The Rabbis
and their Literature
Part I – Historical Background
King David - 1000BCE
Destruction of
Temple I
586 BCE
by
Nebuchadnezzar
Cyrus the Great
conquers the
Babylonians and
permits the Jews
to return to Israel
and rebuilt the
Temple
539BCE
Building of
Temple II
516 BCE
under Zerubabel
Purim Story – under Persians
Alexander the Great
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQfBinQwPGs&feature=email
Hanukah Story – 164 BCE
Destruction of Temple II – 70 CE
Arch of Titus
Rabbis Reconvene at Yavneh
after 70 CE
Bar Kokhba Revolt - 132 CE
Front: Trumpets. "‫"לחרות ירושלים‬
Back: Lyre. "‫"ש[נה] ב לחר[ות] ישראל‬
Texts and Time Periods
1000BCE
586 BCE
539 BCE
516 BCE
332 BCE
164 BCE
150BCE-70CE
70 CE
132 CE
50-200 CE
220 CE
200-500 CE
400 CE
500-700 CE
600 CE
King David
Destruction of Temple I
Cyrus the Great – Persian rule
Second Temple Built
Alexander the Great – Greek rule
Maccabean Revolt
Pharisees
Second Temple Destroyed
Bar Kokhba Revolt
Tannaitic Period
Mishnah & Tannaitic Midrash Compiled
Amoraic Period
Yerushalmi & Amoraic Midrash Compiled
Savoraim in Babylonia
Bavli Completed
Rabbinic Texts
Tannaitic
Midrashim
Amoraic
Midrashim
Mishnah
Tosefta
Talmud
Yerushalmi
200CE
400CE
Talmud
Bavli
600CE
See https://fc.gannacademy.org/gannopedia/genremap/rlgenremaphebrew.html
Generations of Tannaim
1
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai's generation
40-80CE
2
Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh, Rabbi Eliezer and
Rabbi Yehoshua's generation, the teachers of
80-110
Rabbi Akiva.
3
The generation of Rabbi Akiva and his
110-135 colleagues, R. Ishmael.
4
The generation of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda
135-170 and their colleagues. Live in Usha.
5
Rabbi Judah haNasi's generation
170-200
‫‪Tannaitic Midrash‬‬
‫רבי ישמעאל‬
‫רבי עקיבא‬
‫‪------‬‬
‫‪------‬‬
‫בראשית‬
‫שמות‬
‫מכילתא דרבי‬
‫ישמעאל‬
‫(רק קטעים)‬
‫מכילתא דרבי‬
‫שמעון בר יוחאי‬
‫ספרא‬
‫במדבר‬
‫ספרי‬
‫ספרי זוטא‬
‫דברים‬
‫מדרש תנאים‬
‫ספרי‬
‫ויקרא‬
Why is it called the “Mishnah”?
The Hebrew root "ShNH" means "to repeat,"
(‫ )ושננתם לבניך‬and refers to memorization by
repetition. "Mishnah" therefore has the sense of
"that which is memorized by rote," as distinct from
the Rabbinic designation for the Bible: "Miqra,"that
which is read and recited from a written text.
The Jewish sages whose statements are quoted in
the Mishnah are known as Tanna'im (singular:
"Tanna"), derived from the Aramaic root related to
the Hebrew "ShNH". The era in which the Mishnah
was developed is therefore referred to as the
"Tanna'itic" era.
“Our” Mishnah
On the Talmud page, the passages from the
Mishnah (for which the Talmud serves as a
commentary) are introduced with the
abbreviation "MTNY'," short for the Aramaic
“Matnitin," "our mishnah." It is customary for
the Babylonian Talmud to refer to "our
Mishnah" (or: We learned), to distinguish it
from other, "external," mishnahs, referred to
in Aramaic as "baraita.“ Some of the bataitot
are collected in the Tosefta.
Contents of the Mishnah
First Order: Zeraim ("Seeds"). 11 tractates. It deals with
agricultural laws and prayers.
Second Order: Moed ("Festival"). 12 tractates. This
pertains to the laws of the Sabbath and the Festivals.
Third Order: Nashim ("Women"). 7 tractates. Concerns
marriage and divorce.
Fourth Order: Nezikin ("Damages"). 10 tractates. Deals
with civil and criminal law.
Fifth Order: Kodshim ("Holy things"). 11 tractates. This
involves sacrificial rites, the Temple, and the dietary
laws.
