First Complete French Talmud Translation Marks 782 Years Since Paris Burning

A ceremonial event at the Israeli presidential residence in Jerusalem marked the publication of the first full French translation of the Talmud. The launch took place on Wednesday, 9 Tammuz, exactly 782 years after the Paris burning of the Talmud in 1242, when King Louis IX ordered thousands of volumes burned.

The new edition is based on the life’s work of Rabbi Adin Even-Israel, known as Steinsaltz, who died in 2020. Over 45 years, he devoted himself to explaining the Babylonian Talmud under the guiding principle, “Let my people know.” His work added punctuation and vowels, and included scientific diagrams and historical explanations that made the text accessible to a far wider audience.

Although the Steinsaltz project initially faced fierce opposition in some ultra-Orthodox circles because it altered the traditional page layout, it later became a global standard and a fixture in study houses. The French edition was made possible with support from the Patrick and Lena Drahi Foundation, extending the project to millions of French speakers worldwide.

President Isaac Herzog said the French printing opens the Talmud to “so many people, in the Jewish world and the world at large.” Patrick Drahi said disagreement is central to Talmud study and can foster mutual enrichment, adding that he hopes the edition will help people “listen to the other voice.” Rabbi Meni Even-Israel, director general of the Steinsaltz Center and the rabbi’s son, said the launch signifies the continuity and eternity of Jewish law and the Jewish people.