UNPACKED – Watch: The Mishnah – Writing Down Jewish Law
With the destruction of the Second Temple, the rabbis feared for the survival of Jewish life and practice. After generations of strong leaders kept learning alive, the Oral Law was written down for the first time to ensure it would always endure. This text — the Mishnah — still forms the basis of Jewish law or halacha millenia later. So who made the radical decision to write the laws down and what exactly does the Mishnah contain?
