Steinsaltz Talmud available in English

(JTA) — A Talmud that took Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz 45 years to translate from ancient Hebrew and Aramaic into modern Hebrew is being published in English.

The first volume of Steinsaltz’s Koren Talmud Bavli, some of which was translated by The Times of Israel’s Ops & Blogs editor, Elie Leshem, is being launched in conjunction with Shavuot, which commemorates the day the Torah was given to the Jewish people. The complete set will comprise 41 volumes.

The Koren Talmud Bavli includes a translation and commentary by Steinsaltz, as well as illustrations and color photographs.

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An iPad app will be available in July, according to Koren Publishers Jerusalem.

“The Talmud expresses the deepest Jewish spirit,” Steinsaltz said in a news release. “My hope is that the Koren Talmud Bavli will render the Talmud accessible to millions of Jews, allowing them to study it, approach it, and perhaps even become one with it.”

Steinsaltz, who has written some 60 books, also has established a network of schools in Israel and the former Soviet Union. In 1988, Steinsaltz won the Israel Prize, the country’s highest honor, for his work in Jewish education.