Sixth order: Tohorot ("Purities"). 12 tractates. This pertains
to the laws of purity and impurity, including the impurity
of the dead, the laws of ritual purity for the priests
(cohanim), the laws of "family purity" (the menstrual
laws) and others.
Order of Masechtot within a Seder
Rambam tries to explain order of tractates in
the Mishnah based on either chronological
or logical progression.
SEDER MOED
Shabbat
Eruvin
Pesachim
Shekalim
Yoma
Sukkah
Beitzah
Rosh Hashanah
Ta'anint
Megillah
Moed Katan
Hagigah
SEDER MOED
Shabbat
24
Eruvin
10
Pesachim
10
Shekalim
8
Yoma
8
Sukkah
5
Beitzah
5
Rosh Hashanah 4
Ta'anint
4
Megillah
4
Moed Katan
3
Hagigah
3
SEDER NASHIM
Yevamot 16
Ketubot 13
Nedarim 11
Nazir
9
Sotah
9
Gittin
9
Kiddushin 4
SEDER NEZIKIN
Bava Kamma
Bava Metzia
Bava Batra
Sanhedrin
Makkot
Shevuot
Edutoyot
Avodah Zarah
Avot
Horayot
10
10
10
11
3
8
8
5
5 (6)
3
SEDER KODASHIM
Zevahim
Menahot
Hullin
Bekhorot
Arakhin
Terumah
Keritot
Me'ilah
Tamid
Middot
Kinnim
14
13
12
9
9
7
6
6
6
5
3
SEDER TOHOROT
Keilim
Oholot
Negaim
Parah
Tohorot
Mikvaot
Niddah
Makshirin
Zavim
Tevul Yom
Yadaim
Uktzin
30
18
14
12
10
10
10
6
5
4
4
3
SEDER ZERAIM
Berakhot
Peah
Demai
Kilaim
Sheviit
Terumot
Ma'asrot
Ma'aser Sheini
Hallah
Orlah
Bikkurim
9
8
7
9
10
11
5
5
4
3
4
The most reliable
complete manuscript
of the Mishnah.
‫…‪Save one life‬‬
‫משנה מסכת סנהדרין פרק ד משנה ה‬
‫לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי ללמדך‬
‫שכל המאבד נפש אחד מישראל מעלה עליו הכתוב‬
‫כאילו איבד עולם מלא‬
‫וכל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל מעלה עליו הכתוב‬
‫כאילו קיים עולם מלא‬
‫ומפני שלום הבריות שלא יאמר אדם לחבירו אבא‬
‫גדול מאביך‬
‫‪http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvGu3Y9e8y0‬‬
Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 – Ms. Kaufman
‫‪Comparing Mishnah & Tosefta‬‬
‫תוספתא מסכת חולין פרק ח הלכה ו‬
‫טיפת חלב שנפלה על החתיכה ר' יהודה אומר‬
‫אם יש בנותן טעם באותה חתיכה‬
‫וחכמים אומרים באותה הקדרה‬
‫אמר רבי נראין דברי ר' יהודה בזמן שלא ניער‬
‫ולא כסה ודברי חכמים בזמן שניער וכסה‪:‬‬
‫משנה מסכת חולין פרק ח‬
‫טיפת חלב שנפלה על החתיכה אם‬
‫יש בה בנותן טעם באותה חתיכה‬
‫אסור ניער את הקדרה אם יש בה‬
‫בנותן טעם באותה קדרה אסור‬
Purpose of Mishnah
Book of
Practical
Halakha
Quotes the opinion of
a single Rabbi in the
Tosefta as “the Sages”
in order to say that
he represent the
Halakha.
Textbook of
Oral Tradition
There are still multiple
opinion and contradictions
within the Mishnah.
Also, Mishnah includes
impractical temple and
purity laws.
Why Include Controversy?
Eduyot ch. 1, Mishnah 5. And why do they record the
opinion of a single person among the many, when the
Halachah must be according to the opinion of the many?
So that if a court prefers the opinion of the single person
it may depend on him. For no court may set aside the
decision of another court unless it is greater than it in
wisdom and in number. If it was greater than it in wisdom
but not in number, in number but not in wisdom, it may
not set aside its decision, unless it is greater than it in
wisdom and in number.
Mishnah 6. R. Judah said: if so, why do they record the
opinion of a single person among the many to set it
aside? So that if a man shall say, thus have I learnt the
tradition,’ it may be said to him, ‘according to the
[refuted] opinion of that individual did you hear it.
