Laws

Paradoxically, the Torah requires Jews to remember Amalek's attack on them as they left slavery in Egypt even as they are required simultaneously to "blot out the memory of Amalek." This mitzvah is typically fulfilled by ensuring that one hears the special liturgical reading of the verses in Deuteronomy that contain this commandment on the Shabbat before the holiday of Purim, which celebrates the Jewish triumph over the wicked Amalekite Haman.

Monetary or physical gifts feature in a variety of contexts in Jewish sources. The Torah instructs Israelites to give donations of goods to the Temple and donations of produce and crops to priests and the needy. Giving gifts is also associated with holidays: The biblical book of Esther describes an exchange of gifts on the holiday of Purim. Later rabbinic sources also discuss the the giving of gifts as a way to fulfill the obligation to rejoice on the holidays.

The Hebrew term "mishloach manot" literally means "a delivery of portions," and sending them is one of the four mitzvot (commandments) of the holiday of Purim. One sends portions of choice foods to their friends on Purim, often in the form of gift baskets or bags of goodies, to contribute to the Purim seudah, or feast, another of the four mitzvot of the day.

The Mishnah is the first major work of rabbinic literature, consisting of teachings transmitted over hundreds of years and compiled around 200 CE. It covers agricultural, ritual, civil, criminal, and Temple-related laws, presenting a multiplicity of legal opinions and incorporating occasional stories. It is a foundation of the Jewish oral tradition, which continues with the Talmud, a work that is structured as commentary on the Mishnah.

A contract arranged with the court that allows for debt extension past the Sabbatical year.

The redemption of captives is a topic discussed throughout rabbinic literature. Instances of redeeming captives are found in the Bible, for example when Abraham goes to war with four kings in order to save his captured nephew, Lot. While sources stress the importance of redeeming captives, calling it a "great mitzvah," other texts warn not to redeem captives for more than their value.

The commandment of sending away the mother bird from the nest.

The Talmud is the textual record of generations of rabbinic debate about law, philosophy, and biblical interpretation, compiled between the 3rd and 8th centuries and structured as commentary on the Mishnah with stories interwoven. The Talmud exists in two versions: the more commonly studied Babylonian Talmud was compiled in present-day Iraq, while the Jerusalem Talmud was compiled in Israel.