There are many lists of “Talmud quotes” that circulate online.  Antisemites like to claim that these are things that all Jews do, believe, or practice.  But is this true?  Are the quotes even accurate?  And if they are, do they actually reflect current Jewish thought or practice?  

I created this guide to help people combat misinformation about the Talmud and Judaism.  Whenever you see a “Talmud quotes”  ask the following questions in this guide to determine the truth.

1.  Is the book even real?

A good number of the “Talmud quotes” that circulate are from books that don’t even exist.  Examples of this include Libbre David, Gad Shas, Schabuoth Hag, and others.   

It’s a simple matter to look up the list of books in the Talmud.  It’s also easy to look up other major books of Jewish law and thought.  If you find yourself looking at a quote from a book that’s not in the Talmud (or other major book of Jewish thought), ask yourself if the book is even real.  Either the book will be an outright fake, or it may be a minor work not regarded as authoritative (see #5 below).

2.  Does the quote actually appear there?

Sometimes a quote will appear citing a real book, but the quote itself is not there.  An example of this is the “quote” that states “Murdering Goyim is like killing a wild animal,” which is purported to be on Sanhedrin 59a.  However, when you look it up, there is no such quote there (or anywhere else).  It’s completely made up.

Another example is the quote from Tosfos Yevamos 84 (Tosfos is a Talmudic commentary, often printed on the same page as the Talmudic text), which states, “If you eat with a Goy, it’s like eating with a dog.”  However, if you search the Tosfos on that page, you’ll find absolutely nothing to do with eating with non-Jews or dogs.   The entire quote is made up. 

3.  Is the translation accurate?

Sometimes a quote is edited or mistranslated to make it look bad.  For example, consider the supposed quote from Bamidbar Rabbah.  You’ll often see it as “Every Jew who spills the blood of the non-Jew is doing the same as making a sacrifice to God.”  However, that’s not what it says.  What it says is “the wicked,” not “the non-Jew.”  In addition, this quote is referencing the death of Zimri, the leader of the tribe of Simeon, in Numbers 25, so it’s clearly not even talking about non-Jews at all.    (In addition, this is just a homiletic teaching.  We don’t actually do this, even to the wicked.  See #5 below.)

4.  What is the actual context of the quote?

Sometimes the quote is taken completely out of context, when, in context, it makes perfect sense.  An example of this is Baba Kamma 113a, which antisemites claim gives Jews carte blanche permission to lie to non-Jews.  However, if you read the entire discussion, it clearly describes a case where someone is being extorted by an immoral tax collector who collects more than is due to line his own pockets.  In such a case, you may lie to him in order to protect your property from being stolen.  A more modern application of this would be a case where a mugger robs someone and asks him if he has any more money.  You may lie to the mugger and not tell him about the extra cash you have hidden in your shoe.    Once the context of the discussion is made clear, it’s obvious that lying is permitted in that case.  But nowhere does it say that one is permitted to lie to non-Jews under normal circumstances.

5.  Does the quote represent current Jewish thought and/or practice?

Judaism, like almost every other religion and culture, evolves over time.  Practices that were once common and normal may no longer be so – and Judaism (like other cultures and religions) changes to reflect those changes.  For example, there are many practices that are outright permitted in the Talmud — including polygyny, slavery, levirite marriage, sacrificial rites, etc., that are no longer permitted in Judaism.  Just because a practice is mentioned in the Talmud does not mean that it is done today.  So, when you see a quote that does seem to be accurate, ask yourself — are Jews around the world doing this today as well?  Or is it something that is a relic of the past — something that all religions and cultures have?