Editing Talmud (section)

===Sephardic approaches===
Among [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardi]] and [[Italian Jews]] from the 15th century on, some authorities sought to apply the methods of [[Aristotelian logic]], as reformulated by [[Averroes]].<ref>''Kol Melechet Higgayon'', the Hebrew translation of Averroes' epitome of Aristotle's logical works, was widely studied in northern Italy, particularly [[Padua]].</ref> This method was first recorded, though without explicit reference to Aristotle, by [[Isaac Campanton]] (d. Spain, 1463) in his ''Darkhei ha-Talmud'' ("The Ways of the Talmud"),<ref>Boyarin, ''Sephardi Speculation'' (Hebrew) (Jerusalem 1989).</ref> and is also found in the works of [[Moses Chaim Luzzatto]].<ref>For a comprehensive treatment, see Ravitzky, below.</ref>

According to the present-day Sephardi scholar [[José Faur]], traditional Sephardic Talmud study could take place on any of three levels.<ref>Faur is here describing the tradition of Damascus, though the approach in other places may have been similar.</ref>
* The most basic level consists of literary analysis of the text without the help of commentaries, designed to bring out the ''tzurata di-shema'ta'', i.e. the logical and narrative structure of the passage.<ref>Examples of lessons using this approach may be found [http://www.moreshetsepharad.org/GEMARA.html here]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}.</ref>
* The intermediate level, ''iyyun'' (concentration), consists of study with the help of commentaries such as [[Rashi]] and the [[Tosafot]], similar to that practiced among the [[Ashkenazi Jews|Ashkenazim]].<ref>Cf. the distinction in the Ashkenazi yeshivah curriculum between ''beki'ut'' (basic familiarization) and'' 'iyyun'' (in-depth study).</ref> Historically Sephardim studied the ''Tosefot ha-Rosh'' and the commentaries of Nahmanides in preference to the printed Tosafot.<ref>[[David ben Judah Messer Leon]], ''Kevod Ḥakhamim'', cited by Zimmels, ''Ashkenazim and Sephardim'', pp. 151, 154.</ref> A method based on the study of Tosafot, and of Ashkenazi authorities such as ''[[Maharsha]]'' (Samuel Edels) and ''Maharshal'' ([[Solomon Luria]]), was introduced in late seventeenth century [[History of the Jews in Tunisia|Tunisia]] by rabbis Abraham Hakohen (d. 1715) and Tsemaḥ Tsarfati (d. 1717) and perpetuated by rabbi [[Isaac Lumbroso]]<ref>[[Chaim Joseph David Azulai]], ''Shem Gedolim'', cited Hirschberg, ''A History of the Jews in North Africa'', pp. 125–126.</ref> and is sometimes referred to as'' 'Iyyun Tunisa'i''.<ref>Joseph Ringel, "A Third Way: ''Iyyun Tunisai'' as a Traditional Critical Method of Talmud Study", ''Tradition'' 2013 46:3.</ref>
* The highest level, ''halachah'' (Jewish law), consists of collating the opinions set out in the Talmud with those of the halachic codes such as the [[Mishneh Torah]] and the [[Shulchan Aruch]], so as to study the Talmud as a source of law; the equivalent Ashkenazi approach is sometimes referred to as being "[[aliba dehilchasa]]".