There were, of course, subtle differences between the Pharisees and the rab-
bis. The Pharisaic oral tradition was a loose assemblage of teachings and
sayings. The rabbis refined this tradition by defining the parameters of reli-
gious belief and practice more sharply. Furthermore, the Pharisees transmitted
this tradition from one generation to the next in an ad hoc manner. The rabbis
regularized this process of transmission by creating academies of learning that
fostered a more disciplined and regularized relationship between master and
disciple. Indeed, the word “rabbi,” often colloquially translated as teacher,
derived from the Hebrew word for master. The relationship between the rabbi
and his student was like that of a master craftsman and his apprentice; and the
world of the rabbis much like the exclusive world of a guild.
The early development of Rabbinic Judaism can be divided into two peri-
ods: the Tannaitic period, from 50 B.C.E. to 200 C.E., and the Amoraic period,
from 200 to 500 C.E. The Tannaitic period, derived from “Tanna,” the term
that rabbinic tradition uses to refer to the scholars of the Mishneh and con-
temporary works, revolved principally around two collections of teachings:
Midrash and Mishneh. Midrash, a Hebrew term for “that which is pursued,”
refers at once to a method of interpretation and to the amalgamation of teach-
ings derived using this method. As a literary collection, Midrash is divided
into two genres, Midrash Halacha and Midrash Aggadah. Midrash Halacha
refers to laws and beliefs derived from the text of the Hebrew Bible. In some
cases, this meant setting aside a literal reading of biblical law. For example,
the biblical injunction “an eye for an eye” was reinterpreted in the Midrash to
mean monetary compensation for bodily harm. Elsewhere, the Midrash
derived concrete meaning from more abstract biblical terms. For example, on
the basis of the verses “Honor your father and mother” and “A person should
fear his mother and father,” the Midrash derived more concrete understand-
ings of the meaning of fear and respect.
Elsewhere, Midrash Halacha defined concretely vague biblical concepts,
such as the definition of work that is prohibited on the Sabbath and festival
days. The Midrash, noting that the Bible uses the terms Melacha(literally,
labor) and ‘Avoda(literally, service) to refer to different forms of work,
derived distinct prohibitions of work on the Sabbath and festivals. The scrip-
tural basis of work prohibited on the Sabbath, Kol Melacha lo ta’asu(“You
shall refrain from all forms of labor”), was less specific and hence more inclu-
sive than the prohibition of work on festivals, Kol melechet ‘avoda lo ta’asu
(“You shall refrain from all forms of laborious service”) – hence the conclu-
sion that certain forms of work that are prohibited on the Sabbath are
permitted on festivals.
In contrast to the legal aims of Midrash Halacha, Midrash Aggadah refers
to folk tales about biblical figures and events. At times these tales romanti-
cized the gaps in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible. For example, the
Midrash explains how the patriarch Abraham came to discover monotheism.
50 The rise of Rabbinic Judaism