IMishnah NoMthetho UNkulunkulu Awunika UMose

“LAPHO siqala siba nomuzwa wokuthi singenela engxoxweni esinesikhathi eside iqhubeka ephathelene nezihloko esingenakuziqonda . . . Sizizwa sengathi sisendaweni yokulinda yabagibeli esikhumulweni sezindiza esikude. Siyawaqonda amazwi ashiwo abantu, kodwa simangazwa yilokho akushoyo nalokho okubakhathazayo, ikakhulukazi, umuzwa wokuphuthuma ozwakala emaphinjeni abo.” Lena indlela isazi esingumJuda uJacob Neusner esiwuchaza ngayo umuzwa abafundi abangase babe nawo lapho beqala ukufunda iMishnah. UNeusner uyanezela: “IMishnah inesiqalo esingesihle. Iphetha ngendlela engalindelekile.”

Kwethi A History of Judaism, uDaniel Jeremy Silver ubiza iMishnah ngokuthi “umbhalo owumthetho-sisekelo weNkolo YobuJuda yorabi.” Eqinisweni, uqhubeka athi: “I-Mishnah yathatha isikhundla seBhayibheli sokuba uhlelo oluyinhloko lwemfundo eqhubekayo [yamaJuda].” Kungani incwadi ebhalwe ngendlela engacacile kangaka ingaba ebaluleke kangako?

Ingxenye yempendulo itholakala kulamazwi akuyiMishnah: “UMose wathola iTorah eSinayi futhi wayidlulisela kuJoshuwa, uJoshuwa wayidlulisela kubadala, abadala bayidlulisela kubaprofethi. Futhi abaprofethi bayidlulisela emadodeni esigungu esikhulu.” (Avot 1:1) IMishnah ithi inokwaziswa okwanikwa uMose eNtabeni yaseSinayi—ingxenye engalotshiwe yoMthetho uNkulunkulu awunika u-Israyeli. Amadoda esigungu esikhulu (kamuva esabizwa ngokuthi iSanhedrini) ayebhekwa njengengxenye yohlu olude lwezazi ezihlakaniphile, ezadlulisela ngomlomo izimfundiso ezithile ukusuka kwesinye isizukulwane kuya kwesinye kwaze kwaba yilapho lezi zimfundiso ekugcineni zilotshwa kuyiMishnah. Kodwa ingabe lokho kuyiqiniso? Ubani ngempela owaloba iMishnah, futhi ngani? Ingabe lokho ekuqukethe kwavela kuMose eSinayi? Ingabe isho okuthile kithi namuhla?

INkolo YobuJuda Ngaphandle Kwethempeli

Inkolelo yokuba khona komthetho waphezulu odluliselwa ngomlomo ngaphandle koMthetho kaMose yayingaziwa lapho kulotshwa imiBhalo ngaphansi kokuphefumulelwa.a (Eksodusi 34:27) Emakhulwini amaningi eminyaka kamuva abaFarisi baba yiqembu leNkolo YobuJuda elasungula futhi lathuthukisa lomqondo. Ekhulwini lokuqala C.E., abaSadusi namanye amaJuda baphikisana nalemfundiso engasekelwe eBhayibhelini. Nokho, ngesikhathi ithempeli laseJerusalema laliseyisikhungo sokukhulekela kwamaJuda, udaba lomthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo lwalungashaywa mkhuba. Ukukhulekela kwasethempelini kwenza kwaba khona ukuhleleka nokuzinza okuthile ekuphileni kwawo wonke amaJuda.

Nokho, ngo-70 C.E., isizwe samaJuda sabhekana nenhlekelele engokwenkolo engenakuqhathaniswa. IJerusalema labhujiswa ibutho lamaRoma, futhi kwabulawa amaJuda angaphezu kwesigidi. Ithempeli, isikhungo sokuphila kwawo okungokomoya, lalingasekho. Kwakungasenakwenzeka ukuphila ngoMthetho kaMose, owawudinga imihlatshelo nenkonzo yobupristi yasethempelini. Isisekelo seNkolo YobuJuda sasingasekho. Isazi seTalmud u-Adin Steinsaltz siyabhala: “Ukubhujiswa . . . kwango-70 C.E. kwenza kwaba nesidingo esiphuthumayo sokwakhiwa kabusha kwazo zonke izisekelo zokuphila okungokwenkolo.” Futhi zakhiwa kabusha ngempela lezo zisekelo.

