Introduction to Commentary on the Mishnah

The Origins of Controversy

Outline of Intro to Mishnah• Revelation of written and oral Torah• later explanations with 13 middot, mahloket• prophet can’t add• false prohets, from idolatry, do idolatry, change Torah• except temporarily except idolatry• prophets and elders until Rebbi.• He summarized everything and wrote the majority opinion and also included minority• Halacha LeMoshe Misinai is no different from rest of core of oral torah except it’s not

given scriptual basis.• five categories of oral torah• To reject or accept minority opinion• structure of Mishnah• Later explanations of the Mishnah• tosefta• talmud and what’s in it besides commentary• Rabbis of the Mishnah

Mishnah Berakhot 1מאימתי קורין את שמע בערבית משעה שהכהנים נכנסים לאכול בתרומתן חצות עד אומרים וחכמים אליעזר ר' דברי הראשונה האשמורה סוף עד מבית בניו שבאו מעשה השחר עמוד שיעלה עד אומר גמליאל רבן המשתה אמרו לו לא קרינו את שמע אמר להם אם לא עלה עמוד השחר חצות עד חכמים מה שאמרו כל אלא בלבד זו ולא לקרות אתם חייבין שיעלה עד מצותן ואברים חלבים הקטר השחר עמוד שיעלה עד מצותן עמוד השחר וכל הנאכלין ליום אחד מצותן עד שיעלה עמוד השחר אם כן

למה אמרו חכמים עד חצות כדי להרחיק אדם מן העבירה: משנה ב

מאימתי קורין את שמע בשחרית משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן רבי אליעזר אומר בין תכלת לכרתי וגומרה עד הנץ החמה רבי יהושע אומר עד שלש שעות שכן דרך בני מלכים לעמוד בשלש שעות הקורא מכאן ואילך לא הפסיד

כאדם הקורא בתורה: משנה ג

שנאמר יעמדו ובבוקר ויקראו יטו אדם כל בערב אומרים שמאי בית ו( ובקומך)דברים כדרכו ובשכבך קורא אדם כל אומרים הלל ובית

שנאמר )שם( ובלכתך בדרך אם כן למה נאמר ובשכבך ובקומך בשעה שבני אדם שוכבים ובשעה שבני אדם עומדים אמר ר' טרפון אני הייתי בא לו מפני הלסטים אמרו בעצמי וסכנתי ב"ש כדברי לקרות והטיתי בדרך

כדי היית לחוב בעצמך שעברת על דברי ב"ה:

Salomon Ben JerohamThe Karaite

“I have set the six division of the Mishnah before me. And I looked at them carefully with my eyes. And I say that they are very contradictory in content. This one Mishnaic scholar declares a thing to be forbidden to the people of Israel, while that one declares it to be permitted. My thoughts therefore answer me, and most of my reflections declare unto me, that there is in it no Law of logic nor the Law of Moses the Wise.”

Abraham Ibn Daud – Geonic Approach

Now should anyone infected with heresy attempt to mislead you, saying: ‘It is because the rabbis differed on a number of issues that I doubt their words,’ you should retort bluntly and inform him that he is ‘a rebel against the decision of the court’; and that our rabbis of blesses memory never differed with respect to a commandment in principle, but only with respect to its detail; for they had heard the principle from their teachers, but had not inquired as to its details since they had not waited upon their masters sufficiently.

Ibn Daud, Sefer ha-Kabblah

As a case in point they did not differ as to whether or not it is obligatory to light the Sabbath lamp; what they did dispute was “with what it may be lighted and with what it may not be lighted.” Similarly, they did not differ as to whether we are required to recite the Shema evenings and mornings; what they differed on was “from when may the Shema be recited in the evenings” and “ from when may the Shema be recited in the mornings.” this holds true of all of their discussions.

Revelation Controversy Interpretation

Geonim one opinion on every law

only about details, because of neglect

deriving original opinions

Rambam one opinion on a core of laws

only for derivative laws

Creating new laws

Tosafot,

Ramban

every opinion on every law

Discussion of previous opinions

hashing out old opinions

Mishnah Eduyot 1:4-5• Mishnah4. And why do they record the opinions of Shammai and Hillel

to set them aside? — to teach the following generations that a man should not [always] persist in his opinion, for behold, the fathers of the world did not persist in their opinion.

• Mishnah5. 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.

• Mishnah6. 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.