mishnah

The Mishnah is the foundational written compilation of the Oral Torah in Rabbinic Judaism. Traditionally dated to around 200 CE, it was redacted by Rabbi Judah haNasi to preserve the transmitted teachings of generations of sages.

It is organized into six orders (sedarim) and subdivided into tractates (masechtot). The six orders are Zeraim, Moed, Nashim, Nezikin, Kodashim, and Tohorot. Each order contains numerous tractates that cover topics such as agriculture and blessings (Zeraim), festivals (Moed), marriage and divorce (Nashim), civil and criminal law (Nezikin), sacrifices and temple procedures (Kodashim), and purity laws (Tohorot). The Mishnah presents the core legal rulings and practical decisions used by rabbis in daily life.

Written in Hebrew with occasional Aramaic phrases, the Mishnah preserves the format of teaching and debate from earlier rabbinic schools. It is not a narrative history but a codification of an evolving body of law and practice, drawing on earlier traditions and interpretations.

Following the Mishnah, the Gemara expands the text into the Talmud. Together, Mishnah and Gemara form the Talmud. There are two Talmuds: the Babylonian and the Jerusalem (Palestinian). The Babylonian Talmud became the more authoritative for most Jewish communities.

Scholars regard the Mishnah as the seed of Halakha, shaping Jewish legal discourse for centuries. It remains widely studied and serves as the backbone of later rabbinic literature and modern Jewish legal practice.