User:Ezra Wax/Judaism
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Judaism is the set of beliefs and practices followed by Jews in their service to God.
The Talmud is defining text of Judaism. It expands on the mishna, which is a summary of the laws of Judaism, and explains the reasoning behind those laws along with their source in the five books of Moses, oral tradition, Tanach (the "old testament"), or rabbinical decree.
The Talmud answers questions of law that are not clear from the mishna and explains how the laws should be applied in new circumstances. It also fills in the details of the narratives brought down in the Tanach, and chronicles events that happened after the sealing of the Tanach, explaining the motivation of the actors to give insight into how to deal with various situations.