M I S H N A H 505 the case when the Talmud had developed from a mere studious activity to two concrete works of large size. 8. The Ultimate Writing Down, of the Mishnah. The troubles of the unhappy Jews had multiplied everywhere. The masses, as already stated, preferred, in consequence of these troubles, the Agadah. But the number of the learned also diminished through these troubles day by day ; and the comparatively few that remained preferred more and more the Talmud (in Palestine the Palestinian and in Babylonia the Babylonian), which was a better field for the exercise of their ingenuity. The fate of the Mishnah would have been sealed had it not been ultimately written down. But the writing down of Halakhah en masse had been prohibited in early times. Two considera tions, however, ultimately removed all scruples. (1) It was a time to do something for God, even if by such doings His law was apparently destroyed. 1 Let one (and a minor) law be disregarded, so that many (and higher) laws be preserved. The Haldkhoth of the Mishnah were numerous and the students few ; the power of tyranny increased and that of the memory decreased by reason of the persecution. (2) The language of the Mishnah, although pure, and in deed purer than the language of several books of the Bible, was so concise and terse that it could not be understood without a commentary ; and, therefore, even after being written down, it would virtually retain its oral character. 9. Recensions. The Mishnah has three principal recen sions : (1) the Mishnah SLS presented in the work standing by itself ; (2) that on which the Palestinian Talmud rests ; and (3) that of the Babylonian Talmud. The first-named and the last-named Mishnayoih have always been known as complete ; the second, however, was supposed for several hundred years to be imperfect, lacking four Perakim in Shabl ith, two entire Massekhtoth in the Seder Nezikin, the whole of the Seder Kodoshim, and by far the greater part of the Seder Tohoroth. 2 But since 1869 this recension also has been known to have been always com plete ; and it is to be found in its entirety in a MS. pur chased in that year for the University Library of Cam bridge (Add. 470. 1). Besides these three there are many minor recensions, touching, however, only isolated read ings. These last are to be attributed chiefly to copyists. The origin of the difference between the principal recen sions is to be sought in the following two facts : (1) Rabbi had himself gone twice through the Mishnah and had himself considerably altered the wording of the text; 1 and (2) his successors in early and late times had wilfully altered and corrected the original text. 10. Divisions and Detailed Contents of the Mishnah. The Mish- nih in all recensions is divided into six Scdarim (orders), each of which contains a number of Massckhtoth* (treatises), which stand in connexion with one another. These are subdivided into Perakim (chapters), and these again into Halakhoth or Mishniyyoth (para graphs called Mishnolh). 5 The number of the Scdarim is six, that of the Massckhtoth sixty, 6 and that of the Perakim 523, or, 1 This is a somewhat inexact application of Ps. cxix. 126, but it lias been more than once acted upon both in ancient and modern times by the Jews. Compare the explanation given in T. B., Berakhoth, 63a, and Menahoth, 99a.
- Niddah is the only Massekheth of this Seder of which three entire
Perakim are to be found in the printed editions. Compare Schiller- Szinessy, Occasional Notices, &c., i. (Cambridge, 1878, 8vo) p. 8. 3 See T. B., Hobo Metsio, 44a, and elsewhere. 4 Whether the word Massekheth comes from Masokh (^DO, to pour into, to mix, &c.), or from Nasokh ("sfDi, to pour, to mix, to weave, &c.), it signifies in either case here a mould, a form, a frame. Mas sekheth has three several plurals : (1) the common Massekhtoth (not Massikhtoth] ; (2) the less common Massekhoth (see MS. Add. 470. 1, belonging to the University Library of Cambridge, leaf 69a and else where) ; and (3) Massekhtiyyoth (niTDDO), see Midrash Rabbah on Canticles vi. 8, 9. The Aramaic Massekhto (not Massikhto] has in the plural Massekhotho, the use of which is, however, very uncommon. 5 Compare above, p. 503. 6 Compare Midi-ash Rabbah on Canticles vi. 8, 9. with a fourth Perek to Bikkurim, 524. 7 The following is a scheme of the whole Mishnah. 