Ngisho nangaphambi kokubhujiswa kwethempeli, uYohanan Ben Zakkai, umfundi ohlonishwayo womholi wobuFarisi uHillel, wathola imvume kuVespasian (owayesezoba umbusi) yokususa isikhungo esingokomoya seNkolo YobuJuda neSanhedrini eJerusalema akuyise eYavneh. Lapho echaza, uSteinsaltz uthi ngemva kokubhujiswa kweJerusalema, uYohanan Ben Zakkai “wabhekana nenselele yokwakhela abantu isikhungo esisha nokubasiza bazivumelanise nezimo ezintsha lapho intshiseko engokwenkolo kwase kudingeka igxiliswe kwenye into njengoba iThempeli lase lingasekho.” Leyonto entsha okwagxilwa kuyo kwaba umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo.

Njengoba ithempeli lase libhujisiwe, abaSadusi namanye amahlelo obuJuda abakwazanga ukuvela nokunye okugculisayo okwakungagxilwa kukho. Iningi lamaJuda laba ngaphansi kwabaFarisi, abahlanganisa wonke amaqembu aphikisayo. Begcizelela ubunye, orabi abaholayo bayeka ukuzibiza ngokuthi abaFarisi, okuyigama elinencazelo esikisela ukuba ihlelo noma iqembu. Babe sebaziwa ngokuthi orabi, “izazi zakwa-Israyeli.” Lezi zazi zaziyokwakha isimiso sezinkolelo ezaziyosekela kuso umqondo wazo womthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo. Sasiyoba sesimweni esingokomoya esasingenakuhlaselwa kalula abantu njengethempeli.

Ukuhlanganiswa Ndawonye Komthetho Odluliselwa Ngomlomo

Nakuba isikole sorabi eYavneh (esasisebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-40 ukuya entshonalanga yeJerusalema) sase siyisikhungo esiyinhloko, kwaqala ukuvela ezinye izikole ezazifundisa umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo kulo lonke elakwa-Israyeli ngisho nasezindaweni ezaziqhelile njengaseBabiloni naseRoma. Nokho, lokhu kwadala inkinga. USteinsaltz uyachaza: “Lapho zonke izazi zihlanganiswe ndawonye futhi umsebenzi oyinhloko wezazi wenziwa iqembu elilodwa lamadoda [eJerusalema], ubunye obungokwesiko babulondolozwa. Kodwa ukuqhibuka njengamakhowe kwabafundisi nokumiswa kwezikole ezihlukahlukene kwabangela . . . izinhlobo nezindlela eziningi zokufundisa.”

Abafundisi bomthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo babebizwa ngokuthi amaTannaim, okuyigama elalithathelwa kwelesi-Aramu elisho “ukutadisha,” “ukuphindaphinda” noma “ukufundisa.” Lokhu kwakugcizelela indlela yabo yokufunda nokufundisa umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo yokuphindaphinda kakhulu nokubamba ngekhanda. Ukuze amasiko adluliselwa ngomlomo abambeke kalula ngekhanda, umthetho noma isiko ngalinye lancishiswa laba amazwi amafushane, afingqiwe. Kwakuba ngcono lapho amazwi embalwa. Kwakubekwa ngendlela yobuciko nesankondlo, futhi ngokuvamile lawo mazwi ayehlatshelelwa. Nokho, lemithetho yayingahlelekile, futhi ihluka kakhulu kumfundisi ngamunye.

Urabi wokuqala owahlela isimo salamasiko amaningi ahlukahlukene adluliselwa ngomlomo kwakungu-Akiba ben Joseph (cishe ngo-50-135 C.E.). Ngokuphathelene naye, uSteinsaltz uyabhala: “Ababephila ngesikhathi sakhe bafanisa umsebenzi wakhe nowesisebenzi esiya ensimini sigcwalise ubhasikidi waso nganoma yini esiyitholayo ngokungakhethi, bese sibuyela ekhaya futhi sihlukanise uhlobo ngalunye. U-Akiba wafunda izindaba eziningi ezingahlelekile futhi wazihlela ngezigaba ezihlukahlukene.”

Ekhulwini lesibili C.E.—ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kwengu-60 iJerusalema labhujiswa—ukuvukela kwamaJuda okukhulu kwesibili evukela iRoma kwakuholwa nguBar Kokhba. Ukuhlubuka kwaphinde kwaletha inhlekelele. U-Akiba nabafundi bakhe abaningi babephakathi kwezisulu ezingamaJuda ezazicishe zibe isigidi. Noma imaphi amathemba okwakhiwa kabusha kwethempeli ashabalala lapho uMbusi waseRoma uHadrian ememezela ukuthi amaJuda ayengasavunyelwe ukungena eJerusalema, ngaphandle kwalapho eyogubha usuku lokubhujiswa kwethempeli.

