Rabbinic literature


Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writing, and thus corresponds with the Hebrew term Sifrut Chazal. This more specific sense of "Rabbinic literature"—referring to the Talmudim, Midrash, and related writings, but hardly ever to later texts—is how the term is generally intended when used in contemporary academic writing. On the other hand, the terms meforshim and parshanim almost always refer to later, post-Talmudic writers of rabbinic glosses on Biblical and Talmudic texts.
This article discusses rabbinic literature in both senses. It begins with the classic rabbinic literature of the Talmudic era, and then adds a broad survey of rabbinic writing from later periods.

Mishnaic literature

The Mishnah and the 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:
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 is given below; a more thorough annotated list can be found under Midrash. The timeline below must be approximate because many of these works were composed over a long span of time, 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
Lamentations Rabbah
Leviticus Rabbah

650–900 CE
Midrash Proverbs
Midrash Tanhuma
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

Works of the Geonim

The Geonim are the rabbis of Sura and Pumbeditha, in Babylon :
The Rishonim are the rabbis of the early medieval period
The Acharonim are the rabbis from 1550 to the present day.
Meforshim 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 were 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.

Modern Torah commentaries

Modern Torah commentaries which have received wide acclaim in the Jewish community include:
Modern Siddur commentaries have been written by:
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