Oral Law
Pronunciations
| Oral Law | (OR-l LAW) | listen |
Definitions
n. Torah shebe'al peh; the commentaries and rabbinic explanations of the Torah that have been passed down from generation to generation (in contrast with the Written Law) and were codified in the Mishnah.
Example Sentences
"The oral Torah was transmitted through oral tradition for a very long time. From the first century, because of the Roman oppression, the threat of exile and the death in the different Judean revolts of thousands of the most brilliant Jewish scholars, the transmission line was nearly cut, and the oral law was in danger of disappearing." (source)
Languages of Origin
- English
Etymology
"Oral" because this law was passed down orally before being written, in contrast with the Written Law which was always written.
- Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
- North America
- The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
- Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
Who Uses This
Regions
Dictionaries
Alternative Spellings
Oral Torah
Notes
See also baraita, Written Law, and Torah shebe'al peh.
"In addition to the Torah—the Written Law—Judaism has a long tradition of Oral Law. For example, the Torah does not specify what is necessary for a Jewish marriage ceremony. Those specifics are part of the Oral Law. Around 200 C.E., the Oral Law was written down and codified in a text called the Mishnah. The Mishnah and the Gemara together comprise the Talmud." (JPS)
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