View source for Rabbinic Judaism

{{short description|Orthodox form of Judaism since the 6th century CE}}
[[File:The Talmud students.jpg|thumb|Talmud students]]

'''Rabbinic Judaism''' ({{langx|he|יהדות רבנית|Yahadut Rabanit}}), also called '''Rabbinism''', '''Rabbinicism''', '''Rabbanite Judaism''', or '''Talmudic Judaism''',<ref name= EBr>{{cite encyclopedia |title= Rabbinic Judaism |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rabbinic-Judaism |access-date= 16 June 2025}}</ref> is rooted in the many forms of [[Judaism]] that coexisted and together formed [[Second Temple Judaism]] in the [[land of Israel]], giving birth to classical rabbinic Judaism, which flourished from the 1st century [[Common era|CE]] to the final redaction of the [[Talmud]] in {{Circa|600}}.<ref name= Ulm>{{cite encyclopedia |last= Ulmer |first= Rivka |title= Rabbinic Judaism |encyclopedia=[[Oxford Bibliographies Online]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |date= 13 September 2010 |doi= 10.1093/OBO/9780195393361-0103 |url=https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780195393361/obo-9780195393361-0103.xml |access-date= 16 June 2025|url-access= subscription }}</ref> Mainly developing after the [[Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE)#Fall and destruction of the temple |destruction of the Jerusalem Temple]] (70 CE), it eventually became the normative form of Judaism.<ref name= EBr/>

Rabbinic Judaism has been an orthodox form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian Talmud. It has its roots in the [[Pharisaic]] school of Second Temple Judaism and is based on the claim that [[Moses]] at [[Mount Sinai (Bible)|Mount Sinai]] received both the Written [[Torah]] (''Torah she-be-Khetav'') and the [[Oral Torah]] (''Torah she-be-al Peh'') from [[God in Judaism |God]]. The Oral Torah explains the Written Torah, and the [[Rabbi#Historical overview |rabbis]] claimed that it was they who possessed this memorized and orally transmitted part of the divine revelation. At first, it was forbidden to write down the Oral Torah, but after the destruction of the [[Second Temple]], it was decided to write it down in the form of the [[Talmud]] and other rabbinic texts for the sake of preservation.<ref name= Ulm/><ref name= Jacobs>{{cite book |last= Jacobs |first= Louis |author-link= Louis Jacobs |title= The Book of Jewish Belief |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pFpZgMzsEWYC&pg=PA19 |year= 1984 |publisher= Behrman House, Inc |isbn= 978-0-87441-379-3 |pages= 19–20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last= Shahar |first= Yael |title= Is Rabbinic Judaism authentic? Musings on living Torah |website= The Blogs |date= October 2, 2018 |url=https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/is-rabbinic-judaism-authentic-musings-on-living-torah/ |access-date= December 29, 2020}}</ref>

Rabbinic Judaism contrasts with the non-Rabbinic forms which emphasize the Tanakh over the Talmud, including the defunct [[Sadducee Judaism]] as well as with [[Karaite Judaism]], [[Haymanot|Ethiopian Judaism]], and [[Samaritanism]], which do not recognize the Oral Torah as a divine authority nor the rabbinic procedures used to interpret Jewish scripture (e.g., the [[Hebrew Bible]]). Although there are now profound differences among [[Jewish denominations]] of Rabbinic Judaism with respect to the binding force of ''[[Halakha]]'' (Jewish [[religious law]]) and the willingness to challenge preceding interpretations, all identify themselves as coming from the tradition of the [[Oral Law]] and the rabbinic method of analysis.

==Background==
{{Judaism}}

===Second Temple Judaism===
{{Main|Second Temple Judaism}}

====Hellenistic Judaism====
{{Main|Hellenistic Judaism}}

In 332 BCE, the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persians]] were defeated by [[Alexander the Great]]. After his demise and the division of Alexander's empire among his generals, the [[Seleucid Kingdom]] was formed. During this time, currents of Judaism were influenced by [[Hellenistic philosophy]] developed from the 3rd century BCE, notably among the [[Jewish diaspora]] in [[Alexandria]], culminating in a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible known as the [[Septuagint]]. An important advocate of the symbiosis of Jewish theology and Hellenistic thought is [[Philo]].<ref name= Schiffman>{{cite book |last=Schiffman |first=Lawrence H. |author-link=Lawrence Schiffman |editor1=Jon Bloomberg |editor2=Samuel Kapustin |title=Understanding Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism |publisher=KTAV |year=2003 |location=Jersey, NJ |isbn= 9780881258134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nQDkLzQimk8C}}</ref>

[[Hellenistic culture]] had a profound impact on the customs and practices of Jews, both in [[Judea]] and in the diaspora. These inroads into Judaism gave rise to [[Hellenistic Judaism]] in the Jewish diaspora, which sought to establish a Hebraic-Jewish religious tradition within the surrounding Hellenist culture and language.

