The Rabbis and their Literature Part I – Historical Background

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 Yavnehafter 70 CE

Bar Kokhba Revolt - 132 CE

Front: Trumpets. "לחרות ירושלים"Back: Lyre. "ש]נה[ ב לחר]ות[ ישראל"

Texts and Time Periods1000BCE King David586 BCE Destruction of Temple I539 BCE Cyrus the Great – Persian rule516 BCE Second Temple Built332 BCE Alexander the Great – Greek rule164 BCE Maccabean Revolt150BCE-70CE Pharisees70 CE Second Temple Destroyed132 CE Bar Kokhba Revolt50-200 CE Tannaitic Period220 CE Mishnah & Tannaitic Midrash Compiled200-500 CE Amoraic Period400 CE Yerushalmi & Amoraic Midrash Compiled500-700 CE Savoraim in Babylonia600 CE Bavli Completed

Rabbinic Texts

Mishnah ToseftaTannaiticMidrashim

TalmudYerushalmi

TalmudBavli

AmoraicMidrashim

200CE

400CE

600CE

See https://fc.gannacademy.org/gannopedia/genremap/rlgenremaphebrew.html

Generations of Tannaim1

40-80CE

Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai's generation

2

80-110

Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua's generation, the teachers of Rabbi Akiva.

3

110-135

The generation of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues, R. Ishmael.

4

135-170

The generation of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda and their colleagues. Live in Usha.

5

170-200

Rabbi Judah haNasi's generation

Tannaitic Midrash

רבי עקיבא רבי ישמעאל

------ ------ בראשית

מכילתא דרבי שמעון בר יוחאי

מכילתא דרבי ישמעאל

שמות

ספרא )רק קטעים( ויקרא

ספרי זוטא ספרי במדבר

ספרי מדרש תנאים דברים

Why is it called the “Mishnah”?

The Hebrew root "ShNH" means "to repeat," לבניך( and refers to memorization by )ושננתם 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 MishnahFirst 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 MOEDShabbat Eruvin Pesachim Shekalim Yoma Sukkah Beitzah Rosh Hashanah Ta'anint Megillah Moed Katan Hagigah

SEDER MOEDShabbat 24Eruvin 10Pesachim 10Shekalim 8Yoma 8Sukkah 5Beitzah 5Rosh Hashanah 4Ta'anint 4Megillah 4Moed Katan 3Hagigah 3

SEDER NASHIM

Yevamot 16

Ketubot 13

Nedarim 11

Nazir 9

Sotah 9

Gittin 9

Kiddushin 4

SEDER NEZIKIN

Bava Kamma 10Bava Metzia 10Bava Batra 10Sanhedrin 11Makkot 3Shevuot 8Edutoyot 8Avodah Zarah 5Avot 5 )6(Horayot 3

SEDER KODASHIMZevahim 14Menahot 13Hullin 12Bekhorot 9Arakhin 9Terumah 7Keritot 6Me'ilah 6Tamid 6Middot 5Kinnim 3

SEDER TOHOROTKeilim 30Oholot 18Negaim 14Parah 12Tohorot 10Mikvaot 10Niddah 10Makshirin 6Zavim 5Tevul Yom 4Yadaim 4Uktzin 3

SEDER ZERAIMBerakhot 9Peah 8Demai 7Kilaim 9Sheviit 10Terumot 11Ma'asrot 5Ma'aser Sheini 5 Hallah 4Orlah 3Bikkurim 4

The most reliablecomplete manuscriptof 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 & Toseftaמשנה 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

תוספתא מסכת חולין פרק חהלכה 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

Purpose of Mishnah

Book of Practical Halakha

Textbook of Oral Tradition

Quotes the opinion of a single Rabbi in the Tosefta as “the Sages” in order to say thathe represent the Halakha.

There are still multipleopinion and contradictionswithin the Mishnah.Also, Mishnah includesimpractical temple andpurity 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 DisputeCodex 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. Hiyya said in the name of R. Yohanan, ‘[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. Yohanan, ‘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. Yohanan, “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.”

AmoraimEres Yisrael Bavel

1

220-260

Yehoshua ben Levi

Rav )Sura(

Shmuel )Nehardea(

2

260-290

R. Yohanan Rav Yehuda

Rav Huna

3

290-320

R. Zeira Rabbah

Rav Nahman

4

320-350

R. Yirmiah Abaye and Rava

5

350-400

R. Yehuda Hanasi IV

Rav Papa

6 400-500 Rav Ashi

Important Political Events313CE Constantine converted to and declared

toleration for Christianity351CE Jewish Revolt against Gallus protesting

anti-Jewish legislation362CE Julian the Apostate announced rebuilding

of the Bet Hamikdash380 Christianity declared the official religion of the

roman empire395 Roman Empire splits into two425CE Elimination of the Patriarchate638CE Muslim Conquest

Texts and Time Periods1000BCE King David586 BCE Destruction of Temple I539 BCE Cyrus the Great – Persian rule516 BCE Second Temple Built332 BCE Alexander the Great – Greek rule164 BCE Maccabean Revolt150BCE-70CE Pharisees70 CE Second Temple Destroyed132 CE Bar Kokhba Revolt50-200 CE Tannaitic Period220 CE Mishnah & Tannaitic Midrash Compiled200-500 CE Amoraic Period400 CE Yerushalmi & Amoraic Midrash Compiled500-700 CE Savoraim in Babylonia600 CE Bavli Completed

The Rabbis and their Literature

Part II – Methodology

Charles James BallWe 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.