How do the texts relate to each other? How are they in conversation with each other? Sefaria's visualizations provide a unique look at the relationship between texts.
The Link Explorer allows students to see the relationship between various texts in an unexpected way.
Example: Talmud and Tanakh
- Choose a masechet (tractate) of Talmud, such as Pesachim or Megillah.
- Ask the students which books of the Tanakh they think will be quoted the most in the masechet.
- Open the Link Explorer and click on the masechet at the bottom to see the connections. Suggested questions to ask the students:
- Were you surprised with the results?
- Besides the expected connections, were there others?
- How did the unexpected connections relate (or not) to the theme of the masechet?
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/sheet-user-uploaded-media/28462-2170721e-af68-11ec-82e7-9e7815db1cf7.gif)
Links Through Rashi shows links between verses of Torah that are connected by virtue of Rashi quoting one verse while commenting on another.
- Hover over the grey ring to reveal connections.
- A black title reference represents the selected verse.
- A green title reference means that the Rashi on that verse quotes the selected verse.
- A red title reference is quoted by the Rashi on the selected verse.
- Click a verse to open it with Rashi's commentary.
Suggested questions and activities to use with the visualization:
- What is your impression of Rashi's breadth of knowledge from looking at the visualization?
- Hover over the grey ring and click on a connection with a green title reference which opens the text. How does Rashi connect the two verses?
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/sheet-user-uploaded-media/28462-7f9a55fc-b0b3-11ec-9c93-e28a00489650.png)
The line indicates that Rashi's comment on Exodus 23:10 quotes Deuteronomy 22:2.
Click to open Exodus 23:10 and Rashi's comment on the verse in the library. You can see how Rashi incorporates Deuteronomy 22:2 into his comment.
![](https://storage.googleapis.com/sheet-user-uploaded-media/28462-5dcaed3c-b0b4-11ec-acfb-72ef9a904535.png)