There was a general deterioration in relations between Hellenized Jews and other Jews, leading the Seleucid king [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes]] to effectively outlaw the observance of Judaism, replace the [[High Priest of Israel |High Priest]] [[Jason (High Priest) |Jason]] with [[Menelaus (High Priest)|Menelaus]]—who had bribed Antiochus for the position—and [[Religious syncretism|syncretize]] the [[Second Temple|Temple]] worship of the [[God of Israel]] with the worship of [[Zeus]]. Consequently, the Jews who rejected Hellenism revolted against the Greek ruler, forming a Jewish kingdom of varying degrees of autonomy or independence ruled by the [[Hasmonean dynasty]], which lasted from 110&nbsp;BCE to 37&nbsp;BCE. The Hasmonean dynasty eventually disintegrated into a [[Hasmonean civil war|civil war]]. The competing leaders appealed to [[Roman Empire|Rome]] for intervention, which in time led to a total Roman conquest and annexation of the region (see [[Iudaea province]]).

Nevertheless, the region's cultural issues remained unresolved. The main issue separating Hellenistic and other Jews was the application of biblical laws in a Hellenistic [[melting pot]] culture.<ref>[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=567&letter=H&search=Hellenistic%20Judaism ''Jewish Encyclopedia'': Hellenism]: "Post-exilic Judaism was largely recruited from those returned exiles who regarded it as their chief task to preserve their religion uncontaminated, a task that required the strict separation of the congregation both from all foreign peoples (Ezra x. 11; Neh. ix. 2) and from the Jewish inhabitants of Palestine who did not strictly observe the Law (Ezra vi. 22; Neh. x. 29)."</ref>

Hellenistic Judaism spread to [[Ptolemaic Egypt]] from the 3rd century BCE, becoming a notable ''[[religio licita]]'' throughout the [[Roman Empire]] until its decline in the 3rd century concurrent with the rise of [[Gnosticism]] and [[early Christianity]].

The decline of Hellenistic Judaism remains obscure. It may be that it was marginalized by, absorbed into, or became early Christianity (see the [[Gospel of the Hebrews]]). The [[Acts of the Apostles]], at least, report how [[Paul the Apostle]] preferentially evangelized communities of Jewish [[proselyte]]s, [[Godfearers]], and non-Jewish circles [[Judaizers|sympathetic to Judaism]]: the [[Apostolic Decree]], which authorized proselytes to forgo [[Circumcision in the Bible|circumcision]], made Christianity an easier option for interested [[Paganism |pagans]] in the empire than did Judaism (see also [[circumcision controversy in early Christianity]]). However, nascent Christianity's attractiveness may have suffered a setback when it was explicitly outlawed in the 80s CE by [[Domitian]] as a "Jewish [[superstitio]]n", while Judaism retained its privileges as long as Jews paid the ''[[Fiscus Judaicus]]''. However, from a historical perspective, the state's [[Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire|persecution of Christians]] seemed only to increase the frequency of pagan [[Conversion to Christianity |conversions to Christianity]], leading eventually to the adoption of Christianity by the Roman emperor [[Constantine the Great]], himself a [[Constantine the Great and Christianity |convert]].

On the other hand, mainstream Judaism began to reject Hellenistic currents, outlawing the use of the Septuagint (see also the [[Council of Jamnia]]). Remaining currents of Hellenistic Judaism may have merged into [[Gnostic]] movements or early Rabbinic Judaism in the early centuries CE.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

===Periodization and development===
Classical rabbinic Judaism is seen as consisting of three separate strata: [[tannaitic]] (until 200&nbsp;CE), [[amoraic]] (200–500 CE), and [[saboraic]] (500 CE–7th century).<ref name= Ulm/>

