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Become Familiar With…the Mishnah

By Seth Dralle | Comments (2)
October 25, 2007

As you know, the Torah Club Dictionary is now online. We’ve indexed hundreds of words that are available at the click of your mouse.

The information in the Torah Club Dictionary has greatly expanded. Thanks to the diligent work of Toby Janicki, every order and tractate of the Mishnah has been included.

Frequently in Torah Club, we cite relevant passages from the Mishnah that expound on the meaning of the Torah or shed light on the context of the Gospels. The Mishnah is a valuable piece of Jewish literature and represents the very first written work of Orthodox Judaism.

If you want to know more about these passages we are citing, simply look them up in the Torah Club Dictionary. Each definition summarizes the subject matter of each tractate and identifies into which order they fall.

Interested in learning more about the Mishnah? Below is a listing of some relevant terms and all the sections of the Mishnah. Use these to explore the online Torah Club Dictionary.

Grace and peace,
Seth Dralle
13 Cheshvan 5768

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Mishnah

Oral Torah

Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi

Orders (Sedarim)

Seder Zera’im
Seder Mo’ed
Seder Nashim
Seder Nezikin
Seder Kodashim
Seder Tohorot

Tractates (Masechot)

Seder Zera’im

Berakhot
Pe’ah
Demai
Kil’ayim
Shevi’it
Terumot
Ma’aserot
Ma’aser Sheni
Hallah
Orlah
Bikkurim

Seder Mo’ed

Shabbat
Eruvin
Pesahim
Shekalim
Yoma
Sukkah
Beitzah
Rosh Hashanah
Ta’anit
Megillah
Mo’ed Katan
Hagigah

Seder Nashim

Yevamot
Ketubot
Nedarim
Nazir
Sotah
Gittin
Kiddushin

Seder Nezikin

Bava Kamma
Bava Metzia
Bava Batra
Sanhedrin
Makkot
Shevu’ot
Eduyot
Avodah Zarah
Avot
Horayot

Seder Kodashim

Zevahim
Menahot
Hullin
Bekhorot
Arakhin
Temurah
Keritot
Me’ilah
Tamid
Middot
Kinnim

Seder Tohorot

Keilim
Oholot
Nega’im
Parah
Tohorot
Mikva’ot
Niddah
Makhshirin
Zavim
Tevul Yom
Yadayim
Uktzim

About the Author: Seth Dralle worked in the fulfillment and shipping department and as a research and teaching assistant for FFOZ. He also contributed to messiah magazine, the Monthly eRosh and the Torah Club Online Dictionary.

Visitor Feedback:

Is it true that, around 200 CE, the sage HaNasi codified the Mishnah to stop further societal interpretations? Is that liken to trying to fit something to the situation at hand? Could be bias in the material I'm reading so I wanted your information about it. Thanks, David.

SD: Perhaps the primary reason for writing down the oral traditions of the sages was to protect these interpretations from being lost. This was a very tumultuous time throughout the Roman Empire, especially Eretz Israel. Gone were the days that Jews could study in the safety and security of Jerusalem. With multiple personalities seeking the throne of Caesar (with their various armies to back them up) Judaism was now at the mercy of this unstable regime. In order to keep the Jewish community from complete assimilation, the sages sought to codify the teachings of the sages so that the teachings of the elders would live on. They certainly were redefining the focus of Judaism, since the Temple and priesthood were no longer functioning, but neither were they complete innovators trying to invent a new religion. Much of the material in the Mishnah reflects traditions from the Second Temple period and casts light on the teachings of our Master Yeshua the Messiah.

David Kimble | October 27, 2007 5:27 PM

Sanders in his book Judaism, Practice and Belief, 63BCE-66CE' is of the opinion that much of the material in the Mishnah was not actually practiced by most Jews, even most Pharisees. He believes the Mishnah records how the Pharisees WISHED the world was, that it represents and IDEAL FORM of Pharisaic Judaism rather than reality.

SD: I am certainly aware of the varying points of view as to how much the Mishnah accurately reflects pre-70 Judaism. Jacob Neusner takes a similar point of view as Sanders. While the Mishnah may not reflect the totality of the Judaisms present during the Second Temple period, it certainly reflects the view points of the Pharisees. To think that the material of the Mishnah was just "invented" after the Temple's destruction completely ignores the practices of oral tradition and discipleship methods present among the ancient Jews. Obviously, we don't have the time or the space to fully discuss this matter here, but do know that there are many different views taken by biblical scholars on this issue. Sanders and Neusner represent one extreme.

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