Tosefta

 

(tōsĕf'tə) , plural Toseftoth (–tōth) [Aramaic,=additional], collection of ancient Jewish teachings supplementing the Mishna or Oral Law and closely allied to it in organization. Like the Mishna, it was compiled by the Tannaim. Many of its teachings, called Baraitot, do not appear in the Mishna; others are merely elucidations or alternative versions of Mishnaic material. It contains a larger percentage of aggadic material than does the Mishna. The Tosefta is an independent work and has been made the subject of commentaries.

Bibliography

See H. L. Strack, Introduction to Talmud and Midrash (1931, repr. 1969); S. Lieberman, Tosefta Kifshuta (1955).

Rabbinic Literature

Talmudic literature Mishnah • Tosefta Jerusalem Talmud • Babylonian Talmud Minor tractates Halakhic Midrash Mekhilta de-Rabbi Yishmael (Exodus) Mekhilta de-Rabbi Shimon (Exodus) Sifra (Leviticus) Sifre (Numbers & Deuteronomy) Sifre Zutta (Numbers) Mekhilta le-Sefer Devarim (Deuteronomy) Aggadic Midrash —— Tannaitic —— Seder Olam Rabbah Baraita of Rabbi Ishmael Alphabet of Akiba ben Joseph Baraita of the Forty-nine Rules Baraita on the Thirty-two Rules Baraita on Tabernacle Construction —— 400–600 —— Genesis Rabbah • Eichah Rabbah Pesikta de-Rav Kahana Esther Rabbah • Midrash Iyyov Leviticus Rabbah • Seder Olam Zutta Midrash Tanhuma • Megillat Antiochus —— 650–900 —— Avot of Rabbi Natan Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer Tanna Devei Eliyahu Alphabet of Ben-Sira Kohelet Rabbah • Canticles Rabbah Devarim Rabbah • Devarim Zutta Pesikta Rabbati • Midrash Samuel Midrash Proverbs • Ruth Rabbah Baraita of Samuel • Targum sheni —— 900–1000 —— Ruth Zuta • Eichah Zuta Midrash Tehillim • Midrash Hashkem Exodus Rabbah • Canticles Zutta —— 1000–1200 —— Midrash Tadshe • Sefer ha-Yashar —— Later —— Yalkut Shimoni • Yalkut Makiri Midrash Jonah • Ein Yaakov Midrash ha-Gadol • Numbers Rabbah Smaller midrashim Rabbinic Targum —— Torah —— Targum Onkelos Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Fragment Targum • Targum Neofiti —— Nevi'im —— Targum Jonathan —— Ketuvim —— Targum Tehillim • Targum Mishlei Targum Iyyov Targum to the Five Megillot Targum Sheni to Esther Targum to Chronicles Responsa

The Tosefta is a secondary compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.

Overview

In many ways, the Tosefta acts as a supplement to the Mishnah (tosefta means "supplement"). The Mishnah is the basic compilation of the Oral law of Judaism; it was compiled around 200 CE. The Tosefta is a Halakhic work which corresponds in structure almost exactly to the Mishnah, with the same divisions for sedarim ("orders") and masekhot ("tractates"). It is mainly written in Mishnaic Hebrew, with some Aramaic.

The Mishnah was redacted by Judah haNasi in consultation with members of his yeshiva ("academy"), while the Tosefta was edited by Rabbis Chiya and Oshaiah on their own, thus the Tosefta is considered less authoritative in the Orthodox Jewish world. (Rashi in his commentary on Talmud Sanhedrin 33a).

The text of most of Tosefta agrees nearly verbatim with the Mishnah, and often varies only slightly. The Tosefta offers authors' names for laws that are anonymous in the Mishnah; It also augments the Mishnah with additional glosses and discussions. The Tosefta as we have it today functions like a commentary on unquoted Mishnaic material; It offers additional aggadic and midrashic material, and it sometimes contradicts the Mishnah in the ruling of Halakha (Jewish law), or in declaring in whose name a law was given.

Much of the Tosefta is currently regarded as being written shortly after the Mishnah was redacted. However, recent scholarship, especially by Professor Shamma Friedman, reveals that the Tosefta draws on source material earlier than the later material in the Mishnah. It may well be that parts of the Tosefta predate the Mishnah.

Commentary Editions

Orthodox scholars

The definitive commentary on the Tosefta is by Rabbi Yehezkel Abramsky: Hazon Yehezkel (24 volumes, 1925-1975 in Hebrew).

Saul Lieberman's Tosefta Kifshuta is widely considered the authoritative critical edition of the Tosefta.

Non-Orthodox scholars

The Tosefta has been translated into English by Rabbi Jacob Neusner and his students. They have also produced a commentary on Seder Zeraim.

See also

• Oral law
• Mishnah
• Baraita
• Talmud
• Gemara
• Rabbinic literature
• Halakha

External links

• "TOSEFTA" in the Jewish Encyclopedia

• Tosephta in the Catholic Encyclopedia

• Full text at Mechon-Mamre
• Treasury of Talmudic Manuscripts, Jewish National and University Library

The Six Orders of the Mishnah (ששה סדרי משנה)
Zeraim (זרעים)	Moed (מועד)	Nashim (נשים)	Nezikin (נזיקין)	Kodashim (קדשים)	Tohorot (טהרות)
Berakhot · Pe'ah · Demai · Kil'ayim · Shevi'it · Terumot · Ma'aserot · Ma'aser Sheni · Hallah · Orlah · Bikkurim	Shabbat · Eruvin · Pesahim · Shekalim · Yoma · Sukkah · Beitzah · Rosh Hashanah · Ta'anit · Megillah · Mo'ed Katan · Hagigah	Yevamot · Ketubot · Nedarim · Nazir · Sotah · Gittin · Kiddushin	Bava Kamma · Bava Metzia · Bava Batra · Sanhedrin · Makkot · Shevu'ot · Eduyot · Avodah Zarah · Avot · Horayot	Zevahim · Menahot · Hullin · Bekhorot · Arakhin · Temurah · Keritot · Me'ilah · Tamid · Middot · Kinnim	Keilim · Oholot · Nega'im · Parah · Tohorot · Mikva'ot · Niddah · Makhshirin · Zavim · Tevul Yom · Yadayim · Uktzim

Donate to Wikimedia