The greater part of the Talmud is devoted to discussing the many biblical laws and rabbinic injunctions; their reasons, origins and applications. These details are debated and discussed, often at great length. This part is primarily known as the “Halachah”.

However, a good deal of the Talmud is devoted to homiletic interpretation of scriptural verses—primarily focusing on extrapolating Jewish ethics and morals from these biblical sources. These sections of the Talmud are often interspersed with stories of the sages or elaboration of scriptural events. The Hebrew word describing this part of the Talmud is “Aggadah”, or “Aggadata” in Aramaic.

These sections of the Talmud are often interspersed with stories of the sages or elaboration of scriptural events. The Hebrew word describing this part of the Talmud is “Aggadah”, or “Aggadata” in Aramaic

The Aggadah is very similar to the Midrash in style and content (see What is the Midrash?) – the difference being that the Midrash was created by the sages of the Mishnah, known as the Tana'im, whereas the Aggadah in the Talmud was compiled by the sages of the Talmud, the Amora'im.

In the Fifteenth Century, Spanish talmudist Rabbi Yaakov ibn Chaviv collected all the aggadic sections of the Talmud, and thus compiled the famous Ein Yaakov volumes.