Rabbinic literature


Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, is the entire corpus of works authored by rabbis throughout Jewish history. The term typically refers to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writings. It aligns with the Hebrew term Sifrut Chazal, which translates to “literature sages” and generally pertains only to the sages from the Talmudic period. This more specific sense of "Rabbinic literature"—referring to the Talmud, Midrashim, and related writings, but hardly ever to later texts—is how the term is generally intended when used in contemporary academic writing. The terms mefareshim and parshanim almost always refer to later, post-Talmudic writers of rabbinic glosses on Biblical and Talmudic texts.

Mishnaic literature

The Midr'she halakha, Mishnah, and Tosefta are the earliest extant works of rabbinic literature, expounding and developing Judaism's Oral Law, as well as ethical teachings. Following these came the two Talmuds:
The earliest extant material witness to rabbinic literature of any kind is the Tel Rehov inscription dating to the 6th–7th centuries, also the longest Jewish inscription from late antiquity. Meanwhile, the earliest extant Talmudic manuscripts are from the 8th century.

The Midrash

Midrash is a Hebrew word referring to a method of reading details into or out of a biblical text. The term midrash also can refer to a compilation of Midrashic teachings in the form of legal, exegetical, homiletical, or narrative writing, often configured as a commentary on the Bible or Mishnah. There are a large number of "classical" Midrashic works spanning a period from Mishnaic to Geonic times, often showing evidence of having been worked and reworked from earlier materials and frequently coming to us in multiple variants. A compact list of these works, drawing upon Barry Holtz's Back to the Sources, is given below. The timeline below is approximate because many of the works were composed over a long period, borrowing and collating material from earlier versions; their histories are, therefore, somewhat uncertain and the subject of scholarly debate. In the table, "n.e." designates that the work in question is not extant except in secondary references.
Estimated dateExegeticalHomileticalNarrative

Tannaitic period

Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael
Mekhilta of Rabbi Shimon
Mekilta le-Sefer Devarim
Sifra
Sifre
Sifre Zutta
Alphabet of Akiba ben Joseph

Seder Olam Rabbah

400–650 CE
Genesis Rabbah
Midrash Tanhuma
Lamentations Rabbah
Leviticus Rabbah

650–900 CE
Midrash Proverbs
Ecclesiastes Rabbah
Deuteronomy Rabbah
Pesikta de-Rav Kahana
Pesikta Rabbati
Avot of Rabbi Natan
Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer
Seder Olam Zutta
Tanna Devei Eliyahu

900–1000 CE
Midrash Psalms
Exodus Rabbah
Ruth Zuta
Lamentations Zuta

1000–1200
Midrash Aggadah of Moses ha-Darshan
Midrash Tadshe

Later
Yalkut Shimoni
Midrash ha-Gadol
Ein Yaakov
Numbers Rabbah		Sefer ha-Yashar

Later works by category

Aggada

  • Alphabet of Rabbi Akiva
  • Ein Yaakov
  • Legends of the Jews
  • Midrash HaGadol
  • Midrash Hashkem
  • Midrash Rabba
  • Midrash Shmuel
  • Midrash Tehillim
  • Pesikta de-Rav Kahana
  • Pesikta Rabbati
  • Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer
  • Seder Olam Rabbah
  • Seder Olam Zutta
  • Sefer HaAggadah
  • Sefer haYashar
  • Smaller midrashim
  • Tanhuma
  • Tanna Devei Eliyahu
  • Tseno Ureno
  • Yalkut Shimoni

