The Torah and the Halakhah: The Four Relationships

by Jacob Neusner

Overview

This is a study of the relationship between two cognate religious components of Judaism, the laws of the Pentateuch and the corpus of Halakhah set forth by the Mishnah-Tosefta-Yerushalmi-Bavli. Both contain normative rules or Halakhah. The four relationships between the Torah and the Halakhah are [1] dependent, the Halakhah simply amplifying the Halakhic topic and proposition of Scripture, [2] autonomous, the Halakhah simply defining its own category-formation and determining the proposition that animates that category-formation, [3] interstitial (in-between) but derivative, and [4] interstitial yet fundamentally original. As to these latter two relationships, in the first of the two, Scripture defines the category-formation and determines the proposition to be explored in that connection. In the second of the two, Scripture supplies the topic, but the Halakhah on its own defines the proposition it wishes to explore in connection with that topic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761825265
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	04/29/2003
Series:	Studies in Judaism
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.18(w) x 9.26(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

Jacob Neusner is Research Professor of Religion and Theology at Bard College and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Theology at Bard. He also is a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey, and Life Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, England.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Bibliography Chapter 3 Introduction Chapter 4 Halakhah Based on Scripture: Horayot; Negaim; Yoma Chapter 5 Halakhic Categories Autonomous of Scripture: Taanit; Tohorot; Uqsin Chapter 6 Scripture's Topics Derivatively Amplified in the Halakhah: Meilah; Nedarim-Nazir; Yebamot Chapter 7 Scripture's Topics Independently Developed in the Halakhah: Baba Qamma-Baba Mesia-Baba Batra; Hagigah; Hullin; Kelim; Makhshirin; Zabim & Niddah