From a strictly historical point of view, the Talmud was never finished, never officially declared finished, without the need for additional commentary. The Bible, comparatively, went through different stages of compilation and redaction, but eventually it was completed and it was declared, categorically, that nothing could be added to it. The same was true of the Mishnah in its time. But although there is a certain edition of the Talmud that is considered definitive, the fact that it had reached its completion was never announced publicly and officially and that, consequently, a new era was about to begin.

The final edition of the Talmud can be compared to the stages of maturation of a living organism: like a tree, the Talmud has come to have a certain form, which is very unlikely to change substantially, although it continues to be a living being, growing and proliferating. Although the organism has taken its final form, it still produces new shoots that draw their sustenance from the roots and so continues to grow. This fact is more important for our approach to the Talmud than for its history. The principle that the Talmud is unfinished maintains a constant challenge to continue the creative work. It is up to each scholar to add to the Talmud and to contribute to the work, knowing that it will never be finally completed.

The Talmud was edited by Rev. Ashi, but it is not his work, but rather the collective effort of the entire Jewish people. Just as it has no single protagonist, no central figure who sums up all the themes and discussions, so it has continued through the centuries in a continuous creative process. In a way, this is the source of the difficulty and the fascination that its study entails. It requires of the student the ability to identify with it, but without insisting on blind faith. There are few sacred works that do not demand of the student the acceptance of certain principles. But in the case of the Talmud, the scholar is not obliged to accept all the arguments and is allowed to question or appeal at some point. Indeed, he is obligated to do so.

One of the great Talmudic commentators, the Maharsha, often ended his commentaries with the word “vedok,” continue to examine the matter. This exhortation is an explicit acceptance that the topic has not been exhausted and that there is still room for additions and new arguments to old questions. In a way, the entire Talmud is completed by this “vedok,” this command to continue searching, to ask, to see new facets to old problems. Therefore, it is our obligation to continue to examine the matter.

Prepared by Marcos Gojman.

Bibliography: The Essential Talmud, by Rabbi Adin Steinzaltz