6 I. ZERA IM (on Agriculture, preceded by the Treatise on Thanks givings 9 ). (1) Berakhoth (blessings), in nine chapters ; (2) Pcah (Lev. xix. 9, &c.), in eight chanters; (3) Demai (fruit, grain, &c., doubtful if tithed), in seven chapters ; (4) Kil ayim (mixtures of plants, animals, and garments respectively), in nine chapters ; (5) tihcbi ith (year of release), in ten chapters ; (6) Tcrumoth (gifts to the priests), in eleven chapters ; (7) Ma ascr tiheni 1 * (Deut. xiv. 22-27), in five chapters ; (8) Ma ascr Rishon, otherwise Ma ascrolh (Levitical tithes), in five chapters ; (9) Hallah (Num. xv. 19-21), in four chapters ; (10) Orluh (Lev. xix. 23), in three chapters; and (11) Bikkurim (Deut. xxvi. 1-10), in three (commonly four) chapters. II. MO ED (on Festival Times). (1) Shabbath (Sabbath), in twenty-four chapters; (2) Erubin (mixtures, i.e., ideal union of divided spaces), in ten chapters ; (3) Pcsah (commonly Pcsahim, i.e., Passover), in ten chapters ; (4) Kippurim (commonly Yoma, i.e., "the day" [of atonement]), in eight chapters; (5) Xhekalim j (Exod. xxx. 12-15), in eight chapters; (6) Sukkah (Lev. xxiii. j 34-43), in five chapters ; (7) Bctsah ("an egg," so called from the | beginning of the treatise; also Yom Tob, i.e., on work prohibited, | or permitted, on festivals), in five chapters ; (8) Eosh Hasshanah (on the various kinds of new year, as religious or civil, the king s j accession and coronation, &c.), in four chapters; (9) Tdaniyyoth (fast-days), in four chapters ; (10) Mcgillah (reading of the book of j Esther, other readings, &c.), in four chapters; (11) Hagigah | (festival-offerings), in three chapters; (12) Mashkin (so called from | the beginning of the treatise, but commonly Mo ed Kalan, on work prohibited, or permitted, on the middle holidays of Passover and Tabernacles), in three chapters. III. NASHIM (Women). (1) Nashim (so called from the first distinctive word of the treatise, but commonly Yebamoth, on sisters-in-law, the levirate, &c. ), in sixteen chapters; (2) Kethuboth (marriage-pacts, settlements, &c.), in thirteen chapters; (3) Nedarim (vows), in eleven chapters; (4) Nazir (Num. vi. 2-21), in nine chapters ; (5) Gittin (bills of divorcement and other bills), in nine chapters; (6) Kiddushin (betrothal and marriage), in four chapters; (7) Sota (mostly Sotah, Num. v. 12-31), in nine chapters. IV. NEZIKIM, commonly Nezikin (Damages, &c. ; see Exod. xxi., xxii., &c.). (1) Nezikin (commonly Bolo Kammo, the Former Gate, in ten chapters ; Bobo Mctsi o, the Middle Gate, in ten chapters; and Bobo Bathro, the Last Gate, in ten chapters 11 ), in thirty chapters; (2) Synhcdrin (courts of justice, &c.), in eleven chapters; (3) Makkoth ("forty stripes save one," &c.), in three chapters ; (4) Shebnoth (oaths, &c. ), in eight chapters; (5) Eduyyoth (testimonies) or Idiyyoth (chiefest or best things -), in eight chap ters ; (6) Abodah Zarah (idolatry), in five chapters ; (7) Aboth (see MIDRASH, p. 286), in five chapters; (8) Horayoth (judicial errors, teachings, and decisions), in three chapters. V. KODOSHIM (Holy Things). (1) Zebahim 13 (sacrifices), in j fourteen chapters ; (2) Menahoth (meat-offerings), in thirteen | chapters ; (3) Shchitath Hullin (slaying animals for common food ; commonly Hullin, or common food), in twelve chapters ; (4) Be- khoroth (the first-born of beast and man), in nine chapters ; (5) Arakhim, commonly Erachin (on valuations ; see Lev. xxvii. 2-33), in nine chapters ; (6) Temurah (Lev. ix. 10, 33), in seven chapters ; (7) Karethoth, not Kcrithoth (sins the punishment of which is excision), in six chapters; (8) Me ilah (Num. v. 6, 7), in six chap ters; (9) Middoth (description of the temple and its measurements ; see MlDRASH, p. 286), in five chapters ; (10) Tatnid (perpetual or daily sacrifice), in six (commonly arranged in seven) chapters ; (11) Kinnim (sacrifices of birds), in three chapters. VI. TOHOUOTH (Purifications). (1) Kelim (impurities of vessels), in thirty chapters ; (2) Oholoth (Num. xix. 14-16, &c.), in eighteen chapters ; (3) Negdim (plague of leprosy in man, house, and garment), in fourteen chapters ; (4) Parah (Num. xix. 1-19), in i twelve chapters ; (5) Tohoroth (euphemism for impurities), in ten i chapters ; (6) Mikvaoth (religious baths), in ten chapters ; (7) Niddah (Lev. xv. 19-33), in ten chapters ; (8) MakMiirim (liquids 7 Others include, instead of a fourth Perek of Bikkurim, the Perek Rabbi Meir, i.e., the treatise " On the Acquisition of the Law." The original Mishnah, however, had neither of these two Perakim. 8 In this scheme the Cambridge MS. of the Mishnah is taken as the groundwork, while the variations in title, &c., are given from the common texts. 9 Compare St Paul s words, Eph. v. 20, (vxaptffTovi/res iravrort VTTfp iravriav. 10 On the apparent anomaly of Ma ascr Sheni preceding Ma astr Rishon, see Schiller-Szinessy s Catalogue of Hebrew. MSS. in Hie Cambridge Unirersity Lilirary, vol, ii. p. 1, note 4. 11 In the Cambridge MS. Add. 470. 1, Massekhto Nezikin is given correctly as one, containing thirty chapters. Compare T. B. , Bobo Kammo, leaf 102a, Abodah Zarah, la, and Midrash Shemuel, v. 12 See p. 503, note 16. 13 Also known under Shehitath Kodoshim.
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