IMishnah Nomthetho KaThixo KuMoses

“XA SIYIVULA kuba ngathi singene kubanjwe incoko ekudala iphethwe kuthethwa ngezinto esingenakuze sizilandele . . . Sisuka . . . sibe ngathi sihleli kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya esisempengempengeni. Siyaweva kakuhle la magama asetyenziswa ngaba bantu, kodwa intsingiselo yawo nezinto ezixhalabise aba bantu zisidida mpela, eyona nto isidida kakhulu, yinkxalabo evakala kumazwi abo.” Le yindlela umphengululi ongumYuda uJacob Neusner athi basenokuvakalelwa ngayo abafundi xa beqala ukufunda iMishnah. Lo kaNeusner walek’ umsundulo athi: “IMishnah sisibhukubhuku nje esingenasiqalo. Isuka iphele nje esithubeni.”

Kwincwadi ethi A History of Judaism, uDaniel Jeremy Silver uthi xa ebiza iMishnah “yincwadi yomgaqo-siseko woorabhi bobuYuda.” Eneneni, utyatyadula athi: “IMishnah yathabatha indawo yeBhayibhile ekubeni yeyona ncwadi iphambili eqhubeka nemfundo [yamaYuda].” Yintoni le yenza ukuba incwadi edida ngolo hlobo ibaluleke kangaka?

Inxalenye yempendulo yalo mbuzo ifumaneka kumazwi abhalwe kwiMishnah athi: “UMoses wafumana iTorah eSinayi waza wayidlulisela kuYoshuwa, uYoshuwa wayidlulisela kubadala, abadala bayidlulisela kubaprofeti. Yaye abaprofeti bayidlulisela kumadoda ebhunga elikhulu.” (Avot 1:1) IMishnah yona ixubusha ngenkcazelo eyadluliselwa kuMoses kwiNtaba yeSinayi—inxalenye engabhalwanga phantsi yoMthetho kaThixo kumaSirayeli. Amadoda ebhunga elikhulu (kamva awabizwa ngokuba yiSanhedrin) ayejongwa njengenxalenye yongcelele loomakhwekhwetha babaphengululi nezilumko, ezazidlulisela iimfundiso ezithile ngomlomo kwizizukulwana ngezizukulwana de zonke ekugqibeleni zaba zibhalwe kwiMishnah. Kodwa ngaba kunjalo ngenene oko? Ngubani kanye kanye owabhala iMishnah, yaye eyibhalela ntoni? Ngaba okubhalwe kuyo koko kwafunyanwa nguMoses eSinayi? Ngaba inentsingiselo kuthi namhlanje?

Unqulo LobuYuda Olungenatempile

Inkolelo yokuba kukho umthetho owadluliselwa ngomlomo owongezelela kuMthetho kaMoses obhaliweyo yayingaziwa kwaukwaziwa xa kwakubhalwa iZibhalo eziphefumlelweyo.a (Eksodus 34:27) Kwiinkulungwane eziliqela kamva abaFarisi babeliqela lobuYuda elavela nelaphembelela le ngcamango. Ebudeni benkulungwane yokuqala yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, abaSadusi namanye amaYuda ayeyikhaba ngaw’ omane le mfundiso ingasekelwanga Bhayibhileni. Noko ke, ngalo lonke ixesha itempile yaseYerusalem yayiseliziko lonqulo lwamaYuda, into yomthetho womlomo yayingabalulekanga kangako. Unqulo lwasetempileni lwaluwenza amaYuda abe nocwangco yaye azinze.

Noko ke, ngowama-70 C.E., uhlanga lwamaYuda lwalujamelene nemeko yonqulo emaxongo ngolona hlobo. IYerusalem yatshatyalaliswa yimikhosi yamaRoma, yaye amaYuda angaphezu kwesigidi abulawa. Kwaba kuphelile ke ngetempile, iziko lobomi bawo bokomoya. Kwaba nzima mpela ukulandela uMthetho kaMoses, owawufuna amadini neenkonzo zombingeleli ezenzelwa etempileni. Isiseko sobuYuda sasingasekho. Umphengululi weTalmud uAdin Steinsaltz ubhala athi: “Intshabalalo . . . yowama-70 C.E. yanyanzelisa ukuba kugxajagxajiswe kuvuswa unqulo okokutsha.” Ibe ngenene lwavuswa.

