אמר רב יהודה אמר רב בשעה שעלה משה למרום מצאו להקב"ה שיושב וקושר כתרים לאותיות אמר לפניו רבש"ע מי מעכב על ידך אמר לו אדם אחד יש שעתיד להיות בסוף כמה דורות ועקיבא בן יוסף שמו שעתיד לדרוש על כל קוץ וקוץ תילין תילין של הלכות
§ Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: When Moses ascended on High, he found the Holy One, Blessed be He, sitting and tying crowns on the letters of the Torah. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, who is preventing You from giving the Torah without these additions? God said to him: There is a man who is destined to be born after several generations, and Akiva ben Yosef is his name; he is destined to derive from each and every thorn of these crowns mounds upon mounds of halakhot. It is for his sake that the crowns must be added to the letters of the Torah.
אמר לפניו רבש"ע הראהו לי אמר לו חזור לאחורך הלך וישב בסוף שמונה שורות ולא היה יודע מה הן אומרים תשש כחו כיון שהגיע לדבר אחד אמרו לו תלמידיו רבי מנין לך אמר להן הלכה למשה מסיני נתיישבה דעתו
Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, show him to me. God said to him: Return behind you. Moses went and sat at the end of the eighth row in Rabbi Akiva’s study hall and did not understand what they were saying. Moses’ strength waned, as he thought his Torah knowledge was deficient. When Rabbi Akiva arrived at the discussion of one matter, his students said to him: My teacher, from where do you derive this? Rabbi Akiva said to them: It is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai. When Moses heard this, his mind was put at ease, as this too was part of the Torah that he was to receive.
חזר ובא לפני הקב"ה אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם יש לך אדם כזה ואתה נותן תורה ע"י אמר לו שתוק כך עלה במחשבה לפני אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם הראיתני תורתו הראני שכרו אמר לו חזור [לאחורך] חזר לאחוריו ראה ששוקלין בשרו במקולין אמר לפניו רבש"ע זו תורה וזו שכרה א"ל שתוק כך עלה במחשבה לפני
Moses returned and came before the Holy One, Blessed be He, and said before Him: Master of the Universe, You have a man as great as this and yet You still choose to give the Torah through me. Why? God said to him: Be silent; this intention arose before Me. Moses said before God: Master of the Universe, You have shown me Rabbi Akiva’s Torah, now show me his reward. God said to him: Return to where you were. Moses went back and saw that they were weighing Rabbi Akiva’s flesh in a butcher shop [bemakkulin], as Rabbi Akiva was tortured to death by the Romans. Moses said before Him: Master of the Universe, this is Torah and this is its reward? God said to him: Be silent; this intention arose before Me.
This timeline does not try to record every major document, but rather, it focuses on a single representative document for a particular century. Occasionally, authors are listed rather than a single work. Documents which have not been preserved or seen as authoritative by later Jews, are marked with an asterisk (*).
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Bible |
Talmud |
Law Codes |
Liturgy |
Thought and Ethics |
Mysticism |
History |
|
| Biblical Precedents | Deuteronomy | Psalms | Proverbs | Ezekiel ch. 1 | Samuel, Kings | ||
| 300 BCE | *Ben Sira | ||||||
| 200 BCE | Septuagint–Greek Translation | *Jubilees | *Book of Enoch | *Demetrius the Chronographer | |||
| 100 BCE | *Qumran Manual of Discipline | *Aristobulos of Paneas | *1-2 Maccabees | ||||
| 1 | *Qumran Angelic Liturgy | ||||||
| 100 | *Philo’s Allegorical Interpretation | Shemoneh Esreh | *Josephus Antiquities | ||||
| 200 | Discussion of intention in prayer | Seder Olam Rabbah | |||||
| 300 | Mekhilta on Exodus | Mishnah | Pirkei Avot(part of Mishnah) | ||||
| 400 | Genesis Rabba | Tosefta | Avot d’Rabbi Natan | ||||
| 500 | Talmud Yerushalmi | Talmudic Pardes Stories | |||||
| 600 | Midrash Tanhuma | Babylonian Talmud | Piyyut of Yannai | Sefer Yetzirah | |||
| 700 | Vowels in copies of Biblical texts | Saboraic Glosses to the Talmud | She’iltot of Ahai of Shabha | Piyyut of Eleazar haKallir | |||
| 800 | Tractate Soferim | Halakhot Pesukot | Shiur Komah | Seder Olam Zutta | |||
| 900 | *Karaite Benjamin Nahawendi | Halakhot Gedolot | Seder Rav Amram Gaon | ||||
| 1000 | Sa’adia’s Arabic Summary | Gershom b. Yehudah of Mainz | Sa’adia’s Siddur | Sa’adia’s Emunot v’Deot | Sefer Hakhmoni on S. Yetzirah | Iggeret of Sherira Gaon | |