The views of the ''Tannaim'', who witnessed the destruction of the Second Temple in 70&nbsp;CE and the defeat of the [[Bar Kokhba revolt]] of 132–135 CE, are preserved in the [[Mishnah]] (finalized c.&nbsp;200 CE), a law code constituting the first phase of formative rabbinic Judaism.<ref name= Ulm/> The late-2nd-century [[Tosefta]] ("supplement, addition") was another piece of oral tradition put to paper by rabbinic authors.<ref name= Ulm/> The two Talmuds ([[Palestinian Talmud| Palestinian]] and [[Babylonian Talmud|Babylonian]]) are also their work, along with [[Midrash]]ic ([[exegesis| exegetic]]) texts.<ref name= Ulm/> After usually opposing the priestly tradition with its exclusive focus on the written tradition and the Temple-related sacrificial cult, rabbinic Judaism reached the end of its formative period offering a synthesis of a triad of traditions - the interpretive, [[Messiah#Judaism |messianic]], and priestly.<ref name= Ulm/> In medieval times rabbinic Judaism continued to flourish in the diaspora, nowadays representing normative Judaism.<ref name= Ulm/>

====Hillel and Shammai====
{{Main|Hillel and Shammai}}
In the later part of the [[Second Temple period]] (2nd century BCE), the Second Commonwealth of Judea ([[Hasmonean Kingdom]]) was established, and religious matters were determined by a pair (''[[zugot]]'') which led the [[Sanhedrin]]. The Hasmonean Kingdom ended in 37&nbsp;BCE, but it is believed that the "two-man rule of the Sanhedrin" lasted until the early part of the 1st century CE during the period of the [[Judea (Roman province)|Roman province of Judea]]. The last pair, Hillel and Shammai, was the most influential of the Sanhedrin ''zugot''. Both were [[Pharisees]], but the [[Sadducees]] were actually the dominant party while the Temple stood. Since the Sadducees did not survive the [[First Jewish–Roman War]], their version of events has perished. In addition, Rabbinic Judaism sees Hillel's views as superior to Shammai's. The development of an [[oral tradition]] of teaching called the ''[[Tannaim|tanna]]'' would be the means by which the faith of Judaism would sustain the fall of the [[Second Temple]].<ref name= Schiffman/>

====Jewish messianism====
{{Main|Jewish messianism}}
{{Further|Anti-Judaism#Anti-Judaism in the pre-Christian Roman Empire}}
Jewish messianism has its root in the [[apocalyptic literature]] of the 2nd to 1st centuries BCE, promising a future "anointed" leader or [[Messiah]] to resurrect the Israelite "[[Kingdom of God]]", in place of the foreign rulers of the time. This corresponded with the [[Maccabean Revolt]] directed against the [[Seleucids]]. Following the fall of the [[Hasmonean]] kingdom, it was directed against the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] administration of [[Iudaea Province]], which, according to [[Josephus]], began with the formation of the [[Zealots]] during the [[Census of Quirinius]] of 6&nbsp;CE, although full-scale open revolt did not occur until the [[First Jewish–Roman War]] in 66&nbsp;CE. Historian H. H. Ben-Sasson has proposed that the "Crisis under [[Caligula]]" (37–41) was the "first open break" between Rome and the Jews even though tension already existed during the census in 6&nbsp;CE and under [[Sejanus]] (before 31 CE).<ref>H.H. Ben-Sasson, ''A History of the Jewish People'', Harvard University Press, 1976, {{ISBN|0-674-39731-2}}, ''The Crisis Under Gaius Caligula'', pages 254–256: "The reign of Gaius Caligula (37–41) witnessed the first open break between the Jews and the [[Julio-Claudian]] empire. Until then—if one accepts Sejanus' heyday and the trouble caused by the [[Census of Quirinius|census after Archelaus' banishment]]—there was usually an atmosphere of understanding between the Jews and the empire ... These relations deteriorated seriously during Caligula's reign, and, though after his death the peace was outwardly re-established, considerable bitterness remained on both sides. ... Caligula ordered that a golden statue of himself be set up in the [[Herod's Temple|Temple in Jerusalem]]. ... Only Caligula's death, at the hands of Roman conspirators (41), prevented the outbreak of a Jewish-Roman war that might well have spread to the entire East."</ref>

==Emergence of Rabbinic Judaism==
=== Written and Oral Law ===
Rabbinic tradition holds that the details and interpretation of the [[Torah]] (Written Law), which are called the Oral Torah or Oral Law, were originally an [[oral tradition|unwritten tradition]] based upon the [[Law given to Moses at Sinai|Law given to Moses]] on [[Mount Sinai (bible)|Mount Sinai]].<ref>''Early Rabbinic Judaism: Historical Studies in Religion, Literature and Art'' by Jacob Neusner, p. 1</ref> All the laws in the Written Torah are recorded only as part of a narrative describing [[God]] imparting these laws to Moses and commanding him to transmit them to the Jewish nation.

