What is Rabbinic Judaism?

Rabbinic Judaism developed after the time of Jesus and continued for several centuries. It grew out of the teachings of the Pharisees after the Romans destroyed the Jerusalem temple in AD 70. During this period, Jewish religious life centered on the teachings of the rabbis who preserved and interpreted the oral tradition alongside the law of Moses. Much of this oral tradition was later written down in the Mishnah and the Talmud. The period also highlights the contrast between Jesus’ teaching and the traditions promoted by many Jewish religious leaders.

The foundations of Rabbinic Judaism were laid around the time of Jesus, but it became firmly established after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. The word rabbi means "my master" or "my teacher." The New Testament contains some of the earliest known written uses of the term. Jewish students used rabbi as a respectful title for their teachers. Disciples called Jesus rabbi (John 4:31), and others addressed Him by that title as well (Mark 10:51; John 3:2).

The Pharisees taught that the Jewish oral law carried the same authority as the written law of Moses. The rabbis continued to preserve and teach the oral tradition. According to rabbinic teaching, the oral law explained and applied the 613 commandments found in the first five books of the Bible. The rabbis believed that God gave both the written law and the oral law to Moses, instructing him to pass the oral law from generation to generation by word of mouth.

When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple, the system of temple worship and animal sacrifices came to an end. Afterward, the Pharisee Johanan ben Zakkai helped preserve Jewish religious life by supporting rabbis in teaching and interpreting the law of Moses. In time, they wrote down much of the oral law that had previously been passed on by word of mouth.

The Mishnah is the earliest major written compilation of the Jewish oral law. Rabbis completed it around AD 200. It is organized into six divisions that cover subjects such as agriculture, festivals, marriage and family life, civil and criminal law, temple sacrifices, and ritual purity.

The Talmud, completed around AD 500, expands on the Mishnah and includes additional discussions and teachings. At more than two million words, it is over five times longer than the Old Testament. The Talmud remains one of the foundational texts of Rabbinic Judaism and continues to inform Jewish belief and practice today.

The Jewish people carefully preserved a large body of oral teaching about the law of Moses. Yet, Jesus challenged the authority that many religious leaders gave to these traditions. Although He was called Rabbi, Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for “setting aside” God's commands in favor of their own traditions (Mark 7:9). In doing so, He rejected the idea that human traditions carried the same authority as God's written Word (Mark 7:1–23).

For example, Jesus repeatedly challenged the religious leaders' interpretation of the Sabbath. The Mishnah lists thirty-nine categories of work that were prohibited on that day. In contrast, Jesus demonstrated that their man-made regulations had distorted God's purpose for the Sabbath. He healed people on the Sabbath despite strong opposition from the religious leaders (Matthew 12:1–13; Luke 13:10–17).

Rabbinic Judaism established many of the beliefs and practices that continue to define Judaism today. Rabbis became the primary teachers and interpreters of Jewish law, while the Mishnah and the Talmud preserved and explained the Jewish oral tradition. However, Jesus taught that God's truth is found in His Word rather than in human traditions. His life and teaching pointed people away from reliance on rabbinic tradition and toward faith and obedience to Him.