The Talmud is a record of about a thousand years of accumulated Jewish learning and wisdom in all fields of endeavor: law, religion, ethics, history, science, and folklore. It includes Fathers of Mishna, the poor, sabbath, passover, atonement, fasting, childless widows, marriage contracts, adultery, divorces, civil law, laws of procedure, and oaths. This is the book to go to if you must know about Jewish history, law, and lore.