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Our books
Learn what the central books of Jewish tradition are and how they work together.
Written Torah and Oral Torah
We learn Torah by reading, listening, asking, and practicing. Written Torah begins with the five books of Moses. Oral Torah is the tradition of explanation, interpretation, and practice passed on with it. Our tradition traces this teaching to Moses at Sinai; successive generations of sages explain, apply, and develop it. Its teachings also fill many written works. “Oral” names this received tradition, even when we study it in a book.
The books below do different jobs. A biblical verse, a debate, a commentary, and a ruling each ask us to read in a different way.
Find your way around
- Tanakh Our Bible
The name joins Torah (Teaching), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). The Torah contains Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Prophets includes books such as Joshua and Isaiah; Writings includes Psalms, Proverbs, and other books. Together they tell our story and teach covenant, worship, wisdom, and faithful living.
- Mishnah Teachings arranged for study
Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi compiled this foundational collection of our sages’ teachings around 200 CE. Its short passages address prayer, agriculture, Shabbat, family life, courts, the Temple, and more. We will meet it in the next lesson.
- Talmud Following the discussion
Generations of sages explain and debate the Mishnah alongside other teachings. Their discussion is called Gemara; Mishnah and Gemara together form the Talmud. Two great collections emerged: the Jerusalem Talmud from the land of Israel and the Babylonian Talmud from Babylonia.
- Midrash Reading Scripture closely
Midrash explores the wording of biblical texts and draws out their meaning. Some collections focus on law; others explore stories, beliefs, and ethical teaching. Midrash is both a way of interpreting and a name for collections of those interpretations. Talmud and midrash often draw on shared teachings.
- Commentaries Reading with a teacher
A commentator explains an earlier text: its words, questions, and connections. Rashi’s commentary helps readers study both Tanakh and Talmud. Bartenura’s commentary explains the Mishnah. A printed page may place a base text and several commentators side by side.
- Codes and responsa Guiding Jewish practice
Halakhah is Jewish law, guiding how we live. Codes organize it by subject; examples include Rabbi Moses Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah and Rabbi Yosef Karo’s Shulchan Arukh. Responsa are written answers by rabbis to questions, often about particular circumstances. They show how earlier sources guide new situations. Maimonides is also called Rambam; his Mishneh Torah is a later code, distinct from the Mishnah.
One subject, different kinds of reading
Take Shabbat, our weekly day of rest. The Torah commands:
זכור את יום השבת לקדשו
Remember the day of Shabbat, to make it holy.
English rendering by Messianic Yeshiva
The following verses command rest from work. Mishnah Shabbat 7:2 names categories of work. The Talmud’s discussion examines those categories. Later codes organize the laws for study and practice, while rabbis apply them to particular questions.
Each kind of book helps us ask a different question: What does the verse say? How do our sages explain it? How do we put it into practice?
Choose the kind of book
You want to read the biblical account of the Exodus. Where do you begin?
The book of Exodus, in the Torah section of Tanakh.
You want to follow the sages’ questions about a mishnah. What helps?
The Talmud’s Gemara explores questions, explanations, and disagreements surrounding the Mishnah and other teachings.
Does “Oral Torah” mean teachings that never appear in writing?
No. The name describes the received tradition of explanation and practice. The Mishnah, Talmuds, and many later books preserve and explore that tradition.
Explore the sources
Rambam’s introduction to Mishneh Torah explains Written and Oral Torah and surveys the transmission of learning. Sefaria’s library lets you browse these kinds of books.
Meet the book we pray from: find your way in the siddur.
Put this map to work: study a Torah passage with Rashi.