ABSTRACT

Gerson D. Cohen writes, "The age and culture designated as Talmudic extends in time from the conquests of Alexander the Great in Asia about 330 bce until 500 ce, shortly before the rise of Islam, a period of about eight centuries." The central concept motivating the Rabbis during this period of time was that while the Bible was considered to be the Written Law, it was their task to elucidate the Oral Law. For many of them, this simply meant that they were expanding upon what was already communicated in the Revelation at Mt Sinai to the people of Israel. Their work was simply an extension of that Revelation. The Rabbis attempted to understand the lacuna in the text. The first response suggests that there was a difference of opinion having to do with possessions; the second that there was an issue having to do with religion; and the third that the problem had to do with sex.