The Mishna & later rabbinic collections & commentaries on oral Torah [talmudim & tosefta] are arranged in six general "orders" [sedarim], each of which contains several named tractates [massektot^h] reporting tannaitic traditions vaguely related to a central theme. The bulk of the traditions recorded in the Mishna have to do with rules of behavior [halakah]. But these are frequently interspersed with other types of sayings, anecdotes & traditional lore ['aggada].

The only tractate in the Mishna that is devoted entirely to transmitting non-legal opinions is Pirqe Abot^h ["Sayings of the Fathers"], which catalogs the wisdom sayings of rabbinic sages, including several of the 2nd temple period. Abot^h was probably composed before & originally published independently of the Mishna, since it does not fit well in its current location in Neziqin, the order of tractates concerned with civil & criminal law.

Pericopes in this sourcebook were excerpted from the following 25 tractates. This catalog covers over a third of the 63 tractates in standard editions of the Mishna & Talmud.

Editions used:

• Bladina, Philip, ed. Mishnayoth. 2nd ed. 7 vols. New York: Judaica Press, 1963-1964.

• Epstein, Isidore, ed. Babylonian Talmud. New Hebrew-English edition. London: The Soncino Press, 1967- present. Vols. cited: Aboda Zara (1988), Aboth (1988), Erubin (1983), Hullin (1980), Kethubot (1970), Nedarim (1985), Pesahim (1967), Rosh Hashanah (1983), Sanhedrin (1969), Shabbath (1972), Shebuoth (1987), Sotah (1985), Ta'anith (1984), Yebamoth (1984), Yoma (1974) & supplementary tractates (1984, ed. Abraham Cohen).

Other resources on line:

• English Babylonian Talmud - free downloadable .PDF & Kindle files of the 63 talmudic tractates listed in the traditional order of 6 sedarim with hyperlinks to translators' introductions.