The Babylonian Talmud, Book 5

This is the fifth book of The Babylonian Talmud by Jewish scholar Michael L. Rodkinson. This ten-volume set was an attempt to translate the Talmud, the vast collection of Jewish laws and traditions. Rodkinsons' edition contains complete translations of the 'Festivals' and 'Jurisprudence' sections of the Talmud, comprising only about a third of the Talmud. This fifth book commences with three segments dedicated to ethics, which include the powerful and eloquent Sayings of the Fathers, or Pirqe Aboth (which can also be found on Global Grey as a Charles Taylor translation), along with extensive commentary. The opening section of the Jurisprudence portion is Baba Kama, which is part of a larger three-part arc. This section offers unintentional but intriguing insights into the daily life of first-century Israel, with many of the cases dealing with scenarios such as an ox goring someone or something, which would be the equivalent of modern-day automobile violations. These debates are noteworthy for their reliance on both scripture and appeals to emerging concepts of common-sense justice and human rights. It should be noted that Rodkinson has been criticized by traditionalist Jews who feel that translating the Talmud is not an acceptable practice.