The origins and formation of the Mishnah and the Talmud
The Mishnah
The Mishnah is the written collection of the Oral TorahRepresents the laws that were not recorded in the Five Books of Moses.. This collection came about as a result of Roman oppression and occupation which caused the Jewish people to leave the Holy LandThe land sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims in what was ancient Palestine (now Israel, Palestine and Jordan). around 200CEThe abbreviation for the Christian Era or Common Era, referring to a year that falls after the birth of Jesus..
The Mishnah was formed due to fear that the Jewish people would lose their unity and beliefs if they were not in the Holy City.
It ran into 63 volumes, and Rabbi Judah (the rabbiA religious teacher and leader with authority to make decisions on issues of Jewish law. A rabbi is the chief religious official of a synagogue, who often (but not always) leads worship and conducts rites and rituals. most closely associated with the compilation of the Mishnah) then divided it into the following six sections:
| Name of Section | What matters does this section deal with? |
| Zeraim (‘seeds’) | prayer, agricultural matters such as giving crops to the poor, the tithing of farm produce and Shemitta – the year when no farming was to be done |
| Moed (‘festivals’) | the observance of the Sabbath and other festivals, temple sacrifice on these days, work which cannot be carried out, fasting and mourning |
| Nashim (‘women’) | issues surrounding marriage – betrothal, documents, vows, those who cannot marry, divorce |
| Nezikin (‘damages’) | damages, injury, compensations, fines, inheritance, the examination of witnesses, moral guidance |
| Kedoshim (‘holy matters’) | sacrifices within the temple, layout of the temple |
| Taharot (‘purities’) | purity of foods, how one might become pure or impure |
| Name of Section | Zeraim (‘seeds’) |
|---|---|
| What matters does this section deal with? | prayer, agricultural matters such as giving crops to the poor, the tithing of farm produce and Shemitta – the year when no farming was to be done |
| Name of Section | Moed (‘festivals’) |
|---|---|
| What matters does this section deal with? | the observance of the Sabbath and other festivals, temple sacrifice on these days, work which cannot be carried out, fasting and mourning |
| Name of Section | Nashim (‘women’) |
|---|---|
| What matters does this section deal with? | issues surrounding marriage – betrothal, documents, vows, those who cannot marry, divorce |
| Name of Section | Nezikin (‘damages’) |
|---|---|
| What matters does this section deal with? | damages, injury, compensations, fines, inheritance, the examination of witnesses, moral guidance |
| Name of Section | Kedoshim (‘holy matters’) |
|---|---|
| What matters does this section deal with? | sacrifices within the temple, layout of the temple |
| Name of Section | Taharot (‘purities’) |
|---|---|
| What matters does this section deal with? | purity of foods, how one might become pure or impure |
The Talmud
The Talmud is a commentary on the Mishnah. It came as a result of the study of the Mishnah from the end of the second century CE. The discussions between rabbis and students in academies in Israel and BabylonAn ancient city in Mesopotamia known for it's hanging gardens. It now lies in ruins. were written down.
There are two forms of the Talmud
- The Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud) – this was put together by two Babylonian rabbis around 500CE
- The Talmud Yerushalmi (The Jerusalem Talmud) – this was attempted 100 years earlier than the Babylonian Talmud. However, the Babylonian Talmud is more extensively studied.
