The Two Talmuds: Bavli and Yerushalmi

The spiritual center in Babylonia existed even before the Mishnah was completed. For instance, we know that Hillel the Elder came from Babylonia. However, after the redaction of the Mishnah and the death of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the Babylonian center rose to prominence and became the dominant hub of Torah learning.

There are two primary explanations for this shift. The first is the passing of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, who had been both the spiritual and political leader of the Jewish people. The second is the economic and political decline in the Land of Israel, which led to significant Jewish migration to Babylonia.

One of the earliest amoraim (sages of the Talmudic era) to contribute to Babylonia’s rise was Rabbi Abba, better known simply as Rav. Rav traveled to Babylonia and founded a yeshiva in a small town called Sura. He chose a modest location rather than a major Babylonian city so as not to offend the Babylonian sages already residing there. Sura quickly became a major center of Torah study, attracting many students.

A few years later, Shmuel, Rav’s cousin, founded another yeshiva in Nehardea, which later moved to Pumbedita. This yeshiva became something of a “rival” to Sura.

The first generation of Babylonian amoraim was led by Rav and Shmuel. In later generations, each yeshiva had leading figures: Rav Huna and Rav Yehuda, then Rabbah and Rav Yosef, and afterward, Abaye and Rava. In the sixth generation, the key figure was Rav Ashi, head of the Sura yeshiva. Rav Ashi began a monumental project similar to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s—editing and organizing the teachings of the amoraim. This task, however, was even larger in scope than the Mishnah.

After Rav Ashi’s death, Ravina continued his work. These two sages are considered to mark the close of the amoraic period and are referred to as sof hora’ah—the “end of instruction.”

About a hundred years after Rav Ashi and Ravina began editing the Talmud, additional sages continued refining and studying it. These scholars are known as the Savoraim (interpreters), and they were responsible for shaping the Talmud Bavli into the version we have today.

Just as in Babylonia, the Land of Israel also entered the amoraic period after the Mishnah was completed. Among the first amoraim in Israel were Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi and the sons of Rabbi Ḥiyya—Ḥizkiya and Rabbi Yehuda. The most prominent Israeli amora was Rabbi Yoḥanan, who served as head of the yeshiva in Tiberias and significantly developed Torah study in the region. Rabbi Yoḥanan was so influential that he was recognized in both Israel and Babylonia as the leading sage of his time—his opinions even took precedence over those of both Rav and Shmuel. Many traveled from Israel and Babylonia to learn from him.

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, known as Reish Lakish, was Rabbi Yoḥanan’s famed study partner and one of the most important Israeli amoraim.

The Talmud Yerushalmi was edited in the 4th century, with Rabbi Yoḥanan credited as its primary editor. Its relatively early completion—about two generations before the Bavli—was largely due to worsening economic and political conditions in Israel, which made sustained Torah study difficult. The Yerushalmi was likely edited in Tiberias, but it came to be called “Yerushalmi” because over time, it was customary to refer to the entire Land of Israel as “Jerusalem.”

There are several important distinctions between the Talmud Bavli and the Talmud Yerushalmi:

• Learning Style: The Yerushalmi is characterized by a more straightforward, concise approach. It contains fewer discussions (pilpulim), less narrative material (aggadot), and is generally more focused on reaching legal decisions (psak halacha). The Bavli, by contrast, is rich in debate (shakla v’tarya), delves deeply into the nuances of each topic, includes many aggadot, and often shifts between topics in an associative way.
• Editing: The Bavli is more thoroughly edited than the Yerushalmi, making it more clear and structured. It includes guiding questions and explanatory phrases—traces of the editors’ hands. The Yerushalmi is less edited and often reads as a series of transmitted teachings (shemuot) without much connective tissue.
• Language and Terminology: The Bavli is written in Babylonian Aramaic, while the Yerushalmi is in Galilean Aramaic. In the Bavli, the commentary following the Mishnah is called Gemara, whereas in the Yerushalmi, it is referred to as Halacha.
• Tractates: The Bavli covers almost the entire Shas (Talmudic corpus), except for Seder Zera’im and Masechet Shekalim. The Yerushalmi includes nearly all of Shas except Seder Kodashim. It is believed that a Yerushalmi version of Kodashim once existed but was lost over time.
• Commentators on the Page: Classic commentaries on the Bavli include early sages like Rashi and Tosafot, as well as others such as Rabbeinu Gershom and Rabbeinu Ḥananel. In contrast, the standard commentaries on the Yerushalmi are by later scholars from the Acharonim period, such as Pnei Moshe and Korban HaEidah.

There’s no denying that the Talmud Bavli holds a more central place in Torah study and halachic decision-making. It has always been the Talmud studied in yeshivot and the primary source for halachic rulings.

Several reasons explain this:

• The Bavli was edited after the Yerushalmi, making it the more final and authoritative version.
• The generations of Savoraim and Geonim who followed the amoraim prioritized the Bavli. As a result, most of the Rishonim (medieval commentators) focused their explanations and innovations on the Bavli alone.
• The Bavli’s more organized editing makes it easier for learners to grasp.
• Its deep and analytical style facilitated  a broader development of Torah learning compared to the more straightforward Yerushalmi.

• The “Nehutei” – the Travelers: Throughout the centuries, a connection was maintained between the spiritual centers in Israel and Babylonia. There were individuals known as nehutei (Aramaic for “those who descend”) whose job was to transmit teachings from the Land of Israel to Babylonia. Well-known examples include Ulla and Rabba bar bar Ḥana.
• Why “Rav” and not “Rabbi”?: Official rabbinic ordination (semicha) could only be granted in the Land of Israel. Therefore, Babylonian amoraim are referred to as Rav, not Rabbi.
• Why So Little Aggadah in the Yerushalmi?: Unlike the Bavli, the Yerushalmi contains very little aggadah (narrative material). Two main explanations have been offered: first, that the sages in Israel engaged so extensively in aggadah that it warranted separate collections (like Midrash Rabbah). Second, that the Yerushalmi is more narrowly focused on halachic rulings, leaving little room for narrative material.

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