1. The Mishnah

2. The Mishnah is one of the major works of rabbinic literature

3. According to Jewish tradition, God gave Moses two laws at Mount Sinai:  The written law  The oral law Mishnah

4. The written law became the first five books of the Old Testament – the Torah The oral law was used to preserve the relevance and application of the written law Mishnah

5. In Jewish tradition, the Bible is called Mikra, “that which is read” Mishnah means “that which is repeated” Mishnah

6. In a broad sense, Mishnah may refer to everything Moses received from God at Mount Sinai that was not in written form. Mishnah

7. In narrow sense, Mishnah refers to a specific collection of legal opinions compiled under the direction of Rabbi Judah HaNasi (Judah the Prince) Mishnah

8. A mishnah can also refer to the smallest subdivision of the Mishnah, a section of the text, about twice the length of a Bible verse. Mishnah

9. The Mishnah contains the opinions and sayings of sages and rabbis from about 300 B.C.E. to 220 C.E. Mishnah 330O220 C.E.B.C.E.

10.  The Mishnah is divided into six orders or divisions called sedarim  These six orders are further subdived into tractates or massekhtot Mishnah subdivisions

11.  The tractates are divided into chapters or perakim  The chapters are divided into mishnah verses or mishnayot Mishnah subdivisions

12. Mishnah sedarim Orders/Divisions sedarim massekhtot Tractates massekhtot mishnayot Mishnah verses mishnayot perakim Chapters perakim

13. Order/Division Sedarim SubjectNumber of Tractates 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Seeds Zera’im Agricultural laws 11 Appointed Time Mo’ed Jewish holidays 12 Women Nashim Laws & concerns relevant to women 10* Damages Nezikin Torts & casuistry, guide for public life 7 Holy Things Kodashin Temple worship 11 Purities Toharot Ritual purity 12

14. Order/Division Sedarim SubjectNumber of Tractates 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Seeds Zera’im Agricultural laws 11 Appointed Time Mo’ed Jewish holidays 12 Women Nashim Laws & concerns relevant to women 10* Damages Nezikin Torts & casuistry, guide for public life 7 Holy Things Kodashin Temple worship 11 Purities Toharot Ritual purity12

15. 10* Damages Nezikin Torts & casuistry, guide for public life  One of the 10 tractates of Damages is the Ethics of the Fathers  This collection of ethical maxims and teachings of wisdom is the most celebrated tractate of the Mishnah

16.  The Mishnah later became the foundation for the next layer of Jewish legal scholarly activity: the Talmud