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Mishnah

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The Mishnah (Hebrew, "Repetition") is the core of rabbinic Judaism's religious texts. It is the first recording of the oral law of the Jewish people, as championed by the Pharisees. It was redacted by Judah haNasi around the year 200 CE. It is considered the first work of Rabbinic Judaism.

The Mishnah is noteworthy in Rabbinic literature for its depiction of a religious universe in which the Temple in Jerusalem, destroyed a century earlier, still retains a central place. Laws concerning the Temple service constitute one of the Mishnah's six divisions.

Also noteworthy is the Mishnah's lack of citation of a scriptural basis for its laws. Connecting the Mishnaic law with the Torah law was a major enterprise of the later Midrash and Talmuds.

The Rabbinic sages whose views are recorded therein are called Tannaim, the plural of Tanna; Tanna is an Aramaic term for the Hebrew word shana, which also is the root-word of Mishnah. The verb shanah (שנה) literally means 'to repeat [what one was taught] and is used to mean 'to learn'. The term 'Mishna' basically means the entire body of Jewish religious law that was passed down and developed before 200 CE, when it was finally redacted by Rabbi Yehudah haNasi (Judah the Prince). He is usually simply referred to as 'Rabbi'.

Relation between the Bible and the Mishnah

Rabinical Judaism holds that the books of the Hebrew Bible (The Old Testament) have always been transmitted in parallel with an oral tradition. Two guides to laws were given to to Moses at Mount Sinai: the first, known as Torah she-bi-khtav, or the "Written Law" is the Tanakh (Jewish Bible) as we know it today; the second, known as Torah she-ba'al peh, is its exposition as relayed by the scholarly and other religious leaders of each generation.

The interpretation of the Oral Law is considered as the authoritative reading of the Written Law. Jews point to the text of the Torah, where many words are left undefined, and many procedures mentioned without explanation or instructions; this they argue means that the reader is assumed to be familiar with the details from other, oral, sources.

This parallel set of material was originally transmitted orally, and came to be known as the oral law. However, by the time of Judah Ha-Nasi (200 CE) much of this material was edited together into the Mishnah. Over the next four centuries this law underwent analysis and debate, known as Gemara, completion, in both of the world's major Jewish communities (in the land of Israel and Babylon. These eventually came to be edited together into compilations known as the Talmud.

Jewish law and custom thus is not based on a literal reading of the Torah or the rest of the Tanakh, but on the combined oral and written tradition, which includes the Tanakh, Talmud Bavli (the Babylonian Talmud) and Talmud Yerushalmi. (The Talmud of Jerusalem--something of a misnomer, since it was edited north of Jerusalem--also known as the Talmud of the Land of Israel or the Palestinian Talmud.)

The writing of the Mishnah

Prior to the time of Rabbi, Jewish Law was transmitted orally; It was forbidden to write and publish the Oral Law, as any writing would be incomplete and subject to misinterpretation and abuse. However, after great debate, this restriction was lifted when it became apparent that it was the only way to ensure that the law could be preserved. To prevent the material from being lost, Rabbi took up the redaction of the Mishna. He did not do this at his own discretion, but rather examined the tradition all the way back to the Great Assembly. Some of tractates preceded him; These he merely supplemented.


The structure of the Mishna

The Mishna consists of six orders (sedarim). This explains the traditional name for the Talmud as Shas, which is an abbreviation of shishah sedarim, "six orders". Each of the six orders contains between 7 and 12 tractates, called masechtot. Each masechet is divided into smaller units called mishnayot.(mishna - singular)

  • First Order: Zeraim ("Seeds"). 11 tractates. It deals with agricultural laws and prayers.
  • Second Order: Mo'ed ("Festival Days"). 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: Neziqin ("Damages"). 10 tractates. Deals with civil and criminal law.
  • Fifth Order: Qodashim ("Holy things"). 11 tractates. This involves sacrificial rites, the Temple, and the dietary laws.
  • Sixth order: Taharot ("Purity"). 12 tractates. This pertains to ritual and the laws of family purity.

Most of the Mishnah is related stam, i.e. without any name attributed to it. This usually indicates that many sages taught so, and the halkahic ruling usually follows that view. Sometimes, however, it is the opinion of a single sage whom Rabbi Judah haNasi favoured and sought to establish the ruling accordingly.

The generations of the Mishnah sages

First Generation: Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai's generation (circa 40-80 CE).
Second Generation: Rabban Gamliel of Yavneh, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua's generation, the teachers of Rabbi Akiva.
Third Generation: The generation of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues.
Fourth Generation: The generation of Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda and their colleagues.
Fifth Generation: Rabbi Judah haNasi's generation.
Sixth Generation: The interim generation between the Mishnah and the Talmud: Rabbis Shimon ben Judah HaNasi and Yehoshua ben Levi, etc.

Tractates

Tractates in order Zeraim:

  • Berakhot
  • Peah
  • Demai
  • Kilaim
  • Sheviit
  • Terumot
  • Ma'asrot
  • Ma'aser Sheini
  • Hallah
  • Orlah
  • Bikkurim

Tractates in order Moed

Tractates in order Nashim

  • Yevamot
  • Ketubot
  • Nedarim
  • Nazir
  • Sotah
  • Gittin
  • Kiddushin

Tractates in order Nezikin

  • Bava Kamma
  • Bava Metzia
  • Bava Batra
  • Sanhedrin
  • Makkot
  • Shevuot
  • Edutoyot
  • Avodah Zarah
  • Avot
  • Horayot

Tractates in order Kodashim

  • Zevahim
  • Menahot
  • Hullin
  • Bekhorot
  • Arakhin
  • Terumah
  • Keritot
  • Me'ilah
  • Tamid
  • Middot
  • Kinnim

Tractates in order Tohorot

  • Keilim
  • Oholot
  • Negaim
  • Parah
  • Tohorot
  • Mikvaot
  • Niddah
  • Makshirin
  • Zavim
  • Tevul Yom
  • Yadaim
  • Uktzin

Oral Traditions and Pronunciation

Mishnah was and is traditionally studied through recitation (out loud). Many medieval manuscripts of the Mishnah are vowelized, and some of these contain partial Tiberian cantillation. Jewish communities around the world preserved local melodies for chanting the Mishnah, and distinctive ways of pronouncing its words.

Most vowelized editions of the Mishnah today reflect standard Ashkenazic vowelization, and often contain mistakes. The Albeck edition of the Mishnah was vowelized by Hannokh Yellin, who made careful eclectic use of both medieval manuscripts and current oral traditions of pronunciation from Jewish communities all over the world. The Albeck edition includes an entire volume by Yellin detailing his eclectic method.

Two institutes at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have collected major oral archives which hold (among other things) extensive recordings of Jews chanting the Mishnah using a variety of melodies and many different kinds of pronunciation. These institutes are the Jewish Oral Traditions Research Center and the National Voice Archives (the "Phonoteca" at the Jewish National and University Library). See below for external links.

See also:

Talmud, Tosefta, Minor Tractates, Judaism

External Links:

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