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Available From UC Press
How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash
An Introduction to Early Rabbinic Literature
The early rabbinic period produced two major literary formations—Mishnah and Midrash—which have since remained central pillars of Jewish textual tradition. How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash is the first comprehensive introduction to these two foundational works of Jewish thought in English.
In many ways, all subsequent rabbinic literature emerged from the framework established by these two genres. The Mishnah presented a comprehensive legal system independent of the Bible, encompassing a remarkably broad spectrum of legal topics—from ritual law to civil disputes, capital legislation, marital status, and beyond—woven into a coherent and autonomous legal corpus. Midrash is the first comprehensive running commentary of the Pentateuch, marked by its interpretive freedom and creative playfulness.
This hands-on companion provides an intimate understanding of how the two texts function and essential tools for engaging with them in depth. With translations, close readings, and analyses of hundreds of primary source materials, this book offers readers a deeper appreciation of the structure, methodology, and enduring impact of the Mishnah and Midrash.
In many ways, all subsequent rabbinic literature emerged from the framework established by these two genres. The Mishnah presented a comprehensive legal system independent of the Bible, encompassing a remarkably broad spectrum of legal topics—from ritual law to civil disputes, capital legislation, marital status, and beyond—woven into a coherent and autonomous legal corpus. Midrash is the first comprehensive running commentary of the Pentateuch, marked by its interpretive freedom and creative playfulness.
This hands-on companion provides an intimate understanding of how the two texts function and essential tools for engaging with them in depth. With translations, close readings, and analyses of hundreds of primary source materials, this book offers readers a deeper appreciation of the structure, methodology, and enduring impact of the Mishnah and Midrash.
Ishay Rosen-Zvi is Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud at Tel-Aviv University. He is author of Demonic Desires: "Yetzer Hara" and the Problem of Evil in Late Antiquity and coauthor, with Adi Ophir, of Goy: Israel’s Others and the Birth of the Gentile.
"A stunning achievement. Ishay Rosen-Zvi has accomplished the impossible—a truly accessible, comprehensive, and cutting-edge introduction for the nonspecialist to the Mishnah and Midrash, the foundational documents of classical Judaism."—David Stern, Professor of Classical and Modern Jewish Literature, Harvard University
"A masterful introduction to the two genres of rabbinic literature—halachah and exegesis, mishnah and midrash—that have lastingly shaped Jewish literary creativity for the last two millennia. Like few scholars of this generation, Rosen-Zvi knows how to make these second- and third-century texts come alive, for students both in traditional Jewish study halls and secular universities."—Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert, Stanford University
"How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash provides a powerful introduction to early rabbinic literature, equipping readers to unlock a historically significant and intellectually intricate tradition. Instead of merely describing these texts, it shows how their arguments are structured and how literary form intersects with legal and interpretive reasoning. Going even further, it initiates readers into the substantial body of modern research in rabbinics, engaging both early critical theories and the most recent scholarship. It does all this with a combination of accessibility and rigor that makes it a vital resource not only for students but also for scholars in adjacent fields such as biblical studies, classics, and the history of late antiquity. A feat of erudition, clarity, and synthesis."—Moulie Vidas, Princeton University, author of The Rise of Talmud
"Ishay Rosen-Zvi's new book is the finest introductory work on tannaitic literature that I have ever seen. It will provide beginners in the field with a lucid, rich, and deep basis upon which to conduct further studies. For seasoned learners and scholars, it will have great value for the masterful way that it grapples with scholarly debates, providing a reliable guide into and out of the thicket of these two thorny but crucial ancient Jewish literary productions. A pleasure to read."—Daniel Boyarin, Hermann P. and Sophia Taubman Professor Emeritus of Talmudic Culture, University of California, Berkeley
"A masterful introduction to the two genres of rabbinic literature—halachah and exegesis, mishnah and midrash—that have lastingly shaped Jewish literary creativity for the last two millennia. Like few scholars of this generation, Rosen-Zvi knows how to make these second- and third-century texts come alive, for students both in traditional Jewish study halls and secular universities."—Charlotte Elisheva Fonrobert, Stanford University
"How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash provides a powerful introduction to early rabbinic literature, equipping readers to unlock a historically significant and intellectually intricate tradition. Instead of merely describing these texts, it shows how their arguments are structured and how literary form intersects with legal and interpretive reasoning. Going even further, it initiates readers into the substantial body of modern research in rabbinics, engaging both early critical theories and the most recent scholarship. It does all this with a combination of accessibility and rigor that makes it a vital resource not only for students but also for scholars in adjacent fields such as biblical studies, classics, and the history of late antiquity. A feat of erudition, clarity, and synthesis."—Moulie Vidas, Princeton University, author of The Rise of Talmud
"Ishay Rosen-Zvi's new book is the finest introductory work on tannaitic literature that I have ever seen. It will provide beginners in the field with a lucid, rich, and deep basis upon which to conduct further studies. For seasoned learners and scholars, it will have great value for the masterful way that it grapples with scholarly debates, providing a reliable guide into and out of the thicket of these two thorny but crucial ancient Jewish literary productions. A pleasure to read."—Daniel Boyarin, Hermann P. and Sophia Taubman Professor Emeritus of Talmudic Culture, University of California, Berkeley