The Talmud. 



19 



lacha is indeed the arena which resounds with the logical combats of 

 intellectual giants, who engage in settling disputed questions. The 

 views of different teachers of former ages are scrutinized and compared, 

 the evidence impartially placed in the balance, all possible arguments 

 for or against are carefully put into this scale, until a decision is 

 finally reached, or the case remains undecided. There is a peculiar 

 fascination in watching and following these intellectual combats. But 

 it must not remain unnoticed, that quite often the Talmudical ath- 

 letes engaged in these combats not simply to find the truth, but to 

 show their intellectual strength, or to defeat their opponents; that the 

 discussion, instead of simply leading to high thinking, is a useless and 

 profitless hair splitting and spinning out of impossible assumptions to 

 the finest gossamer thread. 



The Hagadah Heine describes: " The Hagadah, howsoever, | Will I 

 call the garden beautiful | Where in high phantastic manner | Blossom 

 forth the ancient legends | Angel stories, myths and sayings | Touching 

 histories of martyrs | Hymns and songs and wisdom's fruitage | Hy- 

 perboles not seldom funny j All, however, fervent, faithful, glowing, 

 glittering with ardent grace." 



To give you a better idea of the contents of the Talmud, I have 

 selected a few examples of both the Halacha and the Hagadah. Of 

 special interest, perhaps, is the civil and criminal law of the an- 

 cient Jews, as laid down in the Talmud. There were three kinds 

 of courts. The lowest court, consisting of three members, the pre- 

 siding judge and two associate judges; the higher court, called the 

 minor Sanhedrim, had twenty-three members; and the highest court, 

 called the great Sanhedrim, had seventy-one members. This latter 

 court was the highest national authority and had finally to decide all 

 questions, religious, legal and political. They could summon before 

 their tribunal the highest state officers, even kings and princes. The 

 members of this court were selected from the high-priestly families, 

 the elders and the scribes, and wherever the New Testament mentions 

 the priests, elders and scribes, it refers to this court. Every member of 

 this court had to be distinguished by learning and spotless reputation 

 as to character. Aside from this, age and physical condition were con- 

 sidered. Every member had to be at least thirty years old and not older 

 than seventy. A man with physical ailments, or deformities, was dis- 

 qualified, as such misfortunes were supposed to sour the temperament and 

 embitter the heart. An unmarried or childless man was also debarred, 

 as such were supposed to have less sympathy with their fellow-men than 

 married men blessed with children. All cases of civil law were adjusted 