| 1100 | Rashi’s Commentary | Rashi’s Commentary | Alfasi’s Sefer Halakhot | Mahzor Vitry | Bahya’s Hovot haLevavot | Chronicle of Ahimaaz | |
| 1200 | Abraham Ibn Ezra | Rabbenu Tam and Tosafists | Maimonides Mishneh Torah | Piyyut of Kalonymous Family | Yehudah HaLevy’s Kuzari | Sefer haBahir | Ibn Daud’s Sefer haKabbalah |
| 1300 | Ramban | Tosafot and Hiddushim of Maharam | Asher b. Yehiel-Piskei haRosh | Rokeach Commentary | Sefer Hasidim | Zohar | |
| 1400 | Ralbag | Rabbenu Nissim | Yaakov b. Asher’s Arba’ah Turim | Sefer Abudarham | |||
| 1500 | Abarbanel | Bartenura Mishnah Commentary | Moellin’s Sefer haMaharil | Yosef Albo’s Sefer ha’Ikkarim | Cordovero’s Tomer Devorah | Zacuto’s Sefer haYuhasin | |
| 1600 | Mikra’ot Gedolot printed | MaHaRShal’s Yam shel Shlomo | Karo and Isserles’s Shulhan Arukh | Alkabetz writes L’kha Dodi | Azaria de Rossi’s Meor Einayim | ||
| 1700 | M. Alshekh’s Torat Moshepublished | Samuel Edels “Maharsha” | Joel Sirkes’ Bayit Hadash on the Tur | Spinoza’s Tractatus | Horowitz’s Shnei Luchot haBrit | Conforte’s Koreh haDorot | |
| 1800 | Me’am Loez | Vilna Gaon’s Text emmendations | Danzig’s Hayyei Adam | Emden’s Siddur Beit Yaakov | Sh. Zalman of Lyady’s Tanya | M.H.Luzzato’s Pitchei Hokhmah | Amelander’s She’erit Yisrael |
| 1900 | Commentary of S.D. Luzzatto | Hiddushim of Akiva Eiger | Epstein’s Arukh haShulchan | Baer’s Avodat Yisrael | Kagan’s Hafetz Hayyim | Graetz’s History of the Jews | |
| 2000 | Nehama Leibowitz’ Studies | Lieberman’s Tosefta Kifshutah | Feinstein’s Igrot Moshe | Additions for Israel’s Independence | Kaplan’s Judaism as Civilization | Baron’s Soc. & Religious History | |
|
Bible |
Talmud |
Law Codes |
Liturgy |
Thought and Ethics |
Mysticism |
History |
|
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־יוֹסֵ֗ף הֲל֤וֹא אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ רֹעִ֣ים בִּשְׁכֶ֔ם לְכָ֖ה וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ הִנֵּֽנִי׃ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לֶךְ־נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ וְאֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃ וַיִּמְצָאֵ֣הוּ אִ֔ישׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תֹעֶ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֧הוּ הָאִ֛ישׁ לֵאמֹ֖ר מַה־תְּבַקֵּֽשׁ׃ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֶת־אַחַ֖י אָנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א לִ֔י אֵיפֹ֖ה הֵ֥ם רֹעִֽים׃ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָאִישׁ֙ נָסְע֣וּ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֹֽמְרִ֔ים נֵלְכָ֖ה דֹּתָ֑יְנָה וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ יוֹסֵף֙ אַחַ֣ר אֶחָ֔יו וַיִּמְצָאֵ֖ם בְּדֹתָֽן׃ וַיִּרְא֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מֵרָחֹ֑ק וּבְטֶ֙רֶם֙ יִקְרַ֣ב אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּֽתְנַכְּל֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ לַהֲמִיתֽוֹ׃ וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו הִנֵּ֗ה בַּ֛עַל הַחֲלֹמ֥וֹת הַלָּזֶ֖ה בָּֽא׃ וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ לְכ֣וּ וְנַֽהַרְגֵ֗הוּ וְנַשְׁלִכֵ֙הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הַבֹּר֔וֹת וְאָמַ֕רְנוּ חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ וְנִרְאֶ֕ה מַה־יִּהְי֖וּ חֲלֹמֹתָֽיו׃ וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ׃
Israel said to Joseph, “Your brothers are pasturing at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them.” He answered, “I am ready.” And he said to him, “Go and see how your brothers are and how the flocks are faring, and bring me back word.” So he sent him from the valley of Hebron. When he reached Shechem, a man came upon him wandering in the fields. The man asked him, “What are you looking for?” He answered, “I am looking for my brothers. Could you tell me where they are pasturing?” The man said, “They have gone from here, for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothan.” So Joseph followed his brothers and found them at Dothan. They saw him from afar, and before he came close to them they conspired to kill him. They said to one another, “Here comes that dreamer! Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we can say, ‘A savage beast devoured him.’ We shall see what comes of his dreams!” But when Reuben heard it, he tried to save him from them. He said, “Let us not take his life.”
