Texts from the Jewish canon—whether from the Torah, commentaries written by rabbis, or Jewish law codes—provide a rich wellspring of wisdom and knowledge from which contemporary Jews can draw life lessons. Like historical sources such as photographs and letters, traditional Jewish texts are shaped by the specific perspectives of their authors and reflect elements of Jewish life and thought in the time period in which they were created. For this reason, traditional texts are not only foundational to Jewish religious tradition, but they also serve as a record of Jewish thought and experience across time.

This lesson includes four traditional Jewish texts that students can use to enrich their analysis of the historical documents they are exploring. The first selection is from the fifth book in the Torah, Deuteronomy (Devarim, in Hebrew). After 40 years of wandering in the desert, Moses reviews the history of the Israelites and instructs them on how to live in the Promised Land. The laws he teaches govern every aspect of life from religious practice to criminal and civil law.

The second text is taken from the Shulchan Aruch (literally meaning “Set Table”), one of the foremost Jewish legal codes in our tradition. It was written in 1593 by Joseph ben Ephraim Caro, a renowned Jewish scholar born in Spain who fled both Spain and Portugal and settled in the Ottoman Empire. Since the codification of the Shulchan Aruch, rabbis and scholars have published many commentaries on it as they continue to review, interpret, and apply Jewish law.

The last two sources are taken from the Mishnah, which is an early compilation of rabbinic thought created between 180 and 220 CE by at least 120 different sages. During the first centuries of the Common Era, rabbis and scholars debated, clarified, and expanded on Jewish law and writings orally. The Mishnah is a written record of these conversations and debates, documenting different interpretations of the laws and ideas found throughout the Tanakh.

For thousands of years, traditional Jewish texts have provided an expansive literary framework for discussion of Jewish life and thought. Traditional text study allows students to join a centuries-long conversation about the foundational ideas of Jewish tradition and their relevance to life today. A few ways in which students might engage in text study include:

• By studying in pairs, or chevruta, students learn from each other, as well as the text itself;
• By studying social justice in a Jewish context, there are new entry points for text study for people who would not otherwise participate;
• By uncovering texts that are most relevant to your students, in order that they can find meaning in texts that may otherwise feel inaccessible.

Tanakh: The three Jewish divisions of the Old Testament, comprising the five books of the Torah, the Prophets or Neviim, and the Writings or Ketuvim (including the Book of Psalms and the Scroll of Esther, among others). The word Tanakh is a Hebrew acronym for the names of these three collections Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim.