How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash: An Introduction to Early Rabbinic Literature

The early rabbinic period produced two major literary formations—the Mishnah and Midrash—which have since remained central pillars of Jewish textual tradition. How to Read the Mishnah and Midrash is the first comprehensive introduction to these two foundational works of Jewish thought in English.

In many ways, all subsequent rabbinic literature emerged from the framework established by these two genres. The Mishnah presented a comprehensive legal system independent of the Bible, encompassi...