RMPS - Int2/Higher - World Religions - Judaism - Education Scotland

THE MEANS
Halachah, the Oral Law and the Talmud
Halachah and the Oral Law
Halachah is the collective term used for Jewish law. The word can also
be used for one particular law. According to Jewish tradition when God
gave Moses the Torah, He also taught him how the commandments were
to be kept. This was passed down by word of mouth and was part of the
oral tradition. The Oral Law made it possible for Jews to live by the
Torah as new conditions arose.
The first systematic arrangement of the Oral Law was made by Rabbi
Akiva 2 and served as the basis for the Mishnah. Rabbi Akiva classified the
oral laws under specific headings and related the Oral Law to the
Written Torah.
Over the centuries new discoveries and social conditions have changed
people’s ways of living and thinking about the world we live in. For
example, the development of information technology and medical
science have led Jews to raise new questions, such as whether computer
hacking is theft and whether surrogate motherhood and cloning is
permitted. This is why rulings continue to be added to the Halachah. It
is an ongoing process and is always based on the principles outlined in
the Torah.
The Mishnah
The Oral Law consisting of interpretations of the written law was
preserved and handed down by word of mouth from generation to
generation by sages. This collection of oral laws was later written down
by Rabbi Judah Hanasi (‘Hanasi’ literal meaning ‘the prince’) in a text
known as the Mishnah at the end of the second century. It was a time of
great persecution following the destruction of the Jewish kingdom by
the Romans. Many scholars were killed and Rabbi Judah Hanasi was
concerned that as a result much of the Oral Law might be totally lost.
The Gemarah
Just as the Mishnah was an interpretation and development of the
Written Law, so the Gemarah was a record of the further interpretations
and discussions of the Mishnah over many centuries. The Mishnah and
the Gemarah together form the Talmud. Eventually about the end of the
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2 The foremost scholar of his age, a patriot and martyr. He lived 50–135 CE
RMPS: WORLD RELIGIONS – JUDAISM (INT 2, H)
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