from bible to rabbinic literature in a nutshell

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1 ספרות ההלכה על קצה המזלגRabbinic Literature in a Nutshell Presentation by Joab Eichenberg-Eilon, Ph.D. The Hebrew Bible תנ"ך תנ" ך= תורה, נביאים, כתוביםTanakh = Torah, Nevi-im, Ketuvim Torah = teaching, law, theory… Nevi-im = prophets (including history) Ketuvim = writings (wisdom literature) The order of books in the Hebrew Bible is different from that of Christian Bibles Torah - תורהSeveral meanings: – Teaching (related to “teacher” = מורה) – The Law (related to “instruction” = הוראה) – A theory (Theory of Relativity תורת היחסות) – Sense of fullness ( " הרת עולם" ) Torah as Law Torah = first 5 books of the Bible – Genesis בראשית“History”* – Exodus שמות“History”* & laws – Leviticus ויקראmostly ritual laws – Numbers במדבר“History”* & laws – Deuteronomy דבריםLaws and Ethics * “History” includes mythology and theology

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Page 1: From Bible to Rabbinic Literature in a Nutshell

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ספר ות ההלכה על קצה המזלג

Rabbinic Literature in a Nutshell

Presentation byJoab Eichenberg-Eilon, Ph.D.

The Hebrew Bible תנ"ך

• ך"תנ כתובים, נביאים, תורה =

• Tanakh = Torah, Nevi-im, Ketuvim

• Torah = teaching, law, theory…

• Nevi-im = prophets (including history)

• Ketuvim = writings (wisdom literature)

• The order of books in the Hebrew Bible is different from that of Christian Bibles

Torah -תורה

• Several meanings:– Teaching (related to “teacher” (מורה =

– The Law (related to “instruction” (הוראה =

– A theory (Theory of Relativity תורת היחסות)

– Sense of fullness ( "הרת עו לם" )

Torah as Law

• Torah = first 5 books of the Bible– Genesis בראשית “History”*

– Exodus שמות “History”* & laws

– Leviticus ו יקרא mostly ritual laws

– Numbers במדבר “History”* & laws

– Deuteronomy דברים Laws and Ethics

* “History” includes mythology and theology

Page 2: From Bible to Rabbinic Literature in a Nutshell

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Commandments –תורה ומצוות

• Torah is considered as the ultimate source of Jewish Law from which all other laws are derived

• A law that comes directly from the Torah is superior to a law that was (מדאורייתא)inferred from the Torah or enacted later

• Tradition has it that the Torah included 613 commandments

Canonization of the Hebrew Bible

• Completed in the late 2nd Temple period• Until then communication with the divine

– Was direct with the Patriarchs and Matriarchs– Went through prophets and seers– Was enacted in the sacrifice cult in Jerusalem

• סוף נבואה – the End of Prophecy– Reincarnation of Judaism as the People of the

Book (or Books), relying on bible interpretation

Traditional Faith about Torah

• Torah was a gift given by God via Moses to the Israelites

• Receiving the Torah implied accepting it as part of a covenant and following its laws

• Torah is God’s communication = sacred

• Torah includes all the future interpretations (implied: accepted by the religious authority)

Ergo: Torah = vademecum

• Torah is the guide by which Jews must live

• Everything a Jew needs to know is in the Torah

• There are accepted methodologies of making inferences from the Torah to cases that are not mentioned in the Torah

• Example: lighting fire on Shabbat = electricity

Page 3: From Bible to Rabbinic Literature in a Nutshell

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Rashi Commentary פירוש רש"י