Judaism/history:Bible to 1492 reading and response

Topic: Judaism/history:Bible to 1492 reading and response Order Description Assignment: Read Pirqei Avot 1:1-18. It starts with the “chain of tradition” tracing rabbis back to Moses. Such an opening implies a particular way of constructing history and group identity. What is the purpose of this chain? What rabbis want to tell us by starting the tractate with it? What claims do they make? Also, what does the text mean by “Torah”? What does Torah include? Is it just the Torah of Moses or also something else? Use information learned from lectures and the textbook in your initial post and responses. Avoid generalities not supported with specific analysis and evidence. Anchor your post and responses in careful analysis of document’s text. You should cite specific passages from the text to support your argument. Read and respond to the 2 posts. __________________________________________________________________ The essay should look like these two posts. Post 1: The purpose of this chain is to reinforce the importance of tradition in Jewish culture and religion. There is a strong emphasis on the fact that the Torah was given to "Moses at Sinai and handed it on to Joshua," (1.1 A). The purpose for such a chain of command is to establish that the Torah and the teachings of the rabbis stem back all the way to the initial interaction between Moses and God at Sinai. The result, is that Judaism is the teachings from God, to Joshua, to the following Rabbis all the way to the modern day rabbis. By starting the tractate with it the rabbis mean to explain that they are the teachers of God's word. Without the temple it is only through the study of the Torah that Jews are able to understand the words of God to Moses. The rabbinic role is to interpret the words of God and to formulate a path by which Jews should follow to maintain their relationship with God and their heritage. Judaism is a very traditional religion based in its history from the beginning. The claims that the rabbis make is that the Torah is directly given to Moses from God at Mount Sinai and from there Moses gave it to Joshua. In turn Joshua passed it down to Simeon and all the following rabbis. The main claims which all the rabbis tend to agree upon are that in order to live well and be a good Jew one must study the Torah. In participating in distractions such as women "1. he brings trouble upon himself 2. he wastes time better spent studying Torah, and 3. he ends up an heir of Gehenna," (1.5 B). By Torah the text means the Books of Moses which were given to him at Mount Sinai directly from God. The Torah includes not only the books of Moses however. With the introduction of rabbinic Judaism so too came the Talmud and the Mishnah which are rabbinic interpretations of the Torah as it was given to us by God. Therefore, the Torah also includes these works when it is referred to as a whole. _________________ Post2: What is the purpose of this chain? The reason for the chain, is to show the linked connection between rabbis. The chain directly shows a connection to Gods word through the chain of rabbis. Also, the chain shows the evolution of the religion. It shows how rabbis were able to adapt to society and pass on their knowledge. What rabbis want to tell us by starting the tractate with it? What claims do they make? The rabbis strart the tractate with this chain because they want to show their credibility, and to prove others that their tradtions are historical as well. Some claim that they may include principles to live by that originate from their earliest of sacred texts, like the Torah. These texts provide them with the "rules" to live by. The biggest claim can be seen in the fact that the Torah was also something handed down through the chain and brings about historical values as well as current beliefs. Also, what does the text mean by "Torah"? The text refers to the Torah and it means the "Torah of Moses." As stated in The Jews: A History, Effron says "...rabbinic sages had come to believe that the Torah revealed to Moses had two forms, the Written Torah...and an Oral Torah transmitted by the sages" (Effron 144). What does the Torah include? Is it just the Torah of Moses or something else? The Torah includes the five books of Moses, as well as the Oral Torah. The Oral Torah came about once they believed that they had interpretted it correctly. After this, the creation of the Mishnah and the Talmudic were transcribed from the rabbis oral teaching.