ABSTRACT
The Talmud not only records the legal opinions of hundreds of individuals but also relates stories about many of them. These sages had much in common: love of God, of the Torah, the Jewish people, the land of Israel, and of knowledge. The Talmud contains many types of humor, not surprising given that the opinions and stories of many individuals living over a period of hundreds of years are recorded. The Talmud tells stories of sages who came very close to committing sexual transgressions but just managed to control themselves before sinning. The Talmudic sages were educators. They taught their students and the public Torah. Like most good educators they used various approaches, some involving humor and wit, to make their points. This may partially explain why more than 1,500 years after the "closing" of the Babylonian Talmud, the Talmud is still a fascinating and interesting work.
