The Rabbis and their Literature

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The Rabbis and their Literature

• Part I Historical Background

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King David - 1000BCE
3
Destruction of Temple I 586 BCEby Nebuchadnezzar
4

• Cyrus the Great conquers the Babylonians and
  permits the Jews to return to Israel and rebuilt
  the Temple
• 539BCE

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Building of Temple II 516 BCEunder Zerubabel
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Purim Story under Persians
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Alexander the Great

• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vMQfBinQwPGsfeature
  email

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Hanukah Story 164 BCE
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Destruction of Temple II 70 CE
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Arch of Titus
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Rabbis Reconvene at Yavnehafter 70 CE
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Bar Kokhba Revolt - 132 CE

• Front Trumpets. "????? ???????"
• Back Lyre. "??? ? ????? ?????"

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Texts and Time Periods

• 1000BCE King David
• 586 BCE Destruction of Temple I
• 539 BCE Cyrus the Great Persian rule
• 516 BCE Second Temple Built
• 332 BCE Alexander the Great Greek rule
• 164 BCE Maccabean Revolt
• 150BCE-70CE Pharisees
• 70 CE Second Temple Destroyed
• 132 CE Bar Kokhba Revolt
• 50-200 CE Tannaitic Period
• 220 CE Mishnah Tannaitic Midrash Compiled
• 200-500 CE Amoraic Period
• 400 CE Yerushalmi Amoraic Midrash Compiled
• 500-700 CE Savoraim in Babylonia
• 600 CE Bavli Completed

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Rabbinic Texts
Tannaitic Midrashim
Mishnah
Tosefta
200CE
Talmud Yerushalmi
400CE
Amoraic Midrashim
Talmud Bavli
600CE
See https//fc.gannacademy.org/gannopedia/genremap
/rlgenremaphebrew.html
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Generations of Tannaim
1 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
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Tannaitic Midrash
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Why is it called the Mishnah?

• The Hebrew root "ShNH" means "to repeat," (??????
  ?????) and 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.

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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.

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When were the contents of the Mishnah was
composed?

• There are traditions in the Mishnah that claim to
  go back before the fifth century B.C.E. (the
  "Great Assembly" cf. Nehemiah 8-10), as well as
  a few additions from as late as the mid-third
  century C.E.
• However, the main body of the Mishnah consists of
  teachings attributed to authorities from about
  the middle of the first century, through to the
  second decade of the third century C.E.

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Pre - Mishnah

• Sherira Gaon before Mishnah, each Rabbi had his
  own formulation and order of traditions.
• Rebbis Mishnha is based on that of R. Akiva
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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.

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Order of Masechtot within a Seder

• Rambam tries to explain order of tractates in the
  Mishnah based on either chronological or logical
  progression.

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SEDER MOED

• Shabbat
• Eruvin
• Pesachim
• Shekalim
• Yoma
• Sukkah
• Beitzah
• Rosh Hashanah
• Ta'anint
• Megillah
• Moed Katan
• Hagigah

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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

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SEDER NASHIM

• Yevamot 16
• Ketubot 13
• Nedarim 11
• Nazir 9
• Sotah 9
• Gittin 9
• Kiddushin 4

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SEDER NEZIKIN

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

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SEDER KODASHIM

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

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SEDER TOHOROT

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

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SEDER ZERAIM

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

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(No Transcript)
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The most reliable complete manuscript of the
Mishnah.
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Save one life

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• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vuvGu3Y9e8y0

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Mishnah Sanhedrin 45 Ms. Kaufman
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Comparing Mishnah Tosefta
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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 that he
represent the Halakha.
There are still multiple opinion and
contradictions within the Mishnah. Also, Mishnah
includes impractical temple and purity laws.
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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.

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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

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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 twoFurthermore, 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.

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Yerushalmi Terumah 31 (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.

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Amoraim
Eres 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
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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

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Texts and Time Periods

• 1000BCE King David
• 586 BCE Destruction of Temple I
• 539 BCE Cyrus the Great Persian rule
• 516 BCE Second Temple Built
• 332 BCE Alexander the Great Greek rule
• 164 BCE Maccabean Revolt
• 150BCE-70CE Pharisees
• 70 CE Second Temple Destroyed
• 132 CE Bar Kokhba Revolt
• 50-200 CE Tannaitic Period
• 220 CE Mishnah Tannaitic Midrash Compiled
• 200-500 CE Amoraic Period
• 400 CE Yerushalmi Amoraic Midrash Compiled
• 500-700 CE Savoraim in Babylonia
• 600 CE Bavli Completed

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The Rabbis and their Literature

• Part II Methodology

44
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.

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• 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.