The Written and Oral Torah

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Transcript The Written and Oral Torah

The Written and Oral Torah
Prepared by Matt Pham & Felix Just, SJ
for SCTR 19 – “Religions of the Book”
Meaning of “Torah”
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Hebrew word “Torah” is not really “Law”
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Limited sense:
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First section of the Tanak: Five Books of Moses
Broader sense:
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Better translated “teachings & instructions”
Entire Tanak: 24 books of the Hebrew Bible
Broadest sense:
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Whole body of Jewish laws, teachings, and traditions
Introduction / Origin
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“Rabbi” = Teacher
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Main leaders of Judaism in post-70 CE Era
Successors of the Pharisees of pre-70 Era
Traditions of “Rabbinic” Judaism:
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Moses received both Written Torah
and Oral Torah from God at Mt. Sinai (ca. 1250 BCE)
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Much more than just two tablets with “Ten Commandments”
Neither is more important than the other
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Oral Torah did not come from or after Written Torah
Written Torah needed to be accompanied by Oral Torah
Words (of the Written) + Meanings (of the Oral)
Written Torah
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Tanakh / Hebrew Bible / Mikra
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Writing/editing process lasted 1000+ years
HB canon limited to 24 books, ca. 90 CE
Three Sections:
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Torah = 5 Books of Moses (a.k.a. Pentateuch)
Nevi’im = Prophets (4 Former & 4 Latter Prophets)
Khetuvim = Writings (11 Poetic & Wisdom Books)
Oral Torah (acc. to Rabbinic Judaism)
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God gave it to Moses at Mt. Sinai
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Passed down orally till 2nd century CE
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Thus of divine origin, just like the written Torah
Finally written down in Mishnah and later Talmuds
Why was “Oral” Torah eventually written down?
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Destruction of the Second Temple/Jerusalem
Jewish learning threatened by wartime deaths
Traditions better preserved if written
Rise and importance of Rabbinic Judaism
Mishnah
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Earliest written compilation of Oral Torah
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Legal opinions & debates about life without the Temple
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“Mishnah” = “teaching” or “repetition”
Compiled 200 CE by Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi (“Judah the Prince”)
Oldest text of Rabbinic Judaism, recording their traditions
How to live/apply/adapt the mitzvot (God’s commandments)
Six Sections or “Orders”:
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Seeds
Appointed Times
Women
Damages
Holy Things
Purities
 agricultural laws and prayers
 laws of the Sabbath and Festivals
 marriage and divorce
 civil and criminal law
 sacrificial rites, the Temple, dietary laws
 purity and impurity rules (unclean things)
Gemara and Talmud
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Gemara = additional commentary on the Mishnah
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Mishnah + Gemara = Talmud
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Mishnah = core of the Oral Torah
Gemara = further discussion of ideas in the Mishnah
Talmud = explanation, interpretation, application
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“Gemara” = “learning” or “completion”
Jewish law, ethics, customs, history
Two versions of the Talmud:
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Two centers of Rabbinic scholarship: Palestine & Babylonia
So: Jerusalem Talmud & Babylonian Talmud
Two Talmuds
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Jerusalem Talmud:
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Babylonian Talmud:
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Compiled in 5th Century CE (incomplete; lacks continuity)
Written in Western Aramaic  more difficult to read
Focuses on concerns pertinent to Land of Israel
Completed in 6th Century CE (100+ more years of discussion)
Written in Eastern Aramaic  more precise expressions
Used by Jews living elsewhere throughout the ancient world
Today, “Talmud” usually refers to the Babylonian one
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Decreased size & influence of Jewish community in Israel,
 Increased influence & use of Babylonian Talmud
Rabbinic Era Maps
Sample Page
of the Talmud
Text of the Mishnah
is in the center;
Various commentaries,
called Gemara,
are around it.
Groups of Rabbinic Scholars
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Tannaim (“repeaters”) – recorded Oral Torah in the Mishnah
Amoraim (“sayers”) – discussed opinions, decided conflicts,
harmonized contradictions, applied laws to new circumstances
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Seboraim (“reasoners”) – asked “why” and “what is the
underlying concept” about their predecessors’ opinions
– Discussion of Amoraim and Seboraim appear in the Gemara
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Stammaim (“anonymous men”) – edited final text of Talmud
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Compilers & final editors did not sign their names
Thought they were just faithfully passing on teachings of the
“named ones” of previous generations
More
Talmud Images
For a closer look go to:
http://www.ort.org/ort/edu/rolnik/halacha/halacha.htm
Midrash
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Exegesis = interpretation of biblical texts
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Four Ways of Understanding HB texts:
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Analyzing the narratives of the HB to derive laws,
principles, or moral lessons for Jewish life
Simple meaning; hints/clues; interpretation; “secret”
Midrash focuses on hints/clues and interpretations
Two Types of Subject Matter:
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Halakhic (legal, how to “walk/conduct” one’s life well)
Aggadic (non-legal, mainly homiletic / inspirational)
Other Rabbinic Literature
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Books of the Tannaitic Rabbinic Era:
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Tosefta = another compilation of oral traditions
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Mekilta  on Genesis
Sifra  on Leviticus
Sifre  on Numbers and Deuteronomy
“supplement” to the Mishnah
Targumim = Aramaic translations of HB books
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often reflects interpretations of later rabbis
Recap (main points to know)
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Oral Torah – passed down orally through many
generations along with the Written Torah
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Belief of Rabbinic Judaism (from after 70 CE to today)
Two main categories: narrative and legal
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Midrash deals with biblical stories
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Mishnah & Talmuds deal with legal materials
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Interpretation of HB narratives
Application of the mitzvot/commandments
Focus of Rabbinic Literature:
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More on Mishnah and Talmuds, less on Midrash