Kwanangaphambi kokutshatyalaliswa kwetempile, uYohanan Ben Zakkai, umfundi ohloniphekileyo wenkokeli yabaFarisi uHillel, wafumana imvume kuVespasian (owayeza kuba ngumlawuli kungekudala) yokufudusa iziko lokomoya lamaYuda kwakunye neSanhedrin alisuse eYerusalem alise eYavneh. Ngokutsho kukaSteinsaltz, emva kokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem, uYohanan Ben Zakkai “wayejongene nomgomantsi wokwenzela abantu iziko elitsha aze abancede balungise iingqondo zabo bamkele le meko intsha yokuba unqulo lwabo lwaluza kusekelwa kwenye into entsha ekubeni iTempile yayingasekho.” Le nto intsha ke yayiza kuba ngumthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo.

Ekubeni itempile yayingaloo mabhodlo, iliwa lalibhek’ umoya kubaSadusi nakwamanye amahlelo amaYuda. AbaFarisi baqala bangoomakhonya kwelakwaYuda, namaqela awayebachasile abalekela kubo. Kuba befuna umanyano ngamandla, oorabhi abaphambili balilahla kude igama lokuba bangabaFarisi, gama elo elalibalaselisa iyantlukwano. Baziwa ngelokuba ngoorabhi kuphela, “izilumko zakwaSirayeli.” Ezi zilumko zaziza kumisela inkqubo eyayiza kulondoloza loo ngcamango yomthetho womlomo. Yayiza kuba yinkqubo yonqulo eyayingenakufane ihlaselwe ngokulula njengetempile.

Ukumiselwa Komthetho Odluliselwa Ngomlomo

Nangona ngoku iziko lemfundo eliphambili loorabhi lalisele liseYavneh (emalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-40 kwintshona yeYerusalem), kwaqala kwavela namanye amaziko awayefundisa umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo kulo lonke elakwaSirayeli yaye anaba ada aya kuma ngeBhabhiloni neRoma. Noko ke, oku kwadala ingxaki. USteinsaltz usichazela oku: “Ngelaa xesha zonke izilumko zazindawonye yaye umsebenzi ophambili wokufundisa wawusingethwe liqela elinye lamadoda [awayeseYerusalem], kwakulondolozwe isithethe esifanayo. Kodwa ukwanda kwabafundisi nokumiselwa kwamaziko amatsha emfundo . . . kwavelisa ingxubevange yemigaqo neendlela zokuyichaza.”

Abafundisi bomthetho womlomo babebizwa ngokuba ziiTannaim, gama elo eliphuma kwelesiAramiki elithetha “ukufundisisa,” “ukuphindaphinda,” okanye “ukufundisa.” Oku kwakugxininisa indlela ababewufunda nababewufundisa ngayo umthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo ngokuwuphindaphinda nokuwucengceleza. Ukuze kube lula ukuwucengceleza umthetho womlomo, umthetho okanye isithethe ngasinye sasifinyezwa sibe libinzana elifutshane nelihlab’ emxholweni. Kuba lula kakhulu ukwenza oko xa amagama embalwa. Kwakusetyenziswa indlela enesingqi nebumbongo yaye amabinzana ayesoloko eculwa. Ukanti, le migaqo yayingalungelelananga, yaye mfundisi ngamnye wayeyichaza ngendlela yakhe.

Urabhi wokuqala owakwaziyo ukuqoqosha loo ngxubevange yezithethe ezidluliselwa ngomlomo yayinguAkiba ben Joseph (malunga nowama-50-135 C.E.). Ethetha ngaye, uSteinsaltz ubhala athi: “Oogxa bakhe babemfanisa nomsebenzi ophuma aye emasimini aze avune kwanto nje ephambi konyawo ayifake kwingobozi yakhe, aze athi esakufika ekhaya acwangcise yonk’ into kakuhle. UAkiba lo wafundisisa loo mxube wemibandela waza wawahlulahlula kakuhle wayimibandela eyahlukahlukeneyo.”

Kwinkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo—kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-60 emva kokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem—kwaqhambuka imvukelo yesibini yamaYuda nxamnye namaRoma ikhokelwa nguBar Kokhba. Kwakhona, loo mvukelo yabangela enye intlekele. UAkiba noninzi lwabalandeli bakhe babengabanye bamaxhoba aphantse abe sisigidi angamaYuda. Aphela kwathi tu amathemba okwakhiwa kwakhona kwetempile xa uMlawuli waseRoma uHadrian wathi amaYuda angaze aluthi cakatha unyawo eYerusalem, ngaphandle kwaxa esenza isikhumbuzo sokutshatyalaliswa kwetempile.

