What is Reddit's opinion of The Essential Talmud?

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As others have said, the Talmud is essentially a complex legal text, best studied intensively with a teacher or colleague, and not read casually.

So where does that leave someone like yourself, an outsider who wants to learn more and get a glimpse of the Talmud's contents and methodology? It leave you with a large secondary literature in English, that both explains the Talmud, its history and methods, and gives excerpts from the literature. Here's a list of some books you might read, and of course they all have footnotes and references to other volumes that you might also consult:

The Talmud: A Biography by Barry Scott Wimpfheimer https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691161846/the-talmud

The Essential Talmud – Deluxe Edition, by Adin Steinsaltz https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Talmud-Adin-Steinsaltz/dp/0465082734

Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash, Gunter Stemberger (Author), Herman L. Strack (Author) https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9780800625245/Introduction-to-the-Talmud-and-Midrash

The Talmud: A Biography: Banned, Censored and Burned. (Paperback) By Harry Freedman https://shop.collectedworksbookstore.com/book/9781916002302

Introduction to the Talmud Paperback – May 1, 1997 by Moses Mielziner https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Talmud-Moses-Mielziner/dp/0819700150

The Talmud: A Biography by Barry Scott Wimpfheimer https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691161846/the-talmud

The Essential Talmud – Deluxe Edition, by Adin Steinsaltz https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Talmud-Adin-Steinsaltz/dp/0465082734

Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash

Gunter Stemberger (Author), Herman L. Strack (Author) https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9780800625245/Introduction-to-the-Talmud-and-Midrash

The Talmud: A Biography: Banned, Censored and Burned. (Paperback) By Harry Freedman https://shop.collectedworksbookstore.com/book/9781916002302

Introduction to the Talmud Paperback – May 1, 1997 by Moses Mielziner https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Talmud-Moses-Mielziner/dp/0819700150

>I am awaiting response from my local Chabad as to group Talmud study

Good luck with that! Let us know how it goes. :)

For more history check:

http://www.aish.com/jl/h/cc/

Mostly Orthodox/Conservative view for academic check Mark Smith The Origins of Biblical Monotheism

For a good overview of Talmud look at Aiden Steinsaltz the Essential Talmud:

https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Talmud-Adin-Steinsaltz/dp/0465082734

Translation is more difficult their are a lot King James modified Text to fit their agenda.

Orthodox primarily would choose Art Scroll, the JPS translation off Sefaria is good and very widely used and free.

Some argue Everette Fox keeps to original Hebrew, Elliot Friedman is another good one but non O

Any Christian Translation has probably modified the text