What is the Mishnah?

TL;DR:

The Mishnah is a written record of Jewish oral traditions that claim to explain and expand on God’s Law given to Moses. Though it holds historical and cultural value, the Mishnah is not inspired Scripture but a human attempt to interpret and preserve the Torah’s teachings.

what does the bible say?

The Mishnah is a collection of Jewish oral traditions written down around AD 200 by Rabbi Judah the Patriarch to preserve teachings believed to explain and expand on God’s Law given to Moses and recorded in the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Rooted in the Pharisaic emphasis on oral interpretation, it was meant to clarify the Torah’s commands and guide Jewish life after the dispersion. Organized into six sections addressing topics from agriculture to purity, the Mishnah became the foundation of rabbinic Judaism and was later combined with the Gemara to form the Talmud. While it provides valuable insight into Jewish culture and religious development, the Mishnah is not divinely inspired Scripture. Rather, it is a human record of interpretation, debate, and application of God’s written Law. Jesus chastised Jewish religious leaders of His day because they added to the Law, creating a burden for people (Matthew 23:1-4; Mark 7:6-9; Luke 11:46). They also neglected the foundation of the Law: God’s mercy and love (Matthew 9:13, 23:23; Luke 11:42). The Bible itself warns against adding to God’s Word (Deuteronomy 4:2), reminding us that true authority rests not in tradition but in the Spirit-breathed Scriptures that reveal God’s will and truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

from the old testament

When Moses was on Mount Sinai, God gave him the law He desired the Israelites to follow (Exodus 19:20; 24:12; 31:18). This law is recorded throughout the Torah—the first five books of the Bible known as Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
In addition to the Torah, the Jewish Scriptures include the Nev'im or "Prophets" (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Samuel, and all the prophets) and the Kethuvim or "Writings" (Esther, Daniel, Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, and the books of poetry). Together, these Scriptures are called the Tanakh by the Jews and the Old Testament by Christians.

from the new testament

In the time of the New Testament, the Pharisees were the strongest supporters of the Oral Torah, adding extra rules that led people into legalism (Matthew 15:1–9; Mark 7:1–13). Jesus opposed these traditions when He healed on the Sabbath, showing that mercy fulfills God’s law (Matthew 12:9–14; Luke 13:10–17).
The Sadducees, in contrast, held to a more literal interpretation of the written Torah and denied beliefs like the resurrection (Matthew 22:23–33; Acts 23:8), while the Essenes largely rejected the Oral Law and withdrew from mainstream Jewish society.
Jesus chastised the religious leaders of His day for adding to the Law, burdening the people, but at the same time, “neglect[ing] the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:4, 23).

implications for today

Some sects of Judaism believe that when God gave Moses the Jewish Law, He also gave him the Oral Law. The Oral Law, they say, contains explanations of the written law that clarify and detail the sometimes confusing Torah. This Oral Law was supposedly passed down from generation to generation verbally. Around AD 200, in fear that the Jewish diaspora would leave some communities without access to the Oral Torah, Rabbi Judah the Patriarch took on the task of writing these guidelines in the form of the Mishnah. Now all synagogues would have access to the complete Oral Law.

After the writing of the Mishnah, Jewish scholars continued to add to the commentaries on both the Tanakh and the Mishnah; in the 5th Century, the extra writings were compiled into the Gemara. The Mishnah and the Gemara together are called the Talmud. To make matters even more confusing, the Gemara has been added to since its original compilation, and the Gemara plus these additions are often referred to as "the Talmud" without the inclusion of the Mishnah.

The Mishnah is comprised of six sections which apply to different parts of the Law:

Zera'im — "seeds": Prayer, blessings, diets, agriculture, temple offerings, forbidden mixtures

Mo'ed — "festivals": The Sabbath, feast days

Nashim — "women": Marriage, divorce, adultery claims, engagements

Nezikin &mdash "damages": Tort, financial, and criminal law

Kodashim — "holy things": Sacrifices, excommunication

Toharot — "purities": Ritual purity and impurity including medical issues

The acceptance of the Mishnah varies. Orthodox Jews believe the Oral Torah is Scripture handed from God to Moses and passed down until it was compiled into the Mishnah. Conservative and Reform Jews consider the teachings of the Mishnah but take the freedom to draw their own conclusions.

Is the Mishnah from God? Some of it, perhaps. More likely, the Oral Law consists of clarifications and practical considerations made by priests or teachers and passed down until they carried an authority second only to the actual Mosaic Law. The Mishnah may also include cultural details that would have been obvious to Moses but were in danger of being misinterpreted. Either way, the Mishnah cannot be considered inspired Scripture as even Rabbi Judah made changes to it (some contradictory) as he grew older, as have other teachers throughout the last two-thousand years.

understand

The Mishnah records Jewish oral traditions explaining God’s Law.
The Mishnah provides cultural and religious insight but is not divinely inspired Scripture.
Combined with the Gemara, the Mishnah forms the Talmud.

reflect

How do you discern between God’s Word and human interpretations or traditions?
How might relying on human explanations, like the Mishnah, distract you from the authority of Scripture?
How can you ensure that your understanding of God’s Law remains rooted in the Spirit-breathed Word rather than added human rules?

engage

How does the history of the Mishnah show the tension between oral tradition and written Scripture, and what can we learn from it?
How might human interpretations of God’s Word—then or now—help or hinder spiritual growth?
How should we balance cultural or historical insights from writings like the Mishnah with the absolute authority of the Bible?