Rambam's Introduction To The Mishna #21-On Commentaries-The Sages (Pt. 1)

"Asher mesu kol hachachamim aleihem ha-shalom," when all of the Talmudic sages left the world, "She-ha'acharonim mehem," the last ones were Ravina and Rav Ashi, "U'kvar nishlam ha-Talmud," and the Talmud became complete.

We talked about that last week, that there are others who question this point, and that's why the Rambam has to make it very clear.

We believe that the Talmud was essentially closed when it was sealed around the year five hundred.

And, "Harikom mi she-amad acharov," anyone who comes along after the Talmud, "Ein mata roso ela havanas divreihem shechibru bavad." All they're trying to do is understand what does it say in the Talmud.

All the Geonim, all the Rishonim, they're just trying to understand.

They're not deciding the Halakha.

They're trying to understand and interpret what did our sages mean.

"Alav ein lehosif," because we cannot add onto the Talmud, "Umemenu ein legro'a amfamit," we cannot subtract.

"L'fikach," therefore, "Chibru haGeonim," that's why the Geonim, their books, "Hapirushem amaruvhem," are all basically commentaries and explanations of the Talmud.

"Avolufi yedi asenu," but based on my knowledge, says the Rambam, "Lo yakhol af echad mehem lehashlim pirush kol haTalmud." No one has been able to write a commentary on the entire Talmud.

And we, of course, are familiar with Rashi's commentary on the Talmud, but the Rambam doesn't have, um, Rashi's commentary on the, on the Talmud.

And so he's referring back to the Geonim.

And so in the days of the Geonim, how, how are you supposed to read the whole Talmud? Now, the, the Geonim, if we would have full commentaries from them on the Talmud, maybe we could use that, but they were unable to write on the whole Talmud.

They wrote on sections.

"Yesh shemano, uh, mano kotzrachaim." Some of them wanted to, but didn't live long enough to write a commentary on the whole Talmud.

"Vyesh shemanaso tiru dzmne adham mishpatehem," and many of the Geonim were busy running their communities and, and, and running the courts, and so they couldn't write such books.

"Vechein chibru chiburim," and also they were busy writing books that they felt came before, uh, commentaries on the Talmud.

"Pisque halakhos," uh, books that tell people what the Halakha is, what you're supposed to do.

Very practical Halakhas.

"Mehem bearvis umehem beivris." Right.

Some of them in Arabic and some of them in Hebrew.

Geon-- He lists all the ancient works.

These are all ancient works that goes back to the days of the Geonim.

Halakhos Gedolos, Halakhos Ketuos, Halakhos Pesukos, Halakhos Hilchos Rav Achai Meshachachah, which we call the She'eltas de-Rav Achai.

Mezulathaman, works like that from the commentators and the writers between the year five hundred and the year one thousand, which is about the time of the Geonim.