talmud

n. [ Chald. talmūd instruction, doctrine, fr. lamad to learn, limmad to teach. ] The body of the Jewish civil and canonical law not comprised in the Pentateuch. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The Talmud consists of two parts, the Mishna, or text, and the Gemara, or commentary. Sometimes, however, the name Talmud is restricted, especially by Jewish writers, to the Gemara. There are two Talmuds, the Palestinian, commonly, but incorrectly, called the Talmud of Jerusalem, and the Babylonian Talmud. They contain the same Mishna, but different Gemaras. The Babylonian Talmud is about three times as large as the other, and is more highly esteemed by the Jews. [ 1913 Webster ]