Language Studies

Aramaic Thoughts

Aramaic Literature - Part 3 - The Mishnah

The third treatise of the first order (Zera’im) is called Demai, which means “doubtful.” This treatise deals with questions about the tithing of produce. These questions arose because of the uncertainties regarding which types of produce were to be tithed, and when. It serves to illustrate that the laws in the Old Testament are not exhaustive, nor even, in many cases, complete (That is, they do not deal with all aspects of the subjects they touch upon.

The fourth treatise is called Kilayim. This deals with forbidden mixing of substances. The basis for this discussion is found in Lev 19:19, “You shall keep my statutes. You shall not let your cattle breed with a different kind. You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kind of material. The matter is stated again at greater length in Deut 22:9-11. One curiosity coming out of the discussion is that, though it was considered wrong to mate two different animals, if the offspring was clean, it could be eaten, and such an offspring could also be used for labor.

The fifth treatise is Shebi’ith (seventh), dealing with the issues of the Sabbath year and to some extent of the Jubilee year as well. The discussion has to do not only with letting the land lie fallow for the seventh year, but such things as whether the creditor’s release of the debtor for the seventh year (Deut 15:1ff) is perpetual or only temporary. In other words, Deut 15:2 says, “And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor, his brother, because the Lord’s release has been proclaimed.” Does it mean that the debt is to be completely forgiven? Or does it mean only that payment on the debt is not to be required in the seventh year. The majority of rabbis held to the former view, but some held the remission of debt to be only temporary.

The sixth treatise is Terumoth (heave offerings). This deals with the offerings given to the priests. These are subdivided into several sorts, such as the eight offerings to be eaten only in the sanctuary, the five offerings which could be eaten only in Jerusalem, five things due to the priests wherever they were, and finally the main gift due to the priests, which was the skin of every burnt offering.

The seventh treatise is Ma’aserot (tithes). The discussions of Terumoth arose out of Num 18:19. This seventh treatise arose out of Num 18:21, “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance in return for their service that they do, their service in the tent of meeting.” The Mishnah discussion subdivides and carefully defines all these tithes.

As noted briefly above, one thing that all these discussions make clear is the fact that the Law in the Old Testament is not complete. It is neither exhaustive nor complete regarding any subject it deals with. It thus seems unlikely that the Law was seen to be a complete guide to anything, but rather set out principles and procedures that were then left to the wisdom of the Israelites to clarify further.

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