The publication of this book is made possible through the generous support of the Jesselson Foundation, the Max Richter Foundation of Rhode Island, and the Tisch Foundation.

Copyright © 1988 by Yale University.

All rights reserved.

This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mishnah. English.

The Mishnah: a new translation.

Includes index.

I. Neusner, Jacob, 1932- . II. Title.

In memory of

George Foot Moore

and

Erwin Ramsdell Goodenough

who together founded the modern study of Judaism as a religion and who placed the study of Judaism into the center of the history of religion

and

in honor of

Jonathan Z. Smith

who carried on their tradition and brought it to fruition.

“Let us celebrate our heroes.”

Contents

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

Preface

The purpose of this translation is to present the Mishnah in as close to a literal rendition of the Hebrew as is possible in American English. In this way the formal patterns and formalized character of the original language will become accessible. Thus the contents of the Mishnah will be available in a rendition close to the way in which, in Hebrew, they are expressed. Since most of the Mishnah is expressed in highly patterned and formalized language, this fresh translation will make possible an understanding of the forms and formal character of the first document of Rabbinic Judaism. That kind of Judaism built upon the Mishnah, the two Talmuds, the ...