Texts: Books of the Jews
Piyyutim
Starting during the third century, and going well into the Middle Ages, scholars and rabbis composed poems to add variety to the synagogue service. Worshippers would often come to a service expecting to hear a new poetic work of devotion that would enhance their prayer experience.
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Bible 101
An introduction to the Hebrew Bible, its contents, and its role in Jewish civilization.
Authorship
Is the Bible God's word?
Bible as Ancient Literature
How the Bible is similar to and different from other ancient Near Eastern literature.
Creating the Bible Canon
How the Bible became a closed corpus of literature.
Apocrypha
External texts from the Second Temple period.
Law
Talmud 101
An overview of the Mishnah, Talmud, and other literature of the "oral Torah."
Mishnah
The Mishnah is Judaism's first major canonical document following the Bible.
Halakhic Texts 101
Since the Talmud, countless texts have been produced to analyze and codify Jewish law.
Sources and Development
Jewish law undergoes constant development.
Mishneh Torah
Maimonides' halakhic magnum opus.
Literature
Literature 101
Storytelling has always been an integral part of Jewish life.
Piyyutim
Poetry permeates the High Holiday liturgy.
Elie Wiesel
Holocaust survivor, novelist, memoirist, and Nobel laureate.
125 Books
Charting the landscape of American Jewish literature--125 books at a time.
The New Wave
In the second half of the 20th century, Israeli writers became a voice of critique and protest.
Commentaries
Rashi
The virtue of the famous Bible commentary by Rashi lies in its diversity.
Isaac Abravanel
A Bible commentator in medieval Spain.
Nehama Leibowitz
A 20th-century educator who changed the face of Bible study.
Ramban
This Spanish Bible commentator earned a place alongside Rashi.
Commentaries on Rif
Alfasi's groundbreaking legal code invited criticism, defense, and supplementation.