AmaTannaim aphila ngemva kuka-Akiba ayengakaze alibone ithempeli laseJerusalema. Kodwa indlela yokufunda ngamasiko omthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo eyamiswa yaba “ithempeli” noma isizinda sawo sokukhulekela. Umsebenzi wokuqinisa isisekelo somthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo owaqalwa u-Akiba nabafundi bakhe waqhutshwa umTannaim wokugcina, uJudah ha-Nasi.

Indlela IMishnah Eyakheke Ngayo

UJudah ha-Nasi wayengumzukulu kaHillel noGamaliyeli.b Njengoba azalwa phakathi nesikhathi sokuvukela kukaBar Kokhba, waba umholi womphakathi wamaJuda kwa-Israyeli ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lesibili kuya ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesithathu C.E. Isiqu esithi ha-Nasi sisho “inkosana,” okubonisa isikhundla ayenaso kumaJuda akubo. Ngokuvamile umane abizwe ngokuthi Rabi. UJudah ha-Nasi wayephethe isikole sakhe kanye neSanhedrini, ekuqaleni okwakuseBet She’arim kamuva okwaba seSepphoris eGalile.

Eqaphela ukuthi izingxabano zangesikhathi esizayo neRoma zazingase zifake engozini kona kanye ukuqhutshekiselwa phambili komthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo, uJudah ha-Nasi wanquma ukuwenzela isisekelo esasiyokwenza ukuba ukwazi ukulondolozwa. Wahlanganisela esikoleni sakhe izazi ezivelele zosuku lwakhe. Kwaba nenkulumo-mpikiswano ngokuphathelene nephuzu nesiko ngalinye lomthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo. Ingqikithi yalezi zingxoxo yafingqwa ngobuciko obufana nobezinkondlo zesiHeberu.

Lengqikithi yahlelwa yaba izingxenye eziyisithupha eziyinhloko, noma iziNhlelo, ngokwezihloko eziyinhloko. UJudah waphinde wazihlukanisa lezi zingxenye zaba nezingxenyana noma izincwajana ezingu-63. Isimiso sezimfundiso esingokomoya sabe sesiphothulwa. Kuze kube yileso sikhathi, amasiko anjalo ayedluliselwa ngomlomo. Kodwa ukuze avikelwe ngokwengeziwe, kwathathwa isinyathelo sokugcina soshintsho—sokulotshwa kwawo wonke. Lomqulu omusha olotshiwe ohlaba umxhwele oqukethe umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo wabizwa ngokuthi iMishnah. Igama elithi Mishnah livela egameni lesiHeberu elithi sha·nahʹ, elisho “ukuphindaphinda,” “ukutadisha” noma “ukufundisa.” Lifana negama lesi-Aramu elithi tenaʼʹ, okuvela kulo elithi tan·na·ʼimʹ, okuyigama ababebizwa ngalo abafundisi beMishnah.

Injongo yeMishnah yayingekhona ukumisa umthetho owumnqamulajuqu. Yayisingatha ikakhulukazi izinto ezazingathintiwe emthethweni, kucatshangelwa ukuthi umfundi wayezazi izimiso eziyisisekelo. Eqinisweni, yafingqa lokho okwakuxoxwa ngakho nalokho okwakufundiswa ezikoleni zorabi phakathi nenkathi kaJudah ha-Nasi. IMishnah yayenzelwe ukuba ibe uhlaka lomthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo olwaluzosetshenziswa kwezinye izinkulumo-mpikiswano, olunamaphuzu ayinhloko noma ayisisekelo, okwakuzosekelwa kuwo ingxoxo.

Kunokuba yembule okuthile okwanikwa uMose eNtabeni yaseSinayi, iMishnah ichaza indlela umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo owathuthuka ngayo, okuwumqondo owavela kubaFarisi. Ukwaziswa okulotshwe kuyiMishnah kucacisa amazwi athile asemiBhalweni YamaKristu YesiGreki nezingxoxo ezithile zikaJesu Kristu nabaFarisi. Nokho, kunesidingo sokuqapha ngoba imiqondo etholakala kuyiMishnah iveza imibono yamaJuda ekhulu lesibili C.E. IMishnah ixhumanisa inkathi yethempeli lesibili neTalmud.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

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Izingxenye Zemishnah

IMishnah ihlukaniswe yaba iziNhlelo eziyisithupha. Lezi ziNhlelo zinezincwajana ezingu-63 ezihlukaniswe zaba izahluko nama-mishnah, noma izigaba (hhayi amavesi).