IiTannaim ezaziphila emva koAkiba azizange ziyibone itempile yaseYerusalem. Kodwa loo nkqubo yokufundisisa izithethe zomthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo yaba “yitempile,” okanye iziko lonqulo kuzo. Loo msebenzi wawuqaliswe nguAkiba nabafundi bakhe wokuqinisa inkqubo yomthetho womlomo yagqityezelwa yiTannaim yokugqibela, uJudah ha-Nasi.

Ukuqulunkqwa KweMishnah

UJudah ha-Nasi wayeyinzala kaHillel noGamaliyeli.b Ekubeni wazalwa ebudeni bemvukelo kaBar Kokhba, waba yinkokeli yamaYuda kwaSirayeli ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane yesibini ukuya kutsho ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesithathu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. Isibizo esithi ha-Nasi sithetha “inkosana,” nto leyo ebonisa isikhundla awayekuso kwamanye amaYuda. Ngokuqhelekileyo udla ngokubizwa ngokuthi Rabhi. UJudah ha-Nasi wayekhokela kwiziko lakhe lemfundo nakwiSanhedrin, okokuqala eBet She’arim yaye kamva eSepphoris eGalili.

Kuba eqonda ukuba ungquzulwano namaRoma lusenokuphazamisana nokudluliselwa komthetho ngomlomo, uJudah ha-Nasi wazimisela ukusebenzisa inkqubo eyayiza kuqinisekisa ukuba uyalondolozwa. Waqokelela iingcungela zabaphengululi kwelo ziko lakhe lemfundo. Zazixovula ngongoma nganye yomthetho odluliselwa ngomlomo neyesithethe. Izigqibo ezazifikelelwa kwezi ngxubusho zadityaniswa zangamabinzana amafutshane, kusetyenziswa isimbo semibongo yesiHebhere.

Ezi zigqibo zalandelelaniswa kakuhle zaba ziinxalenye ezintandathu ezinkulu, okanye imiYalelo, ilandelelana ngokwemixholo. UJudah wazahlulahlula zangamacandelo amancinane okanye iinxalenye ezingama-63. Waba ke usigqibile esi sakhiwo sokomoya. Ukuza kuthi ga kwelo thuba, ezo zithethe zazisoloko zidluliselwa ngomlomo. Kodwa ukuze zikhuselwe ngakumbi, kwafuneka kuthatyathwe amanyathelo athe xhaxhe—kubhalwe phantsi yonke into. Le ndlela intsha nenik’ umdla yokulondoloza umthetho womlomo yabizwa ngokuba yiMishnah. Igama elithi Mishnah lisuka kwelesiHebhere elithi sha·nahʹ, elithetha “ukuphindaphinda,” “ukufundisisa,” okanye “ukufundisa.” Liyafana nelesiAramiki elithi tenaʼʹ, ekusuka kulo elithi tan·na·ʼimʹ, gama elo elalisetyenziswa kubafundisi beMishnah.

Injongo yeMishnah yayingekokumisela imithetho esisiseko. Ubukhulu becala yayixubusha ngeemeko ezikhethekileyo, ekubeni abafundi babemele ukuba bayayazi imigaqo esisiseko. Eneneni, yayishwankathela oko kwakuxutyushwa nokwakufundiswa kumaziko emfundo oorabhi ngexesha likaJudah ha-Nasi. IMishnah yayiza kuba yinto owawuza kuxoxelwa phezu kwayo umthetho womlomo kwixa elizayo, ube sisikhokelo, okanye isiseko, ekwakuza kwakhelwa phezu kwaso.

Kunokuba icacise nantoni na eyanikwa uMoses kwiNtaba yeSinayi, iMishnah ibek’ umnwe ekucaciseni umthetho womlomo, oziingcamango ezeza nabaFarisi. Inkcazelo ebhalwe kwiMishnah ichaphazela izinto ezithile ezikwiZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike kwakunye neengxubusho ezithile zikaYesu Kristu nabaFarisi. Noko ke, kufuneka silumke kuba iingcamango ezikwiMishnah ziqulethe iimbono zamaYuda ukususela kwinkulungwane yesibini yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo. IMishnah ibekho ngexesha eliphakathi kwetempile yesibini neTalmud.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

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Iinxalenye ZeMishnah

IMishnah yahlulahlulwe yayimiYalelo emithandathu. Le miyalelo iziincwadana ezingama-63, okanye iinxalenye, ezahlulahlulwe zazizahluko kunye neemishnayot, okanye iziqendu (kungekhona iindinyana).

