Foreword
1. A Fortiori in the Talmud
1. Brief history of a fortiori
2. A brief course in the relevant logic
3. A fresh analysis of Mishna Baba Qama 2:5
4. A logician’s reading of Numbers 12:14-15
5. A critique of the Gemara in Baba Qama 25a
6. A slightly different reading of the Gemara
2. More on A Fortiori in the Talmud
1. Natural, conventional or revealed?
2. Measure for measure
3. The dayo principle in formal terms
4. The human element
5. Qal vachomer without dayo
6. Three additional Gemara arguments
7. Assessment of the Talmud’s logic
8. The syllogistic Midot
9. Historical questions
3. Enumeration of A Fortiori Discourse
1. A fortiori discourse in the Mishna
2. A fortiori discourse in the two Talmuds
4. Post-Talmudic Commentaries
1. Logic and history issues
2. Sifra
3. The Korach arguments
4. Saadia Gaon
5. Rashi and Tosafot
6. Kol zeh assim
7. Maimonides
8. More on medieval authors
9. Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
10. More research is needed
5. A Fortiori in Certain Lexicons
1. The Jewish Encyclopedia
2. Encyclopaedia Judaica
3. Encyclopedia Talmudit
6. Initial Impressions on Method
1. Methods and contents
2. Davqa or lav-davqa?
3. Kushya and terutz
4. Standards of knowledge
7. Traditional Teachings
1. Hermeneutics
2. Heuristics
3. A methodical approach
8. The Thirteen Midot
1. Exposition and evaluation
2. Inference of Information
3. Scope of terms
4. Harmonization
5. Diagrams for the Midot
9. The Sinai Connection
1. Verdict on rabbinic hermeneutics
2. Artificial blocks to natural development of the law
3. How “tradition” keeps growing
Main References