    Hasidic thought

  • Keter Shem Tov
  • Tzavaat HaRivash
  • Toledot Yaakov Yosef
  • Ben Porat Yosef, Tzafnat Paneach, and Ketonet Pasim
  • Magid Devarav L'Yaakov
  • Or Torah
  • Menachem Zion
  • Meor Einayim and Yesamach Lev
  • Noam Elimelech
  • Menorat Zahav
  • Avodat Yisrael
  • Pri Ha'Aretz and P'ri Ha'Eitz
  • Kedushas Levi
  • Tiferes Shlomo
  • Bet Aharon
  • Yosher Divrei Emes
  • Tanya
  • Torah Or/Likutei Torah
  • Likutei Moharan
  • Sippurei Ma'asiyot
  • Sichot HaRan
  • Be'er Mayim Hayyim
  • Siduro Shel Shabbos
  • Avodas HaLevi
  • Mei Hashiloach
  • Kol Simcha
  • Bnei Yissoschar
  • Imrei Elimelech and Divrei Elimelech
  • Aish Kodesh
  • Sefas Emes
  • Imrei Emes
  • Shem Mishmuel
  • Likkutei Sichos
  • Nesivos Sholom
  • ''Darchei Noam''

    Hebrew poetry

  • Biblical poetry
  • Medieval Hebrew poetry

    Jewish liturgy

  • Piyyut
  • Siddur

    Jewish philosophy

  • Chovot HaLevavot
  • Derech Hashem
  • Emunah Ubitachon
  • Emunot v'Dayyot
  • Kad ha-Kemach
  • Kuzari
  • Moreh Nevukhim
  • Milchamot Hashem
  • Nefesh Ha-Chaim
  • Or Adonai
  • Perek Chelek
  • Philo
  • Sefer ha-Ikkarim
  • Sefer ha-Chinuch

    Kabbalah

  • Etz Chaim
  • Maggid Mesharim
  • Pardes Rimonim
  • Sefer haBahir
  • Sefer Raziel HaMalakh
  • Sefer Yetzirah
  • Tikunei haZohar
  • Tomer Devorah
  • Zohar

    Jewish law

  • Arba'ah Turim
  • Aruch HaShulchan
  • Beit Yosef
  • Ben Ish Hai
  • Chayei Adam and Chochmat Adam
  • Darkhei Moshe
  • Halachot Gedolot
  • Kaf HaChaim
  • Hilchot HaRif
  • Kessef Mishneh
  • Kitzur Shulchan Aruch
  • Levush Malchut
  • Minchat Chinuch
  • Mishnah Berurah
  • Mishneh Torah
  • Responsa literature
  • Sefer ha-Chinuch
  • Sefer Hamitzvot
  • Sefer Mitzvot Gadol
  • Shulchan Aruch
  • Shulchan Aruch HaRav
  • Yalkut Yosef

    Musar literature

  • Mesillat Yesharim
  • Orchot Tzaddikim
  • Sefer Chasidim
  • Shaarei Teshuva
  • Sefer ha-Yir'ah
  • Chovot ha-Levavot
  • Ma'alot ha-Middot
  • Mishnat R' Aharon
  • Mikhtav me-Eliyahu
  • Tomer Devorah
  • Sichos Mussar
  • Pele Yoetz
  • Kav ha-Yashar
  • Kad HaKemah
  • Madreigat Ha'Adam
  • Shemonah Perakim

    Later works by historical period

Works of the Geonim

The Geonim are the rabbis of Sura and Pumbeditha in Babylon :
  • She'iltoth of Acha'i
  • Halachot Gedolot
  • Halachot Pesukot, by Rav Yehudai Gaon
  • Emunoth ve-Deoth
  • The Siddur by Amram Gaon
  • Responsa

    Works of the ''Rishonim'' (the "early" rabbinical commentators)

The Rishonim are the rabbis of the early medieval period
The Acharonim are the rabbis from 1550 to the present day.
Mefareshim is a Hebrew word meaning "commentators", Perushim means "commentaries". In Judaism, these words refer to commentaries on the Torah, Tanakh, Mishnah, Talmud, the responsa literature, or even the siddur, and more.

Classic Torah and Talmud commentaries

Classic Torah and/or Talmud commentaries have been written by the following individuals:
Classical Talmudic commentaries were written by Rashi. After Rashi, the Tosafot was written, which was an omnibus commentary on the Talmud by the disciples and descendants of Rashi; this commentary was based on discussions done in the rabbinic academies of Germany and France.