What Is the Mishnah?

The Mishnah is the written record of the Jewish oral law — the traditions, interpretations, and applications of the Torah that had been passed down orally for centuries. It was compiled and edited by Rabbi Judah the Prince (Yehuda HaNasi) around 200 AD, during a time of Roman persecution when the oral transmission was in danger of being lost. The Mishnah is organized into six orders (sedarim), which are further divided into tractates (massekhtot) and chapters. The six orders cover: Zera'im (Seeds) — agricultural laws and prayers; Mo'ed (Appointed Times) — Sabbath and festival laws; Nashim (Women) — marriage, divorce, and family law; Nezikin (Damages) — civil and criminal law; Kodashim (Holy Things) — sacrificial laws and dietary regulations; and Tohorot (Purities) — laws of ritual cleanness. Each tractate contains halakhic (legal) rulings presented in a concise, often elliptical style that assumes considerable background knowledge. The Mishnah records the opinions of the Tannaim, the rabbis who taught between approximately 70 AD and 200 AD. When rabbis disagreed, the Mishnah often preserves multiple opinions, though it usually indicates the majority view. The style is laconic and mnemonic, designed to be memorized and discussed rather than simply read. The Mishnah became the central text of Rabbinic Judaism. Every Jewish community studied it, and the great academies of Palestine and Babylonia devoted themselves to its interpretation. The commentaries on the Mishnah became the Gemara, and together they form the Talmud. For New Testament students, the Mishnah provides insight into the legal and religious environment of first-century Judaism. Many practices mentioned in the Gospels — such as the washing of hands (Mark 7), divorce regulations (Matthew 19), and Sabbath observance — are addressed in the Mishnah. While the Mishnah was not written down until after the New Testament period, it preserves traditions that existed in oral form during Jesus' day. Understanding the Mishnah helps explain why Jesus' teachings sometimes conflicted with the 'tradition of the elders' and illuminates the debates between Jesus and the Pharisees over the interpretation of the law.