Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day - Daily Torah Study

Thus, the source of all these people’s knowledge is God, the Lord of Israel.נִמְצָא - שֶׁכֻּלָּם מֵה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.

All the sages who were mentioned were the leaders of the generations. Among them were heads of academies, heads of the exile, and members of the great Sanhedrin. Together with them in each generation, there were thousands and myriads that heard their teachings. Ravina and Rav Ashi were the final generation of the Sages of the Talmud.כָּל אֵלּוּ הַחֲכָמִים הַנִּזְכָּרִים הֵם גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹרוֹת; מֵהֶם - רָאשֵׁי יְשִׁיבוֹת, וּמֵהֶם - רָאשֵׁי גָּלֻיּוֹת, וּמֵהֶם - מִסַּנְהֶדְרֵי גְּדוֹלָה, וְעִמָּהֶם בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר אֲלָפִים וּרְבָבוֹת שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ מֵהֶם, וְעִמָּהֶם רָבִינָא וְרַב אַשִׁי - הֵם סוֹף חַכְמֵי הַגְּמָרָא.

Rav Ashi composed the Babylonian Talmud in Shin’ar approximately one hundred years after Rabbi Yochanan composed the Jerusalem Talmud.וְרַב אַשִׁי, הוּא שֶׁחִבֵּר הַגְּמָרָא הַבַּבְלִית בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָר, אַחַר שֶׁחִבֵּר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן הַגְּמָרָא יְרוּשַׁלְמִית בִּכְמוֹ מֵאָה שָׁנָה.

The intent of both the Talmuds is to elucidate the words of the Mishnah, to explain its deeper points, and to relate the new matters that were developed by each court from the era of Rabbenu Hakadosh until the composition of the Talmud.וְעִנְיַן שְׁנֵי הַגְּמָרוֹת הוּא: פֵּרוּשׁ דִּבְרֵי הַמִּשְׁנָה וּבֵאוּר עֲמֻקּוֹתֶיהָ, וּדְבָרִים שֶׁנִּתְחַדְּשׁוּ בְּכָל בֵּית דִּין וּבֵית דִּין מִיְּמוֹת רַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ וְעַד חִבּוּר הַגְּמָרָא.

From the entire body of knowledge stemming from the two Talmuds, the Tosefta, the Sifra, and the Sifre, can be derived the forbidden and the permitted, the impure and the pure, the liable and those who are free of liability, the invalid and the valid as was received in tradition, one person from another, in a chain extending back to Moses at Mount Sinai.וּמִשְּׁנֵי הַגְּמָרוֹת וּמִן הַתּוֹסֶפְתָּא וּמִסִּפְרָא וְסִפְרֵי וּמִן הַתּוֹסֶפְתּוֹת - מִכֻּלָּם יִתְבָּאֵר הָאָסוּר וְהַמֻּתָּר, הַטָּמֵא וְהַטָּהוֹר, הַחַיָּב וְהַפָּטוּר, הַפָּסוּל וְהַכָּשֵׁר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֶעְתִּיקוּ אִישׁ מִפִי אִישׁ מִפִי משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ מִסִּינַי.

Also, the sources mentioned above relate those matters which were decreed by the sages and prophets in each generation in order to “build a fence around the Torah.” We were explicitly taught about this practice by Moses, as implied by Leviticus 18:30: “And you shall observe My precepts,” which can be interpreted to mean: “Make safeguards for My precepts.”גַּם יִתְבָּאֵר מֵהֶם, דְּבָרִים שֶׁגָּזְרוּ חֲכָמִים וּנְבִיאִים שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת סְיַג לַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ מִמּשֶׁה בְּפֵרוּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת מִשְׁמַרְתִּי" - עֲשׂוּ מִשְׁמֶרֶת לְמִשְׁמַרְתִּי.

