What is Shas?ש"ס

Shas is the complete Talmud — an acronym for Shisha Sidrei Mishnah, the six orders of the Mishnah — usually sold as a multi-volume bound set.

Also written: Shass, Sha's, Shas set, Talmud Bavli

The acronym stands for the six orders into which the Mishnah is divided, but in practice 'a Shas' means the whole Talmud Bavli. The standard Vilna edition, printed by the Widow and Brothers Romm between 1880 and 1886, runs to 2,711 double-sided folio pages and fixed the arrangement of commentaries around the text that nearly every later edition reproduces. The foliation itself is older, going back to the Bomberg editions printed in Venice in the 1520s.

Because a Shas is a set, completeness dominates its resale value. A set missing two volumes is worth far less than a complete one in poorer condition, and volumes are not interchangeable between editions. The Schottenstein reproduces the Vilna daf itself, but spreads one tractate across several larger volumes with facing English elucidation, so a Vilna-format volume will neither match a Schottenstein set on the shelf nor fill a gap in one. Listings are therefore expected to state the edition and confirm that the set is complete.

Browse Gemara listings on SimplySefer

Sources

Vilna Edition Shas (Romm, 1880–1886) — 2,711 double-sided folio pages; the commentary arrangement later editions follow

Related terms

Gemara — The Gemara is the component of the Talmud that records the rabbinic analysis and debate of the Mishnah; Mishnah and Gemara together make up the Talmud.
Mesechta — A mesechta is a single tractate of the Talmud — one topical volume such as Berachos or Bava Metzia — which can be bought individually rather than as part of a full Shas.
Mishnah — The Mishnah is the earliest written compilation of the Jewish Oral Law, redacted by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi around 200 CE and organised into six orders.
ArtScroll — ArtScroll is an imprint of Mesorah Publications known for English-language editions of Jewish texts, including the Schottenstein Talmud and the Stone Chumash.

What is Shas?ש"ס

Shas is the complete Talmud — an acronym for Shisha Sidrei Mishnah, the six orders of the Mishnah — usually sold as a multi-volume bound set.

Also written: Shass, Sha's, Shas set, Talmud Bavli

Sources

Vilna Edition Shas (Romm, 1880–1886) — 2,711 double-sided folio pages; the commentary arrangement later editions follow

Related terms

Gemara — The Gemara is the component of the Talmud that records the rabbinic analysis and debate of the Mishnah; Mishnah and Gemara together make up the Talmud.
Mesechta — A mesechta is a single tractate of the Talmud — one topical volume such as Berachos or Bava Metzia — which can be bought individually rather than as part of a full Shas.
Mishnah — The Mishnah is the earliest written compilation of the Jewish Oral Law, redacted by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi around 200 CE and organised into six orders.
ArtScroll — ArtScroll is an imprint of Mesorah Publications known for English-language editions of Jewish texts, including the Schottenstein Talmud and the Stone Chumash.