1. IZeraim (IMithetho Yezolimo) Ezi nxalenye ziquka iingxubusho ezingokuthandazela ukutya nemicimbi yezolimo. Kwakhona ziquka imiyalelo engezishumi, iinxalenye ezinikwa ababingeleli, ukubhikica neminyaka yeSabatha.

2. IMoed (Iziganeko Ezingcwele, Imithendeleko) Iinxalenye ezikulo mYalelo zixubusha imithetho ephathelele iSabatha, umHla Wocamagusho, neminye imithendeleko.

3. INashim (Amabhinqa, UMthetho Womtshato) Ezi ziinxalenye ezixubusha ngomtshato noqhawulo-mtshato, izifungo, abaHlulwa, namatyala okurhanelwa ngokukrexeza.

4. INezikin (Umonakalo NoMthetho Wezentlalo) Iinxalenye ezikulo mYalelo ziphethe imibandela enokuthanani nemithetho yentlalo neyemihlaba, iinkundla nezigwebo, umsebenzi weSanhedrin, unqulo-zithixo, izifungo ezinzulu neHambo yeeNkokeli (Avot).

5. IKodashim (Amadini) Ezi nxalenye zixubusha imimiselo enokuthanani namadini ezilwanyana neminikelo yengqolowa kwakunye nemilinganiselo yobungakanani betempile.

6. IToharot (Izithethe Zokuhlambulula) Lo mYalelo uneenxalenye ezixubusha ngokuhlanjululwa ngokwesithethe, ukuhlamba umzimba, ukuhlamba izandla, izifo zesikhumba nokuhlanjululwa kwezinto ezahlukeneyo.

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IMishnah NeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGRike

UMateyu 12:1, 2 uthi: “Ngelo xesha uYesu wayehamba kumasimi okudla okuziinkozo ngesabatha. Abafundi bakhe balamba baza baqala ukunquthula izikhwebu zokudla okuziinkozo baza badla. Bakukubona oku abaFarisi bathi kuye: ‘Khangela! Abafundi bakho benza oko kungekho mthethweni ukuba kwenziwe ngesabatha.’” IZibhalo ZesiHebhere azikwaleli oko kwenziwa ngabafundi bakaYesu. Kodwa kwiMishnah kukho udederhu lwemisebenzi engama-39 eyalelweyo ngoorabhi ngeSabatha.—Shabbat 7:2.

UMateyu 15:3 uthi: “Ekuphenduleni [uYesu] wathi kubo: ‘Kutheni nani nigqitha umyalelo kaThixo ngenxa yesithethe senu?’” IMishnah iyasiqinisekisa eso simo sengqondo. (Sanhedrin 11:3) Sifunda oku: “Eyona nto ilandelwa ngokungqongqo [kukugcinwa] kwamazwi abaBhali ngaphezu [kokugcinwa] kwamazwi oMthetho [obhaliweyo]. Ukuba umntu uthe, ‘Akunyanzelekanga ukunxiba amaqhaga ezikhumbuzo’ esophula umthetho wamazwi oMthetho, akanatyala; [kodwa ukuba uthe], ‘Amele ahlulahlulwe kahlanu’, ngaloo ndlela esongeza kumazwi abaBhali, unetyala.”—The Mishnah, nguHerbert Danby, iphepha 400.

Eyabase-Efese 2:14: “Kuba [uYesu] uluxolo lwethu, yena lowo wawenza amaqela amabini aba liqela elinye waza walutshabalalisa udonga oluphakathi olwaluluthango oluwahlukanisayo.” IMishnah ithi: “Ngaphakathi kwiNtaba yeTempile kwakukho umda (iSoreg), owawungangobubanzi bezandla ezilishumi ubude.” (Middot 2:3) IiNtlanga zazingavumelekanga ukudlula kule ndawo nokungena kwintendelezo engaphakathi. Umpostile uPawulos usenokuba wayebhekisela kolo donga ngokufuziselayo xa wayebhalela abase-Efese ngowama-60 okanye ngowama-61 C.E., ngoxa lwalusekho. Olo donga lokomfuziselo yayingumnqophiso woMthetho, owawusahlula amaYuda kwiiNtlanga kangangexesha elide. Noko ke, ngenxa yokufa kukaKristu ngowama-33 C.E., olo donga lwadilizwa.