Similarly, it includes the customs and ordinances that were ordained or practiced in each generation according to the judgment of the governing court of that generation. It is forbidden to deviate from these decisions, as implied by Deuteronomy 17:11: “Do not deviate from the instructions that they· will give you, left or right.”וְכֵן יִתְבָּאֵר מֵהֶם הַמִּנְהָגוֹת וְהַתַּקָּנוֹת שֶׁהִתְקִינוּ אוֹ שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר כְּמוֹ שֶׁרָאוּ בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר - לְפִי שֶׁאָסוּר לָסוּר מֵהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "לֹא תָּסוּר מִן הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר יַגִּידוּ לְךָ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל".

It also includes marvelous judgments and laws which were not received from Moses, but rather were derived by the courts of the later generations based on the principles of Biblical exegesis. The elders of those generations made these decisions and concluded that this was the law. Rav Ashi included in the Talmud this entire body of knowledge, stemming from the era of Moses, our teacher, until his own era.וְכֵן מִשְׁפָּטִים וְדִינִים מֻפְלָאִים שֶׁלֹּא קִבְּלוּם מִמּשֶׁה, וְדָנוּ בָּהֶם בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר בַּמִּדּוֹת שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה נִדְרֶשֶׁת בָּהֶן, וּפָסְקוּ אוֹתָם הַזְּקֵנִים וְגָמְרוּ שֶׁהַדִּין כָּךְ הוּא - הַכֹּל חִבֵּר רַב אַשִׁי בַּגְּמָרָא מִיְּמוֹת משֶׁה וְעַד יָמָיו.

The Sages of the Mishnah also composed other texts to explain the words of the Torah. Rabbi Hoshaia, the disciple of Rabbenu Hakadosh, composed an explanation of the book of Genesis. Rabbi Yishmael composed an explanation beginning at “These are the names” the beginning of the book of Exodus, until the conclusion of the Torah. This is called the Mechilta. Rabbi Akiva also composed a Mechilta. Other Sages of the following generations composed other collections of the interpretations of verses (Medrashim). All of these works were composed before the Babylonian Talmud.וְחִבְּרוּ חַכְמֵי הַמִּשְׁנָה חִבּוּרִים אֲחֵרִים לְפָרֵשׁ דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה: רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא תַּלְמִידוֹ שֶׁל רַבֵּנוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ, חִבֵּר בֵּאוּר סֵפֶר בְּרֵאשִׁית; וְרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל פֵּרֵשׁ מֵ"אֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת" עַד סוֹף הַתּוֹרָה, וְהוּא הַנִּקְרָא מְכִילְתָּא; וְכֵן רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא חִבֵּר מְכִילְתָּא; וַחֲכָמִים אֲחֵרִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם חִבְּרוּ מִדְרָשׁוֹת - וְהַכֹּל חֻבַּר קֹדֶם הַגְּמָרָא הַבַּבְלִית.

Thus, Ravina, Rav Ashi, and their colleagues represent the final era of the great Sages of Israel who transmitted the Oral Law. They passed decrees, ordained practices, and put into effect customs. These decrees, ordinances, and customs spread out among the entire Jewish people in all the places where they lived.נִמְצָא, רָבִינָא וְרַב אַשִׁי וְחַבְרֵיהֶם - סוֹף גְּדוֹלֵי חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמַּעְתִּיקִים תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה, וְשֶׁגָּזְרוּ גְּזֵרוֹת וְהִתְקִינוּ תַקָּנוֹת וְהִנְהִיגוּ מִנְהָגוֹת, וּפָשְׁטוּ גְזֵרוֹתָם וְתַקָּנוֹתָם וּמִנְהֲגוֹתָם בְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל מְקוֹמוֹת מוֹשְׁבוֹתָם.

