The Talmud: Selections by H. Polano [1876]

If you have browsed the Rodkinson 10 volume abridged translation of the Talmud (the full text of which is also available at sacred-texts), you probably know that the work is a vast expanse of wisdom literature, with huge stretches of incredibly dry legal debates and minutiae interposed with rich oases of fascinating lore. It is difficult to find these islands without a map. Polano's Talmud: Selections, is just such a guide. This was one of the first English anthologies of Talmudic literature. The early Biblical lore is organized as a continuous narrative, which makes an interesting supplement to a reading of the Bible. Polano includes a selection of the best stories of the Rabbis, some reminiscent of tales of the Zen monks. The humor of the Talmud is also well represented (particularly the tale of the Emperor and the Aged Man, with its archetypal Jewish punchline). And there is a wonderful list of Talmudic Proverbs. If you are impatient to get to the interesting parts of the Talmud, this is the book for you.

NOTE: Besides the somewhat pricey edition available at Amazon, you can also find inexpensive used copies at ABEBooks.com.

--J.B. Hare

Part First: Biblical History

Part Second: Biblical Commentaries

Part Third: The Rabbis, their Teachings and Lives

II. Teachings of the Rabbis

III. Incidents in The Lives of the Rabbis

Part Fourth: Proverbs and Sayings of the Rabbis

Part Fifth: Civil and Criminal Law--The Holy Days