivals, for instance activites which are permissible during intercalendary periods. Taanith has discussions about the beginning of the rains, including a sequence of folktales about rainmaking Rabbis. Megilla is about Purim, particularly about the public reading of the book of Esther during that festival. Ebel Rabbath is about mourning and other funerary activities.

Book 5: Tracts Aboth, Derech Eretz-Rabba, Derech Eretz-Zuta, and Baba Kama (First Gate)

This book starts out with three tracts on ethics, including the lucid and moving Pirqe Aboth (Sayings of the Fathers), (also available at sacred-texts in a translation by Taylor). This edition of Aboth comes with extensive commentary. The Baba Kama is the first section of a three-part opening arc of the Jurisprudence section. To the modern reader it is of interest because of the unintentional and (sometimes pungent) atmospheric details of everyday life in first century Israel. Many of the Baba Kama cases start when "an ox gores" someone or something; the modern equivalent would probably be automobile moving violations. The debates are notable because they are based equally on scripture and appeals to an emerging standard of common-sense justice and human rights.

Book 6: Tract Baba Kama (First Gate), Part II and Tract Baba Metzia (Middle Gate)

This book contains the conclusion of Baba Kama, the First Gate, and Baba Metzia, the Middle Gate. The second half of Baba Kama continues with cases involving stolen items. Baba Metzia continues with civil law, particularly cases involving damages: among the topics are found and loaned articles, real estate, loans, titles, what constitutes usury and fraud, and labor law. Many of the cases in Baba Metzia are extremely convoluted, more so than usual. There are a few scattered legends about the life and death of the principal authors of the Talmud, and some notable passages, mostly in Chapter IV.

Book 7: Tract Baba Bathra (Last Gate)

This, the third part of the "Gate" sequence of tracts, deals with issues of civil law regarding property, including real estate, moveable possessions, and inheritance, in the usual great detail. At times the discussion becomes so hypothetical that Rodkinson, thankfully, skips ahead a bit. Sandwiched in this very dry volume is one wild section of Haggada (at the end of Chapter V) which consists of some very tall tales about fish, alligators and nautical going-ons. Also, notably, this tract includes what has to be one of the first attempts to discuss where transgender people fit into the legal framework.

Book 8: Tract Sanhedrin: Section Jurisprudence (Damages)

The subject matter of Tract Sanhedrin is principally about crime and punishment. One of the most notable discussions in this book is the debate about the "stubborn and rebellious son" (Chapter VIII). The rabbis openly express scepticism that a son who disrespects his father in a particular way should be put to death. Out of this quibble over an obscure "worst case scenario" we see the emergence of a key principle of jurisprudence: the execution of divine law must be tempered by human mercy. This book also wanders far and wide, dispensing wisdom on such topics as the location of the lost tribes, what the windows on Noah"s ark were made of, and when the Messiah is due to arrive.

Book 9: Tracts Maccoth, Shebuoth, Eduyoth, Abuda Zara, and Horioth

This is the final book of the Rodkinson translation of the Talmud; it contains the remaining portions of the Jurisprudence section. Tract Maccoth deals with corporal punishment. Tract Shebuoth discusses oaths: what constitutes an oath, false oaths, and so on. Tract Eduyoth is a grab-bag of Mishna without commentary which give various cases related to other Talmud tracts. Tract Abuda Zara elaborates the Biblical commandment not to worship idols; it is of historical interest because of the tangential information about what the idolators (i.e. ancient Pagans) did or did not do. Tract Horioth is another short tract which discusses a number of very technical issues, including the hierarchy of dogs, cats and mice.

Book 10: History of the Talmud

This is the introduction to Rodkinsons" translation. A history of the Talmud, starting with its five hundred years of composition from the first to fifth centuries C.E., and its bitter persecution from antiquity, through the Reformation up to the 19th Century. Includes biographies of the dozens of authors who wrote the Talmud, and a detailed bibliography through 1900.

在希伯来语中，“塔木德”（Talmud）的意思是“伟大的研究”，这是一部犹太人作为生活规范的重要书籍。

公元前586年，犹太王国被灭之后，大批犹太人被沦为“巴比伦囚虏”。这样，巴比伦逐渐发展为犹太人最主要的文化和精神中心，集中了许多有影响的犹太贤哲和宗教研究人员，形成了一个享有很高威望和领导地位的学者阶层。他们以维护犹太教传统及犹太精神价值为己任，潜心研究神学，著书立说，在公元2世纪至6世纪之间编纂了犹太教口传律法集，即《巴比伦塔木德》和《巴勒斯坦塔木德》，统称《塔木德》，形成了塔木德文化。由于《巴比伦塔木德》编纂于《巴勒斯坦塔木德》之后，经精通摩西律法的拉比们的研究，更主要是犹太实际生活中的实践，所以其律法权威性远远超过《巴勒斯坦塔木德》。一般意义上的《塔木德》指的就是《巴比伦塔木德》。《巴比伦塔木德》全书约40卷，分为6部：一为农事、二为节日、三为妇女、四为损害、五为神圣之事、六为洁净与不洁，共250万字，全部用希伯来文写就。这部巨著不仅是一部注释《圣经》律法部分的权威经典，而且是一部丰富多彩的文学作品。其内容除宗教训诫和道德说教外，还包括大量的神话故事、历史传说、民间习俗，乃至天文地理、医学算术及植

物学知识。它不是史书或百科全书，却包罗万象，成为犹太智慧的源泉。整部作品通俗易懂，睿智隽永，成为犹太人行为处世的指南，同时也对处于流散状态的犹太人维护民族统一性、加强凝聚力起到无比重大的作用。对没有自己的祖国并流

离失所的犹太人来说，《圣经》和《塔木德》就是祖国。孩子们从父母那里接受关于戒律和生活习俗的教育，并在犹太教会中接受拉比（犹太教教士）的教导。这样，在成长的过程中，他们就会强烈地意识到自己是犹太人。