After the court of Rav Ashi composed the Talmud and completed it in the time of his son, the Jewish people became further dispersed throughout all the lands, reaching the distant extremes and the far removed islands. Strife sprung up throughout the world, and the paths of travel became endangered by troops. Torah study decreased and the Jews ceased entering their yeshivot in the thousands and myriads, as was customary previously. Instead, individuals, the remnants whom God called, would gather in each city and country, occupy themselves in Torah study, and devote themselves to understanding the texts of the Sages and learning the path of judgment from them.וְאַחַר בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל רַב אָשִׁי שֶׁחִבֵּר הַגְּמָרָא וּגְמָרוֹ בִּימֵי בְנוֹ, נִתְפַּזְּרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל הָאֲרָצוֹת פִּזּוּר יֶתֶר וְהִגִּיעוּ לַקְּצָווֹת וְלָאִיִּים הָרְחוֹקִים, וְרָבְתָה קְטָטָה בָּעוֹלָם וְנִשְׁתַּבְּשׁוּ הַדְּרָכִים בִּגְיָסוֹת וְנִתְמַעֵט תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה וְלֹא נִכְנְסוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִלְמֹד בִּישִׁיבוֹתֵיהֶם אֲלָפִים וּרְבָבוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ מִקֹּדֶם, אֶלָּא מִתְקַבְּצִים יְחִידִים הַשְּׂרִידִים אֲשֶׁר ה' קוֹרֵא בְּכָל עִיר וְעִיר וּבְכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה, וְעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה וּמְבִינִים בְּחִבּוּרֵי הַחֲכָמִים כֻּלָּם, וְיוֹדְעִים מֵהֶם דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁפָּט הֵיאַךְ הוּא.

Every court that was established after the conclusion of the Talmud, regardless of the country in which it was established, issued decrees, enacted ordinances, and established customs for the people of that country—or those of several countries. These practices, however, were not accepted throughout the Jewish people, because of the distance between their different settlements and the disruption of communication between them. Since each of these courts were considered to be individuals—and the High Court of 71 judges had been defunct for many years before the composition of the Talmud—people in one country could not be compelled to follow the practices of another country, nor is one court required to sanction decrees which another court had declared in its locale.וְכָל בֵּית דִּין שֶׁעָמַד אַחַר הַגְּמָרָא בְּכָל מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וְגָזַר אוֹ הִתְקִין אוֹ הִנְהִיג לִבְנֵי מְדִינָתוֹ אוֹ לִבְנֵי מְדִינוֹת רַבּוֹת - לֹא פָּשְׁטוּ מַעֲשָׂיו בְּכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִפְנֵי רֹחַק מוֹשְׁבוֹתֵיהֶם וְשִׁבּוּשׁ הַדְּרָכִים. וִהְיוֹת בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל אוֹתָהּ הַמְּדִינָה יְחִידִים, וּבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד בָּטֵל מִכַּמָּה שָׁנִים קֹדֶם חִבּוּר הַגְּמָרָא - לְפִיכָךְ אֵין כּוֹפִין אַנְשֵׁי מְדִינָה זוֹ לִנְהֹג כְּמִנְהַג מְדִינָה הָאַחֶרֶת. וְאֵין אוֹמְרִים לְבֵית דִּין זֶה לִגְזֹר גְּזֵרָה שֶׁגְּזָרָהּ בֵּית דִּין אַחֵר בִּמְדִינָתוֹ.

Similarly, if one of the Geonim interpreted the path of judgment in a certain way, while the court which arose afterward interpreted the proper approach to the matter in a different way, the opinion of the first need not be adhered to absolutely. Rather, whichever position appears to be correct—whether the first or the last—is accepted.וְכֵן אִם לִמֵּד אֶחָד מֵהַגְּאוֹנִים שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁפָּט כָּךְ הוּא וְנִתְבָּאֵר לְבֵית דִּין אַחֵר שֶׁעָמַד אַחֲרָיו שֶׁאֵין זֶה דֶּרֶךְ הַמִּשְׁפָּט הַכָּתוּב בַּגְּמָרָא - אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לָרִאשׁוֹן אֶלָּא לְמִי שֶׁהַדַּעַת נוֹטָה לִדְבָרָיו בֵּין רִאשׁוֹן בֵּין אַחֲרוֹן.

Rambam - 1 Chapter a Day

Introduction: Part 2

Introduction: Part 2