Decoding the Digital Daf

The Gemara is a complicated text, full of quotes from earlier sources as well as implications for later texts. Reading and understanding the Gemara requires the ability to figure out what sources are being used, why they matter, and how this might impact the development of laws and ideas later on in Jewish history. This guide will take you through the tools that Sefaria provides for decoding the daf, the page of Talmud, as it exists on the site.

To orient yourself within the tractate, click on the text itself to open the resource panel on the side. Select "Table of Contents" to view the table of contents for the page. There, you can see where you are in the book and navigate to other pages.

Torah quotes have inline citations. Click on the text to open the resource panel. Click on "open" beneath the text in the resource panel to open it in full, and then scroll through and see the context of the verse. The Gemara will often quote just part of a verse even if there are other words in the verse that are relevant, and sometimes it is helpful to see the broader context of the verse.

Often, the Gemara quotes from the Mishnah. Open the full text through the Mishnah link in the resource panel.

Links are also made between the Talmud text and outside Tanaitic material (beraitot) such as the Tosefta. To find the connections, click on "Tosefta" in the resource panel.

How did the Gemara that you're reading impact the legal codes? Click on "Halakhah" in the resource panel to open relevant Halakhic works.

At times, the Gemara quotes from the Midrash to explain an idea or to make a point. Find links to the Midrash by clicking on "Midrash" in the resource panel.

Because of the way that ideas flow within the Gemara, an idea or story that is relevant to one topic may be quoted again in a different place if it also relates to a different idea that is being discussed. Click on "Talmud" in the resource panel to access these links.

Sefaria’s living library is constantly expanding as learners add their own thoughts and insights. You can see what others have to say about a piece from the Gemara by clicking on the text and clicking on “sheets” in the resource panel. And don’t forget to add your own reflections! You can use the “notes” option in the resource panel to add private thoughts about the significance of a passage, or use the “sheets” option to add the piece to your own sheet and combine it other sources and your thoughts or questions about what you’ve created.

Sefaria's new web linker connects you to web pages that cite the passage in the Gemara. Click on "Web Pages" in the resource panel to see the variety of resources available.