1. IZeraim (Imithetho Yezolimo)

Lezi zincwajana zihlanganisa izingxoxo eziphathelene nemithandazo yokudla nezolimo. IZeraim ihlanganisa nemithetho yokweshumi, izabelo zabapristi, imikhothozo neminyaka yeSabatha.

2. IMoed (Izenzakalo Ezingcwele Nemikhosi)

Izincwajana ezikulolu Hlelo zimayelana nemithetho yeSabatha, uSuku Lokubuyisana neminye imikhosi.

3. INashim (Abesifazane Nomthetho Womshado)

Lezi izincwajana ezimayelana nomshado nesehlukaniso, izifungo, amaNaziri nezindaba zokusola isenzo sokuphinga.

4. INezikin (Umonakalo Nomthetho Wezwe)

Izincwajana ezikulolu Hlelo zihlanganisa izindaba eziphathelene nomthetho wezwe nempahla, izinkantolo nezijeziso, ukusebenza kweSanhedrini, ukukhonza izithombe, izifungo neZimiso Zokuziphatha Zabaholi (Avot).

5. IKodashim (Imihlatshelo)

Lezi zincwajana zimayelana nezimiso eziphathelene neminikelo yezilwane neyokusanhlamvu kanye nezilinganiso zethempeli.

6. IToharot (Amasiko Okuhlambulula)

Lolu Hlelo luhlanganisa izincwajana ezimayelana nesiko lokuhlambulula, ukugeza umzimba nezandla, izifo zesikhumba nokungcola kwezinto ezihlukahlukene.

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IMishnah Nemibhalo Yamakristu Yesigreki

Mathewu 12:1, 2: “Ngaleyonkathi yonyaka uJesu wadabula emasimini okusanhlamvu ngesabatha. Abafundi bakhe balamba baqala ukukha izikhwebu nokudla. Lapho bekubona lokhu abaFarisi bathi kuye: ‘Bheka! Abafundi bakho benza lokho okungekhona okungokomthetho ukuba kwenziwe ngesabatha.’” ImiBhalo YesiHeberu ayikwenqabeli lokhu okwenziwa abafundi bakaJesu. Kodwa kuyiMishnah sithola uhlu lwemisebenzi engu-39 orabi abayinqabelayo ngeSabatha.—Shabbat 7:2.

Mathewu 15:3: “Ephendula [uJesu] wathi kubo: ‘Kungani nani neqa umyalo kaNkulunkulu ngenxa yesiko lenu?’” IMishnah inikeza ubufakazi balesi simo sengqondo. (Sanhedrini 11:3) Siyafunda: “Kugcizelelwa ngokuqinile [ukugcinwa] kwamazwi abaBhali [kunokugcinwa] kwamazwi oMthetho [olotshiwe]. Uma umuntu ethé, ‘Asibophekile ukuba sigqoke amafulakteriyu’ ngaleyo ndlela eqe amazwi oMthetho, akanacala; [kodwa uma ethé], ‘Kufanele abe nezingxenye ezinhlanu’, ngaleyo ndlela enezela emazwini abaBhali, unecala.”—The Mishnah, kaHerbert Danby, ikhasi 400.

Efesu 2:14: “[UJesu] ungukuthula kwethu, lowo owenza lamaqembu amabili aba munye futhi wabhidliza udonga olwaluphakathi luwahlukanisa.” IMishnah ithi: “Phakathi eNtabeni YeThempeli kwakunesihenqo esinezinsika (i-Soreg), esasiyizingalo eziyishumi ukuphakama.” (Middot 2:3) AbeZizwe babenqatshelwe ukudlulela ngalé kwaleyo ndawo bangene emagcekeni angaphakathi. Kungenzeka ukuthi umphostoli uPawulu wayebhekisela kulolu donga ngendlela engokomfanekiso lapho ebhalela abase-Efesu ngo-60 noma ngo-61 C.E., lapho lwalusekhona. Udonga olungokomfanekiso lwaluyisivumelwano soMthetho, okwase kuyisikhathi eside sihlukanisa amaJuda nabeZizwe. Nokho, ngesisekelo sokufa kukaKristu ngo-33 C.E., lolo donga lwadilizwa.