However, as the persecutions of the Jews increased and the details were in danger of being forgotten, these oral laws were recorded by rabbi [[Judah ha-Nasi]] ("Judah the Prince") in the Mishnah, [[Literary redaction|redacted]] {{circa|200 CE}}. The [[Talmud]] was a compilation of both the Mishnah and the [[Gemara]], rabbinic commentaries redacted over the next three centuries. The Gemara originated in two major centers of Jewish scholarship, [[Talmudic Academies in Syria Palaestina|Israel]] and [[Talmudic Academies in Babylonia|Babylonia]].<ref name= JE>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14213-talmud|title=Talmud|encyclopedia=Jewish Encyclopedia|author=Wilhelm Bacher}}</ref> Correspondingly, two bodies of analysis developed, and two works of Talmud were created. The older compilation is called the [[Jerusalem Talmud]]. It was compiled sometime during the 4th century in Israel.<ref name= JE/>

Judaism at the time of the late Second Temple period was divided into antagonistic factions. The main camps were the [[Pharisees]], [[Saducees]], and [[Zealots]], but also included other less influential sects. This led to further unrest, and the 1st century BCE and 1st century CE saw a number of charismatic religious leaders, contributing to what would become the Mishnah of Rabbinic Judaism, including [[Yochanan ben Zakai]] and [[Hanina Ben Dosa]].

=== Destruction of the Temple ===
{{Main|First Jewish–Roman War|Jewish–Roman wars|Jewish diaspora}}
{{See also|Karaite Judaism}}

Following the destruction of the [[Second Temple |Temple]] in 70&nbsp;CE and the [[Jewish diaspora#Destruction of Judea|expulsion of the Jews]] from the [[Judea (Roman province)|Roman province of Judea]], Jewish worship stopped being centrally organized around the Temple, prayer took the place of sacrifice, and worship was rebuilt around rabbis who acted as teachers and leaders of individual communities.

The destruction of the Second Temple was a profoundly traumatic experience for the Jews, who were now confronted with difficult and far-reaching questions:<ref>Jacob Neusner 1984 ''Torah From our Sages'' Rossell Books. p. 175</ref>
* How to achieve atonement without the Temple?
* How to explain the disastrous outcome of the rebellion?
* How to live in the post-Temple, Romanized world?
* How to connect present and past traditions?

How people answered these questions depended largely on their position prior to the revolt. But the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans not only put an end to the revolt, it marked the end of an era. Revolutionaries like the Zealots had been crushed by the Romans, and had little credibility (the last Zealots died at [[Masada]] in 73). The Sadducees, whose teachings were so closely connected to the [[Cult (religious practice)|Temple cult]], disappeared. The [[Essenes]] also vanished (or developed into Christians), perhaps because their teachings so diverged from the issues of the times that the destruction of the Second Temple was of no consequence to them; precisely for this reason, they were of little consequence to the vast majority of Jews.

Two organized groups remained: the [[Early Christians]], and [[Pharisees]]. Some scholars, such as [[Daniel Boyarin]] and Paula Fredricksen, suggest that it was at this time, when Christians and Pharisees were competing for leadership of the Jewish people, that accounts of debates between Jesus and the apostles, debates with Pharisees, and anti-Pharisaic passages, were written and incorporated into the [[New Testament]].{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Of all the major Second Temple sects, only the Pharisees remained. Their vision of Jewish law as a means by which ordinary people could engage with the sacred in their daily lives, provided them with a position from which to respond to all four challenges, in a way meaningful to the vast majority of Jews.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Following the destruction of the Temple, Rome governed Judea through a [[Procurator (Roman)|Procurator]] at Caesarea and a Jewish Patriarch. A former leading Pharisee, [[Yohanan ben Zakkai]], was appointed the first Patriarch (the Hebrew word, [[Nasi (Hebrew title)|Nasi]], also means [[prince]], or [[President (government title)|president]]), and he reestablished the [[Council of Jamnia|Sanhedrin at Javneh]] under Pharisee control. Instead of giving tithes to the priests and sacrificing offerings at the Temple, the rabbis instructed Jews to give money to charities and study in local [[synagogue]]s, as well as to pay the ''[[Fiscus Iudaicus]]''.

In 132, the Emperor [[Hadrian]] threatened to rebuild Jerusalem as a pagan city dedicated to [[Jupiter (god)|Jupiter]], called [[Aelia Capitolina]]. Some of the leading sages of the Sanhedrin supported a [[Bar Kokhba revolt|rebellion]] (and, for a short time, an independent state) led by Simon bar Kozeba (also called [[Simon bar Kokhba]], or "son of a star"); some, such as [[Rabbi Akiva]], believed Bar Kokhba to be a [[Jewish messianism|messiah]]. Up until this time, a number of Christians were still part of the Jewish community. However, they did not support or take part in the revolt. Whether because they had no wish to fight, or because they could not support a second messiah in addition to Jesus, or because of their harsh treatment by Bar Kokhba during his brief reign, these Christians also left the Jewish community around this time.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

This revolt ended in 135 when Bar Kokhba and his army were defeated. The Romans then barred Jews from Jerusalem, until [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]] allowed Jews to enter for one day each year, during the holiday of [[Tisha B'Av]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Tisha_BAv/Ideas_and_Beliefs/Western_Wall.shtml|author= Larry Domnitch|publisher= MyJewishLearning.com|title= Western Wall: This remnant of the Second Temple is an important symbol in Judaism.|access-date= 15 March 2014|archive-date= 24 March 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150324221523/http://myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Tisha_BAv/Ideas_and_Beliefs/Western_Wall.shtml}}</ref>

After the suppression of the revolt the vast majority of Jews were sent into exile; shortly thereafter (around 200), [[Judah haNasi]] edited together judgments and traditions into an authoritative code, the Mishnah. This marks the transformation of Pharisaic Judaism into Rabbinic Judaism.

Although the rabbis traced their origins to the Pharisees, Rabbinic Judaism nevertheless involved a radical repudiation of certain elements of Pharisaism, elements that were basic to [[Second Temple Judaism]]. The Pharisees had been partisan. Members of different sects argued with one another over the correctness of their respective interpretations. After the destruction of the Second Temple, these sectarian divisions ended. The term ''Pharisee'' was no longer used, perhaps because it was a term more often used by non-Pharisees, but also because the term was explicitly sectarian. The rabbis claimed leadership over all Jews, and added to the [[Amidah]] the ''[[birkat haMinim]]'', a prayer which in part exclaims, "Praised are You O Lord, who breaks enemies and defeats the arrogant", and which is understood as a rejection of sectarians and sectarianism. This shift by no means resolved conflicts over the interpretation of the Torah; rather, it relocated debates between sects to debates within Rabbinic Judaism.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

The survival of Pharisaic or Rabbinic Judaism is attributed to Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, the founder of the [[Yeshiva]] (religious school) in [[Yavne]]. Yavneh replaced Jerusalem as the new seat of a reconstituted Sanhedrin, which reestablished its authority and became a means of reuniting Jewry.

The destruction of the Second Temple brought about a dramatic change in Judaism. Rabbinic Judaism built upon Jewish tradition while adjusting to new realities. Temple ritual was replaced with prayer service in synagogues which built upon practices of Jews in the diaspora dating back to the Babylonian exile.

As the rabbis were required to face two shattering new realities, Judaism without a Temple (to serve as the center of teaching and study) and Judea without autonomy, there was a flurry of legal discourse and the old system of oral scholarship could not be maintained. It is during this period that rabbinic discourse began to be recorded in writing.<ref name= HLS>{{cite book |last= Strack |first= Hermann L. |author-link= Hermann Strack |title= Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash |year= 1945 |publisher=[[Jewish Publication Society]] |pages=11–12 |quote=The Oral Law was handed down by word of mouth during a long period...The first attempts to write down the traditional matter, there is reason to believe, date from the first half of the second post-Christian century.}} Strack theorizes that the growth of a Christian canon (the New Testament) was a factor that influenced the rabbis to record the oral law in writing.</ref> The theory that the destruction of the Temple and subsequent upheaval led to the committing of Oral Law into writing was first explained in the Epistle of [[Sherira Gaon]] and often repeated.<ref>See, for example, {{cite book |last= Grayzel |first= Solomon |author-link= Solomon Grayzel |title= A History of the Jews: From the Babylonian Exile to the Present, 5728-1968 |year= 1984 |publisher= Penguin Books |page= 193}}</ref>

The Oral Law was subsequently codified in the Mishnah and [[Gemarah]], and is interpreted in [[rabbinic literature]] detailing subsequent rabbinic decisions and writings. Rabbinic Jewish literature is predicated on the belief that the Written Law cannot be properly understood without recourse to the Oral Law (the Mishnah).

Much rabbinic Jewish literature concerns specifying what behavior is sanctioned by the law; this body of interpretations is called ''[[halakha]]'' (''the way'').

The [[Talmud]] contains discussions and opinions regarding details of many oral laws believed to have originally been transmitted to Moses. Some see [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 18 and [[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 11 as a display of Moses' appointing elders as judges to govern with him and judge disputes, imparting to them details and guidance of how to interpret the laws of God while carrying out their duties.{{Citation needed|date=November 2017}} The Oral Torah includes rules intended to prevent violations of the laws of the Torah and Talmud, sometimes referred to as [[Khumra (Judaism)|"a fence around the Torah"]]. For example, the written Torah prohibits certain types of travelling on the Sabbath; consequently, the Oral Torah prohibits walking great distances on the Sabbath to ensure that one does not accidentally engage in a type of travelling prohibited by the written Torah. Similarly, the written Torah prohibits plowing on the Sabbath; the Oral Torah prohibits carrying a stick on the Sabbath to ensure that one does not drag the stick and accidentally engage in prohibited plowing.

== Rabbinic literature ==
{{Main|Rabbinic literature}}
{{Eras of the Halakha}}
As the [[rabbi]]s were required to face a new reality, that of Judaism without a Temple (to serve as the location for [[Korban|sacrifice]]<ref name = "grabbe-p40">{{cite book | first=Lester L. | last=Grabbe | title=An Introduction to Second Temple Judaism: History and Religion of the Jews in the Time of Nehemiah, the Maccabees, Hillel, and Jesus | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i89-9fdNUcAC | date=August 12, 2010 | publisher=A&C Black | isbn=978-0-567-55248-8}}</ref> and study) and Judea without autonomy, there was a flurry of legal discourse, and the old system of oral scholarship could not be maintained. It is during this period that rabbinic discourse began to be recorded in writing.<ref>See, Strack, Hermann, ''Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash'', Jewish Publication Society, 1945. pp. 11–12. "[The Oral Law] was handed down by word of mouth during a long period...The first attempts to write down the traditional matter, there is reason to believe, date from the first half of the second post-Christian century." Strack theorizes that the growth of a Christian canon (the New Testament) was a factor that influenced the rabbis to record the Oral torah in writing.</ref> The theory that the destruction of the Temple and subsequent upheaval led to the committing of Oral Torah into writing was first explained in the Epistle of [[Sherira Gaon]] and often repeated.<ref>See, for example, Grayzel, ''A History of the Jews'', Penguin Books, 1984, p. 193.</ref>

The Oral Torah was subsequently codified in the Mishnah and [[Gemara]], and is interpreted in [[rabbinic literature]] detailing subsequent rabbinic decisions and writings. Rabbinic Jewish literature is predicated on the belief that the Torah cannot be properly understood without recourse to the Oral Torah. It states that many commandments and stipulations contained in the Written Torah would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep without the Oral Torah to define them. For example, the prohibition to do any "creative work" (''melakha'') on the Sabbath, which is given no definition in the Torah, is given a practical meaning in the Oral Torah, which provides definition of what constitutes ''melakha''. Numerous examples exist of this general prohibitive language in the Torah (such as, "don't steal", without defining what is considered theft, or ownership and property laws), requiring—according to rabbinic thought—a subsequent definition through the Oral Torah. Thus Rabbinic Judaism claims that almost all directives, both positive and negative, in the Torah are non-specific in nature and require the existence of either an Oral Torah or some other method to explain them.{{Citation needed|date=April 2012}}

Much rabbinic Jewish literature concerns specifying what behavior is sanctioned by the law; this body of interpretations is called ''[[halakha]]'' (''the way'').

===Talmud===
[[File:First page of the first tractate of the Talmud (Daf Beis of Maseches Brachos).jpg|thumb|The first page of the [[Vilna Shas|Vilna Edition]] of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a]]
{{Main|Talmud|Jerusalem Talmud}}
Originally, Jewish scholarship was oral. Rabbis expounded and debated the law (the written law expressed in the Hebrew Bible) and discussed the [[Tanakh]] without the benefit of written works (other than the biblical books themselves), though some may have made private notes (''{{lang|he-Latn|megillot setarim}}''), for example of court decisions. This situation changed drastically, however, mainly as the result of the destruction of the Jewish commonwealth in the year 70&nbsp;CE and the consequent upheaval of Jewish social and legal norms. As the rabbis were required to face a new reality—mainly Judaism without a Temple (to serve as the center of teaching and study) and Judea without autonomy—there was a flurry of legal discourse and the old system of oral scholarship could not be maintained. It is during this period that rabbinic discourse began to be recorded in writing.<ref name= HLS/><ref>The theory that the destruction of the Temple and subsequent upheaval led to the committing of Oral Law into writing was first explained in the Epistle of [[Sherira Gaon]] and often repeated. See, for example, Grayzel, ''A History of the Jews'', Penguin Books, 1984, p. 193.</ref>

The earliest recorded oral law may have been of the [[midrash]]ic form, in which [[halakha|halakhic]] discussion is structured as [[exegesis|exegetical]] commentary on the Pentateuch (Torah). But an alternative form, organized by subject matter instead of by biblical verse, became dominant about the year 200&nbsp;CE, when Rabbi Judah haNasi redacted the Mishnah ({{lang|he|משנה}}).

The Oral Law was far from monolithic; rather, it varied among various schools. The most famous two were the School of [[Shammai]] and the School of [[Hillel the Elder|Hillel]]. In general, all valid{{Citation needed|reason=What is a valid opinion? The Talmud is full of rejected opinions.|date=April 2017}} opinions, even the non-normative ones, were recorded in the Talmud.

The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (c.&nbsp;200 [[Common Era|CE]]), the first written compendium of Judaism's Oral Law; and the [[Gemara]] (c.&nbsp;500 CE), a discussion of the Mishnah and related [[Tannaim|Tannaitic]] writings that often ventures onto other subjects and expounds broadly on the Tanakh.

The rabbis of the Mishnah are known as ''[[Tannaim]]'' (sing. ''Tanna'' תנא). The rabbis of the Gemara are referred to as ''[[Amoraim]]'' (sing. ''Amora'' אמורא).

===Mishnah===

{{Main|Mishnah}}
The Mishnah does not claim to be the development of new laws, but merely the collection of existing oral laws, traditions and traditional wisdom. The rabbis who contributed to the Mishnah are known as the ''Tannaim'', of whom approximately 120 are known. The period during which the Mishnah was assembled spanned about 130 years, and five generations.

Most of the Mishnah is related without [[attribution (copyright)|attribution]] (''{{lang|he-Latn|stam}}''). This usually indicates that many sages taught so, or that Judah haNasi who redacted the Mishnah together with his academy/court ruled so. The ''halakhic'' ruling usually follows that view. Sometimes, however, it appears to be the opinion of a single sage, and the view of the sages collectively ({{langx|he|חכמים}}, ''hachamim'') is given separately.

The Talmud records a tradition that unattributed statements of the law represent the views of [[Rabbi Meir]] (Sanhedrin 86a), which supports the theory (recorded by Rav [[Sherira Gaon]] in his famous ''[[Iggeret of Rabbi Sherira Gaon|Iggeret]]'') that he was the author of an earlier collection. For this reason, the few passages that actually say "this is the view of Rabbi Meir" represent cases where the author intended to present Rabbi Meir's view as a "minority opinion" not representing the accepted law.

Judah haNasi is credited with publishing the Mishnah, although there have been a few edits since his time (for example, those passages that cite him or his grandson, Rabbi [[Yehuda Nesi'ah]]; in addition, the Mishnah at the end of [[Sotah (Talmud)|Tractate Sotah]] refers to the period after Judah haNasi's death, which could not have been written by Judah haNasi himself). According to the ''Iggeret'' of [[Sherira Gaon]], after the tremendous upheaval caused by the destruction of the Temple and the Bar Kokhba revolt, the Oral Torah was in danger of being forgotten. It was for this reason that Judah haNasi chose to redact the Mishnah.

In addition to redacting the Mishnah, Judah haNasi and his court also ruled on which opinions should be followed, although the rulings do not always appear in the text.

As he went through the tractates, the Mishnah was set forth, but throughout his life some parts were updated as new information came to light. Because of the proliferation of earlier versions, it was deemed too hard to retract anything already released, and therefore a second version of certain laws were released. The Talmud refers to these differing versions as ''Mishnah Rishonah'' ("First Mishnah") and ''Mishnah Acharonah'' ("Last Mishnah"). [[David Zvi Hoffmann]] suggests that ''Mishnah Rishonah'' actually refers to texts from earlier sages upon which Judah haNasi based his Mishnah.

One theory is that the present Mishnah was based on an earlier collection by Rabbi Meir. There are also references to the "Mishnah of Rabbi Akiva", although this may simply mean his teachings in general.<ref>This theory was held by David Zvi Hoffmann, and is repeated in the introduction to [[Herbert Danby]]'s Mishnah translation.</ref> It is possible that Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Meir established the divisions and order of subjects in the Mishnah, but this would make them the authors of a school curriculum rather than of a book.

Authorities are divided on whether Judah haNasi recorded the Mishnah in writing or established it as an oral text for memorisation. The most important early account of its composition, the ''Iggeret of Rabbi Sherira Gaon'' of Sherira Gaon, is ambiguous on the point, although the "Spanish" recension leans to the theory that the Mishnah was written.

===Gemara===
{{Main|Gemara}}
The Gemara is the part of the Talmud that contains rabbinical commentaries and analysis of the Mishnah. In the three centuries following the redaction of the Mishnah by Judah ha-Nasi (c.&nbsp;200 CE), rabbis throughout [[Talmudic Academies in Syria Palaestina|Palestine]] and [[Talmudic Academies in Babylonia|Babylonia]] analyzed, debated and discussed that work. These discussions form the [[Gemara]] ({{lang|he|[[:wikt:גמרא|גמרא]]}}). ''Gemara'' means "completion" (from the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] ''{{lang|he-Latn|gamar}}'' {{lang|he|גמר}}: "to complete") or "learning" (from the [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]]: "to study"). The Gemara mainly focuses on elucidating and elaborating the opinions of the Tannaim. The rabbis of the Gemara are known as {{lang|tmr-Latn|[[Amoraim]]}} (sing. ''{{lang|tmr-Latn|Amora}}'' {{lang|tmr|אמורא}}).

Much of the Gemara consists of legal analysis. The starting point for the analysis is usually a legal statement found in a Mishnah. The statement is then analyzed and compared with other statements used in different [[Hermeneutics|approaches]] to biblical [[exegesis]] in rabbinic [[Judaism]] (or—simpler—[[Zohar#Pardes and Biblical exegesis|interpretation]] of text in [[Torah study#Forms of traditional Jewish Torah study|Torah study]]) exchanges between two (frequently anonymous and sometimes metaphorical) disputants, termed the ''{{lang|tmr-Latn|makshan}}'' (questioner) and ''{{lang|tmr-Latn|tartzan}}'' (answerer). Another important function of Gemara is to identify the correct biblical basis for a given law presented in the Mishnah and the logical process connecting one with the other: this activity was known as ''talmud'' long before the existence of the Talmud as a text.<ref>e.g. [[Pirkei Avot]] 5.21: "five for the Torah, ten for Mishnah, thirteen for the commandments, fifteen for ''talmud''".</ref>

==Orthodox Jewish view==
[[Orthodox Judaism]] sees itself as continuing organically from the religious and cultural heritage of the Israelites, stemming from the Law given to Moses at Sinai onwards. According to this view, while the title ''rabbi'' was not used earlier, [[Moses]] was the first rabbi (and is commonly referred to by Orthodox Jews as "Moses our Rabbi"), with the knowledge and laws received at Sinai being passed down from teachers to students through the [[biblical judges|era of the Judges]], and the [[Prophets in Judaism|prophets]] (most of whom are seen as the "rabbis" of their time), through the [[Talmid Chacham|sages]] of the late Second Temple period, and continuing until today.<ref>[http://www.yashanet.com/studies/judaism101/sidebars/transmission.htm Unbroken Chain of Transmission]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Synagogal Judaism]], older and for a long time distinct from Rabbinic Judaism
* [[Jewish history]]
* [[Beth din]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* [[Jacob Neusner|Neusner, Jacob]] (1999). ''[{{Google books|id=5YFXIUJYgsYC
|plainurl=y|page=}} The Four Stages of Rabbinic Judaism].'' London; New York: Routledge.
* [[Jacob Neusner|Neusner, Jacob]] (2002). ''[{{Google books|id=MXrbipOpyhQC
|plainurl=y|page=}} Rabbinic Judaism: Theological System].'' Boston; Leiden: Brill Academic Publ.

== External links ==
* [https://www.britannica.com/topic/rabbinic-judaism Britannica.com: Rabbinic Judaism]

{{Jews and Judaism|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Rabbinic Judaism| ]]
[[Category:Oral Torah]]