i. It was not till the period of the romans (CP=1, sing. +mn, frequentative of the Chaldee run, i. q., Heb. , to repeat, hence the repeaters, the readers, an honourable appellation given to those doctors who transmitted the oral law), 220 B.C.-220 A.D., that the fixing, collecting and final redaction of the Halacha, or this mass of juridico-political and religious practice, or doctrine of human and divine law (humani et divini juris), took place. The first attempt at a compilation and rubrification of it was made by Hillel I. (75 8.c.-75 A.D.), who classified and arranged the diverse laws under six sedarim or orders [HILLEL I.] In this he was followed by 'Akiba (A.D. 2o-12o), and Simon III. b. Gamaliel II., who was the presi dent of the Synedrium A.D. 140-163, and whose son R. Jehudah I. the Holy, called Rabbi tar' koxiv (died circa 193 A.D.), completed the final redaction of the code called lllishna.* ii. The Mishua, however, like the Pentateuch, soon became the subject of discussion or study (I711/3), as many of its expositions and enactments are not only couched in obscure language, but are derived from antagonistic sources. Hence, like the divine code of the law, which it both sup plements and expounds, the Illishna itself was expounded during the period of the Amoraim (nrroti, sing. cnInN, from 113N, to say, to hold forth, to expound, hence expositors; an appellation given to the public expositors of the oral law niz5n, recorded by the Tanairn), 220-54o A.D., both in Jerusalem and Babylon. The result of these expositions is the two Minute's, or more properly Gemaras,* viz., the Jerusalem and the Babylon. [TALtstuD ; EDUCATION.] iii. Prior in point of age to the compilation of the Mishna is the commentary on Exodus called tlleehilta our. pn9inn, i. q., Heb.
measure, axiom), i.e., Norm or Rule. The .'lle chilta is composed of nine Tractates (li)riz+bn) sub divided into sections (nrunt), and treats on select sections of Exodus in the following order :—The first Tract treats on Exod. xii. -xiii. 6, in eighteen sections ; the second Tract is on xiii. 7-xiv. 31, in six sections ; the third is on xv. 1.21, in ten sections ; the fourth is on xv. 22-xvii. 7, in seven sections ; the fifth is on xvii. 8-xviii. 27, in four sections ; the sixth is on xix. i-xx. 22, in eleven sections ; the seventh is on xxi. I-xxii. 22, in eight sections ; the eighth is on xxii. 23-xxiii. 19, in two sections ; and the ninth tract is on chap. xxxi. 12-17 ; xxxv. 1-3, in two sections. The first com pilation of the Afechilta was most probably made under the influence of R. Ishmael b. Elisa, circa go A.D. [ISHMAEL B. ELISA], which accounts for its containing so many of his maxims not to be found elsewhere. It was, however, re-edited after wards, and greatly altered (comp. Geiger, Urschrift, 434, ff.) It was first printed in Constantinople, 1515, then again in Venice, 1545, then with a com mentary and revised text by M. Frankfurter, Amst. 1712 ; hut the best edition is that of Landau, Vilna 1844. A Latin translation of it by Ugolini is given in his Thesaurus Antiquitatum Sacrum, vol. xiv., Venice 1752.
iv. Commentary on Leviticus, called Siphra, Sifra (KIDD), the Book; also Siphra D'be Rab (31 t41013), Siphra of the school of Rab, be cause Rab=Abba Areka, the first of the Amoraim, and founder of the celebrated school at Sora, of which he was president twenty-eight years, 21 9, 247 A.D. [EDUCATION], is its author ; and by some it is denominated Boraitha shel Torah Cohanim (Dun: n11n 5v because the book of ticus which it expounds is called by the Jews the Code of the Priests (nun n-on, 7ebamoth, 72 b; Rash', on Levit. ix. 23). The Siphra is divided
into treatises (0'1111) which are subdivided into sections (flint), and these again into chapters The first edition of it-appeared together with the Mechilta and Siphri, Constantinople 1515, then Venice 1545 ; and, with a very extensive com mentary by Um Chajim, Venice 1609-II, with the commentary Ha-Tora Veha-Mitzwa, by M. L. Malbim, Bucharest 1860. The best edition, how ever, is that by Schlossberg, with the commentary of Abraham h. David, and the Massoreth Ha Talmud of Weiss, Vienna 1862. A Latin transla tion of it by Ugolini is given in his Thesaurus Antiquitatum Sacrum, vol. xiv., Venice 1752.
v. Commentary on Numbers and Deuteronomy, called Siphre or Siphri (iitn), the Books, also Siphri D'be Rab (11 'Zl 10D), because Rah, the author of the preceding work, is also the author of this commentary, and Visha/chu because it begins with Num. v. 2, where this word occurs. The commentary on Numbers is divided into one hundred and sixty-one chapters, and that on Deut eronomy into three hundred and fifty-seven. The Siphre first appeared with the Michilta and Siphra, Constantinople 1515, Venice, 1545. The best edi tion of it is in two volumes, with the extensive com mentary by Lichtstein, the first volume of which was published, Dyrhenfort iSso, and the second Radvill 1819. A Latin translation of it by Ugolini is given in his Thesaurus Antiquitaluvz Sacrum, vol. xv., Venice 1753.
B. The Homiletic or 'Hagadic Exegesis. —The design of this branch of the Midrash or exposition is to edify the people of Israel in their most holy faith, to encourage them to obedience, to com mend to them the paths of virtue and morality, to stimulate them to all good works, and to com fort them in tribulation by setting before them the marvellous dealings of Providence with the chil dren of man, the illustrious examples of the holy patriarchs, and the signal punishment of evil doers from bygone history—investing each character, and every event, with the halo or contumely, the poetry or the legend, which the fertile genius of the Hebrew nation and the creative power of tra dition had called into existence in the course of time. This branch of exposition extends over the whole Hebrew Scriptures, whilst the Halachic interpretation, as we have seen, is chiefly confined to the Pentateuch, which is the civil and legal por tion of the Bible. It is also called Hagada (riiari ; Chaldee from 1aa, to say), said, reported, on dit, without its having any binding authority in contradistinction to the Halacha, which is authori tative law. When it is stated that this department of Biblical exegesis is interspersed with homiletics, the beautiful maxims and ethical sayings of illus trious men, attractive mystical expositions about angels and demons, paradise and hell, Messiah and the Prince of Darkness ; poetical allegories, symbolical interpretations of all the feasts and fasts, charming parables, witty epithalamiums, touch ing funeral orations, amazing legends, biographical and characteristic sketches of Biblical persons and national heroes ; popular narratives and historical notices of men, women, and events of bygone days ; philosophical disquisitions, satirical assaults on the heathen and their rites, able defences of Ju daism, etc. etc.—it will be readily understood why the Jewish nation gradually transferred to this store.