The History and Formof the Mishnah

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

Refers to Translation Gemara Term

Mishnah “Our Mishnah”

מתניתין

Tosefta or Tannaitic Midrash

“The Rabbis taught”

תנו רבנן

Baraita “It was taught”

תניא

Generations of Tannaim140-80CE

Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai's generation

280-110

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

3110-135

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

4135-170

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

5170-20 0

Rabbi Judah haNasi's generation

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 220 CE. It was compiled by R. Judah the Patriarch.

Pre - Mishnah

Sherira Gaon – before Mishnah, each Rabbi had his own formulation and order of traditions.

Rebbi’s Mishnha is based on that of R. Akiva:

תוספתא מסכת זבים פרק א הלכה ה

כשהיה ר' עקיבא מסדר הלכות לתלמידים אמר

כל מי ששמע טעם על חברו יבוא ויאמר

Rabbinic Texts

Mishnah ToseftaTannaiticMidrashim

TalmudYerushalmi

TalmudBavli

AmoraicMidrashim

200CE

400CE

600CE

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

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

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

Comparing Mishnah & Tosefta תוספתא מסכת חולין פרק ח

הלכה וטיפת 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

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.

Stephen WaldThe question of the form and purpose of the final redaction of the Mishnah has long been a topic of scholarly debate. In the twentieth century this debate focused on the question whether the Mishnah should be seen as a code of relatively self-consistent and authoritative religious practice (Epstein), or as an anthology of frequently contradictory sources (Albeck).

As so formulated, this dispute seems somewhat artificial. On the one hand, there is no reason to assume that the final redaction of the Mishnah was governed by one single overriding principle. On the other hand, the redaction of the Mishnah could reflect a preliminary, but as yet incomplete, effort to bring order and consistency to the body of tannaitic halakhah.

The Roman Empire

History of Roman Law

450 BCE Twelve Tables: “When the fruit of a tree falls upon the premises of a neighbor, the owner of the tree shall have a right to gather and remove it” (8:6).

Then grew and grew with laws by various assemblies, magistrates, imperial edicts and senatorial resolutions.

Republic 510 – 31BCE

Empire 31BCE – 476CE

Roman Legal Codification

Gaius (d. 180), Papinianus (d. 212), Paulus, Ulpianus (d. 228), and Modestinus (c. 250)

Theodosian Code (438CE)

Justinian Code (534CE)

Roman Legal Codes

R. Aqiva and his colleagues began collecting and organizing rabbinic traditions under Hadrian, when Julianus, Celsus Pomponius, and others were actively involved in making similar compilations in Rome.

Rabbi Judah the Prince compiled and edited his Mishnah, and tannaitic midrashim were collected under the Severans, at a time when Gaius, Papinianus, Paulus, and Ulpianus were likewise compiling codices and responsa of Roman law and commenting on earlier legal material.

Lee Levine, Judaism and Hellenism in Antiquity: Conflict or Confluence?, p. 135.

Why Include Controversy?Mishnah Eduyot 1:5. 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.

1:6. 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.

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.

איגרת רב שרירא גאון כיצד נכתבה המשנה

וביומוי דר' בנו של רשב"ג אסתייעא מילתיא וכתבינהו ותרצינהו

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.

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משנה מסכת סנהדרין פרק ד משנה ה

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וכל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא

ומפני שלום הבריות שלא יאמר אדם לחבירו אבא גדול מאביך

Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 – Ms. Kaufman