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: תּוֹרָה – רוֹב בִּכְתָב וּמִיעוּט עַל פֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֶכְתּוֹב לוֹ רוּבֵּי תּוֹרָתִי כְּמוֹ זָר נֶחְשָׁבוּ״. וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: רוֹב עַל פֶּה וּמִיעוּט בִּכְתָב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי עַל פִּי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה״.
§ The Gemara continues its discussion concerning the writing of the Torah: Rabbi Elazar says: The majority of the Torah was transmitted in writing, while the minority was transmitted orally, as it is stated: “I wrote for him the greater part of My Torah; they were reckoned a strange thing” (Hosea 8:12), meaning that the majority of the Torah was transmitted in written form. And Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The majority of the Torah was transmitted orally [al peh], while the minority was transmitted in writing, as it is stated with regard to the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai: “For on the basis of [al pi] these matters I have made a covenant with you and with Israel” (Exodus 34:27), which indicates that the greater part of the Sinaitic covenant was taught orally.
וְאִידַּךְ נָמֵי, הָכְתִיב: ״אֶכְתּוֹב לוֹ רוּבֵּי תּוֹרָתִי״! הָהוּא, אַתְמוֹהֵי קָא מַתְמַהּ: אֶכְתּוֹב לוֹ רוּבֵּי תּוֹרָתִי?! הֲלֹא ״כְּמוֹ זָר נֶחְשָׁבוּ״!
The Gemara asks: And according to the other Sage, Rabbi Yoḥanan, as well, isn’t it written: “I wrote for him the greater part of My Torah”? How does he understand this verse? The Gemara answers: This verse is not a statement, but rather a rhetorical question expressing bewilderment: For did I write for him the greater part of My Torah? In that case they, the Jewish people, would be reckoned as strangers, meaning that there would be no difference between them and the nations of the world if everything was written down. Rather, the majority of the Torah must remain an oral tradition.
וְאִידַּךְ נָמֵי, הָכְתִיב: ״כִּי עַל פִּי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה״! הַהוּא – מִשּׁוּם דְּתַקִּיפִי לְמִיגְמְרִינְהוּ.
The Gemara asks: And according to the other Sage, Rabbi Elazar, as well, isn’t it written: “For on the basis of these matters I have made a covenant with you and with Israel”? How does he understand this verse? The Gemara answers: That verse, which indicates that the covenant was based on that which was taught by oral tradition, is stated due to the fact that it is more difficult to learn matters transmitted orally, but not because these matters are more numerous than those committed to writing.
שֵׁית מְאָה וְחַד סְרֵי הָוֵי, ״אָנֹכִי״ וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״ – מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה שְׁמַעְנוּם.
is 611, the number of mitzvot that were received and taught by Moses our teacher. In addition, there are two mitzvot: “I am the Lord your God” and: “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:2, 3), the first two of the Ten Commandments, that we heard from the mouth of the Almighty, for a total of 613.
אָמַר רָבָא: מִיחַיַּיב אִינִישׁ לְבַסּוֹמֵי בְּפוּרַיָּא עַד דְּלָא יָדַע בֵּין אָרוּר הָמָן לְבָרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי.
Rava said: A person is obligated to become intoxicated with wine on Purim until he is so intoxicated that he does not know how to distinguish between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai.
רַבָּה וְרַבִּי זֵירָא עֲבַדוּ סְעוּדַת פּוּרִים בַּהֲדֵי הֲדָדֵי. אִיבַּסּוּם. קָם רַבָּה שַׁחְטֵיהּ לְרַבִּי זֵירָא. לְמָחָר, בָּעֵי רַחֲמֵי וְאַחֲיֵיהּ. לְשָׁנָה, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: נֵיתֵי מָר וְנַעֲבֵיד סְעוּדַת פּוּרִים בַּהֲדֵי הֲדָדֵי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא בְּכֹל שַׁעְתָּא וְשַׁעְתָּא מִתְרְחִישׁ נִיסָּא.
The Gemara relates that Rabba and Rabbi Zeira prepared a Purim feast with each other, and they became intoxicated to the point that Rabba arose and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira. The next day, when he became sober and realized what he had done, Rabba asked God for mercy, and revived him. The next year, Rabba said to Rabbi Zeira: Let the Master come and let us prepare the Purim feast with each other. He said to him: Miracles do not happen each and every hour, and I do not want to undergo that experience again.