Sacred texts
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What does the guide mean by the dual Torah?
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All Flashcards in Topic 5.2
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5.2.110 cards
What does the guide mean by the dual Torah?
Divinely inspired written Torah — the five books of Moses — and oral Torah, held to be God's explanation of the written Torah, passed to Moses but not written down.
What is the Mishnah?
A collection of the oral law, compiled by the second century AD.
How does the Talmud go further than the Mishnah?
By containing debates between rabbis, and theological, philosophical and ethical works — so it preserves disagreement rather than resolving it.
Define halakhah and aggadah.
Halakhah is Jewish law in the Talmud, from rabbinical debate on the Torah's legal material. Aggadah deals with ethics and moral values, including narrative on exemplary figures.
In what order were the parts of the Hebrew Bible accepted?
Torah first, then Nevi'im, then Ketuvim — oral transmission first, then committed to writing.
What does Bava Kama 38b illustrate?
The development of the biblical principle of compensation behind "an eye for an eye" through rabbinic discussion in the Talmud.
What is on a page of the Talmud?
The text with rabbinic commentary by Rashi and the law code by Maimonides printed around it.
Which languages belong to which Jewish texts?
Hebrew for the Bible, regarded as the sacred language; Aramaic for the Talmud; the vernacular translation printed opposite the Hebrew in every siddur.
How does Jewish development of the law continue?
Through law codes and responsa, a continuing process of rabbinic interpretation — though in Orthodoxy always going back to first principles.
What new prayers does the guide note in recent prayer books?
Prayers relating to the state of Israel, the Holocaust and modern concerns.
Topic 5.2 study notes
Full notes & explanations for Sacred texts
World Religions exam skills
Paper structures, command terms & tips
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