The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2417 page)

(Heb., ‘a disciple of the wise’). A Jewish rabbinical scholar. According to the
Talmud
, a talmid
akham is the ideal type of
Jew
, and even though a
mamzer
, a talid
akham takes precedence ‘over a
high priest
who is an ignoramus’ (Hor. 3. 8).

 
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(from Heb.,
lmd
, learn, study, teach). The body of teaching, commentary and discussion of the Jewish
amoraim
on the
Mishnah
. There are two Talmuds: the Jerusalem (or Palestinian) Talmud which originated in
Erez Israel
in
c.
500 CE, and the Babylonian Talmud which was completed in
c.
600 CE. Both works are commentaries on some or all of the Mishnaic orders of
Zera’im
,
Mo‘ed
,
Nashim
, and
Nezikin
. The Babylonian Talmud also includes commentaries on
Kodashim
and
Tohorot
. The commentaries on the Mishnah are known as
gem
ra
. By the 11th cent. the supremacy of the Babylonian Talmud was finally established. The entire Talmud text contains
c.
2 ½ million words, one-third
halakhah
and two-thirds
aggadah
. Once it became an authoritative text, commentaries on it began to be produced, the most popular and influential being that of
Rashi
which was completed in the 12th and 13th cents. by the
tosafists
.

 
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Talva
R
i Bhoi D
.