the very early years of the third century, or at the close of the second century.
We may assume, then, with tolerable certainty that "Rabbi" in his old age reduced the great collection of Halachah to writing, transgressing, in a way, the ancient tradition which forbade this. He seems to have considered that the prohibition, if maintained in its ancient strictness, might endanger the preservation of the precious teaching.
"Rabbi" did not entirely abrogate the interdiction, for the oral method of instruction continued during the period of the Gemara discussions in Palestine and in Babylonia: the teacher alone using the written Halachah, which made up the redaction of the Mishnah by "Rabbi" as a guide; the pupils, however, always repeating the lesson orally.
Before the fall of Jerusalem the great Sanhedrim was the ultimate resort for decisions in the law, though it is true that as a rule it accepted the Law as developed by the great teachers; but still, "from thence," i.e. from the Sanhedrim, as the Mishnah says, "proceeded the Law for all Israel." But after A.D. 70 the great Sanhedrim ceased to exist. This of course gave a very marked increase in prestige and power to the acknowledged leading Rabbis or Masters in the Rabbinic schools.
The principal task of these doctors was to teach the Law. The ideal was that every Israelite should have a knowledge of this Divine Law. Of course, this ideal was unattainable, but the famous Rabbis without doubt gathered round them great numbers who longed for special instruction in what had come to be looked on as the glory and hope of their race. "Bring up many scholars" was a famous ancient saying.
The instruction in the Palestinian schools of Jamnia and Lydda, and a little later more especially at Tiberias, and also in the famous Babylonian schools such as Sura,[1] Nehardea, and Pumbeditha, consisted in a continual exercise of the memory. The oral Law before the days of "Rabbi," at the close of the second century, was never committed to writing, the teacher repeating his matter again and again.
- ↑ The Rabbinic school of Sura was founded by Rab, one of the most important pupils of R. Judah Ha-Nasi (Rabbi).
