Avoda Zara / Horayot - The Talmud Steinsaltz T32 (color), Biblieurope editions

The Steinsaltz Talmud T31

Avoda Zara / Horayot

Translated paragraph by paragraph
Commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz

Drahi Edition - Color

Biblieurope Editions

The new edition of the Steinsaltz Talmud in French aims, like the previous one, to give everyone, regardless of their level, access to the Talmudic text – originally written without punctuation or vowels, in a concise style, in a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, a language little known to most readers.

In the second half of the ^20th century, Rabbi Steinsaltz, of blessed memory, pioneered the work of publishing a punctuated and vocalized edition in Hebrew, and later in other languages. This edition presents the correspondence of each word of the Talmud in bold, with explanations added in regular type, essential for understanding each sentence and following the Gemara step by step.

In this edition, the text of the Talmud is divided into paragraphs, translated as they appear. It includes numerous studies and halakha taken from the Steinsaltz edition in Hebrew, summarizing the main commentaries and the conclusions of the decisors on each topic addressed. It is enriched new illustrations.

At the end of each book, it includes the original text of the treatise according to the classical Vilna edition, with the commentary of Rashi – which, here, is punctuated and vocalized – and that of the Tosafot, also punctuated.

We hope that this publication will achieve the goal that Rav Steinsaltz zal sought throughout his life: to enable every Jew to know and appreciate his ancestral heritage in order to strengthen the love of the Torah among the people.

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Avoda Zara / Horayot

The prohibition against idolatry is the most severe in the Torah. Idolatry is understood to mean any worship offered to anyone other than God, such as pagan deities and idols, natural forces, spiritual forces, and living beings. Idolatry is forbidden whether the idol is worshipped alone, in place of the Eternal, or in association with the Eternal. The worship of any "foreign" deity is forbidden, whether the deity is abstract or represented by an image or sculpture.

The Torah forbids idolatry on many occasions and the prohibition appears in the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods before Me […] you shall not bow down to them, you shall not worship them" (Ex. 20, 3–5).

Similarly, the prophets often rebuked Israel for idolatry. It is no exaggeration to say that idolatry is the most frequently mentioned prohibition in Scripture. Indeed, the essence of Judaism is monotheism, the absolute opposite of idolatry. The Sages state that whoever accepts to serve an idol rejects the entire Torah ( Yalkut Shimoni on the Torah 877; see Shevuot 29a).

Because of the gravity of idolatry, the Torah does not merely prohibit it, but commands its destruction and elimination. Numerous laws establish a distance between Jews and idolaters (see Exodus 23:32–33 and Deuteronomy 7:23). The Torah explicitly commands against imitating the customs and practices of non-Jews (see Leviticus 18:2). In addition to the Torah's prohibitions, the Sages added many other decrees designed to distance Jews from idols and their worshipers. In the Mishneh Torah and even more so in the Guide for the Perplexed , Maimonides explains that many of the Torah's commandments aim to keep Jews away from idol worship and its worshippers.

Biblieurope Editions