Template:Short description Template:See also Template:Sidebar with collapsible lists Template:Rabbinical Literature Template:Eras of the Halakha Template:Inline citations Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire corpus of works authored by rabbis throughout Jewish history.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The term typically refers to literature from the Talmudic era (70–640 CE),Template:Sfn as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writings. It aligns with the Hebrew term Sifrut Chazal (Template:Langx), which translates to “literature [of our] sages” and generally pertains only to the sages (Chazal) from the Talmudic period. This more specific sense of "Rabbinic literature"—referring to the Talmud, Midrashim (Template:Langx), and related writings, but hardly ever to later texts—is how the term is generally intended when used in contemporary academic writing. The terms mefareshim and parshanim (commentaries and commentators) almost always refer to later, post-Talmudic writers of rabbinic glosses on Biblical and Talmudic texts.

Mishnaic literatureEdit

The Midr'she halakha, Mishnah, and Tosefta (compiled from materials pre-dating the year 200 CE) are the earliest extant works of rabbinic literature, expounding and developing Judaism's Oral Law, as well as ethical teachings. Following these came the two Talmuds:

The earliest extant material witness to rabbinic literature of any kind is the Tel Rehov inscription dating to the 6th–7th centuries, also the longest Jewish inscription from late antiquity.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Meanwhile, the earliest extant Talmudic manuscripts are from the 8th century.

The MidrashEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Midrash ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}; pl. Midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of reading details into or out of a biblical text. The term midrash also can refer to a compilation of Midrashic teachings in the form of legal, exegetical, homiletical, or narrative writing, often configured as a commentary on the Bible or Mishnah. There are a large number of "classical" Midrashic works spanning a period from Mishnaic to Geonic times, often showing evidence of having been worked and reworked from earlier materials and frequently coming to us in multiple variants. A compact list of these works, drawing upon Barry Holtz's Back to the Sources,<ref name="v721">Template:Cite book</ref> is given below. The timeline below is approximate because many of the works were composed over a long period, borrowing and collating material from earlier versions; their histories are, therefore, somewhat uncertain and the subject of scholarly debate. In the table, "n.e." designates that the work in question is not extant except in secondary references.

Extra-canonical rabbinical literature ("n.e." designates "not extant")
Estimated date Exegetical Homiletical Narrative

Tannaitic period
(till 200 CE)

Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael
Mekhilta of Rabbi Shimon
Mekilta le-Sefer Devarim (n.e.)
Sifra
Sifre
Sifre Zutta

Alphabet of Akiba ben Joseph (?)

Seder Olam Rabbah

400–650 CE

Genesis Rabbah

Midrash Tanhuma
Lamentations Rabbah

Leviticus Rabbah

650–900 CE

Midrash Proverbs
Ecclesiastes Rabbah

Deuteronomy Rabbah
Pesikta de-Rav Kahana
Pesikta Rabbati
Avot of Rabbi Natan

Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer
Seder Olam Zutta
Tanna Devei Eliyahu

900–1000 CE

Midrash Psalms
Exodus Rabbah
Ruth Zuta
Lamentations Zuta

1000–1200

Midrash Aggadah of Moses ha-Darshan
Midrash Tadshe

Later

Yalkut Shimoni
Midrash ha-Gadol
Ein Yaakov
Numbers Rabbah

Sefer ha-Yashar

Later works by categoryEdit

AggadaEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Hasidic thoughtEdit

Template:See

Hebrew poetryEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Jewish liturgyEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Jewish philosophyEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Also

KabbalahEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Jewish lawEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Also

Musar literatureEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Later works by historical periodEdit

Works of the GeonimEdit

The Geonim are the rabbis of Sura and Pumbeditha in Babylon (650–1250 CE) :

Works of the Rishonim (the "early" rabbinical commentators)Edit

The Rishonim are the rabbis of the early medieval period (1000–1550 CE)

Works of the Acharonim (the "later" rabbinical commentators)Edit

The Acharonim are the rabbis from 1550 to the present day.

MefareshimEdit

Mefareshim is a Hebrew word meaning "commentators" (or roughly meaning "exegetes"), Perushim means "commentaries". In Judaism, these words refer to commentaries on the Torah (five books of Moses), Tanakh, Mishnah, Talmud, the responsa literature, or even the siddur (Jewish prayerbook), and more.

Classic Torah and Talmud commentariesEdit

Classic Torah and/or Talmud commentaries have been written by the following individuals:

Classical Talmudic commentaries were written by Rashi. After Rashi, the Tosafot was written, which was an omnibus commentary on the Talmud by the disciples and descendants of Rashi; this commentary was based on discussions done in the rabbinic academies of Germany and France.Template:Cn

Modern Torah commentariesEdit

Modern Torah commentaries which have received wide acclaim in the Jewish community include:

Modern Siddur commentariesEdit

Modern Siddur commentaries have been written by:

See alsoEdit

Template:Portal

Biblical figures in rabbinic literatureEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

BibliographyEdit

  • Template:Cite book
  • Introduction to Rabbinic Literature Jacob Neusner, (Anchor Bible Reference Library/Doubleday)
  • Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash, H. L. Strack and G. Stemberger, (Fortress Press)
  • The Literature of the Sages: Oral Torah, Halakha, Mishnah, Tosefta, Talmud, External Tractates, Shemuel Safrai and Peter J. Tomson (Fortress, 1987)
  • Template:Cite book

External linksEdit

GeneralEdit

Links to full text resourcesEdit

GlossariesEdit

Template:Jews and Judaism Template:Authority control