Historical context of the Mishnah
451BCE – 12 Tablets
131CE – Hadrian issued the “Perpetual
Edict” which froze and codified the
praetorian edicts
2nd-3rd centuries, legal jurists (like Gaius,
Paulus, Ulpian, and Papinian) write law
commentaries and codes
438 – Theodosian Code
530 – Justinian Code
Deciding Dispute
Codex Theodosianus, 1.4.3.2-4: Law of
Citations (426CE):
When conflicting opinions are cited, the greater
number of the authors shall prevail, or if the
numbers should be equal, the authority of that
group shall take precedence in which the man of
superior genius, Papinian, shall tower above the
rest, and as he defeats a single opponent, so he
yields to two…Furthermore, when their opinions
as cited are equally divided and their authority is
rated as equal, the regulation of the judge shall
choose whose opinion he shall follow.
Yerushalmi Terumah 3:1 (42a)
R. H iyya said in the name of R. Yoh anan, ‘[In a
dispute between] Rabbi and his colleagues, the
halakha follows Rabbi.’ And R. Yonah said, ‘Even
between Rabbi and R. Eleazar b. R. Shimon’…
R. Yose said in the name of R. Yoh anan, ‘In a dispute
between R. Yose and his colleagues, the halakha
accords with R. Yose.’
R. Zeira and R. Yaakov bar Idi [said] in the name of R.
Yoh anan, “In a dispute between R. Meir and R.
Shimon, the halakha follows R. Shimon. [In a dispute
between] R. Shimon and R. Yehudah, the halakha
follows R. Yehudah. It thus goes without saying [that
in a dispute between] R. Meir and R. Yehudah, the
halakha follows R. Yehudah.”
Amoraim
1
220-260
2
260-290
3
290-320
4
320-350
5
350-400
6 400-500
Eres Yisrael
Bavel
Yehoshua ben
Levi
Rav (Sura)
Shmuel (Nehardea)
Rav Yehuda
Rav Huna
Rabbah
Rav Nahman
Abaye and Rava
R. Yohanan
R. Zeira
R. Yirmiah
R. Yehuda
Hanasi IV
Rav Papa
Rav Ashi
Important Political Events
313CE Constantine converted to and declared
toleration for Christianity
351CE Jewish Revolt against Gallus protesting
anti-Jewish legislation
362CE Julian the Apostate announced rebuilding
of the Bet Hamikdash
380 Christianity declared the official religion of the
roman empire
395 Roman Empire splits into two
425CE Elimination of the Patriarchate
638CE Muslim Conquest
Texts and Time Periods
1000BCE
586 BCE
539 BCE
516 BCE
332 BCE
164 BCE
150BCE-70CE
70 CE
132 CE
50-200 CE
220 CE
200-500 CE
400 CE
500-700 CE
600 CE
King David
Destruction of Temple I
Cyrus the Great – Persian rule
Second Temple Built
Alexander the Great – Greek rule
Maccabean Revolt
Pharisees
Second Temple Destroyed
Bar Kokhba Revolt
Tannaitic Period
Mishnah & Tannaitic Midrash Compiled
Amoraic Period
Yerushalmi & Amoraic Midrash Compiled
Savoraim in Babylonia
Bavli Completed
The Rabbis
and their Literature
Part II – Methodology
Charles James Ball
We have to bear in mind a fact familiar enough to
students of the Talmudic and Midrashic
literature, though apparently unknown to many
expositors of Scripture, whose minds
conspicuously lack that orientation which is an
indispensable preliminary to a right
understanding of the treasures of Eastern
thought;
I mean, the inveterate tendency of Jewish teachers
to convey their doctrine not in the form of
abstract discourse, but in a mode appealing
directly to the imagination, and seeking to rouse
the interest and sympathy of the man rather than
the philosopher.
The Rabbi embodies his lesson in a story, whether
parable or allegory or seeming historical
narrative; and the last thing he or his disciples
would think of is to ask whether the selected
persons, events, and circumstances which so
vividly suggest the doctrine are in themselves
real or fictitious. The doctrine is everything; the
mode of presentation has no independent value.
To make the story the first consideration, and the
doctrine it was intended to convey an
afterthought, as we, with our dry Western
literalness, are predisposed to do, is to reverse
the Jewish order of thinking, and to do
unconscious injustice to the authors of many
edifying narratives of antiquity.