Mekhilta - Structure

Structure

The Mekhilta begins with Ex. xii, this being the first legal section found in Exodus. That this is the beginning of the Mekhilta is shown by the Aruk s.v. טמא, and by the Seder Tannaim v'Amoraim (ed. S.D. Luzzatto, p. 12, Prague 1839). In like manner R. Nissim proves in his Mafteach (to Shab. 106b) that the conclusion of the Mekhilta which he knew corresponded with that of the Mekhilta now extant. In printed editions the Mekhilta is divided into nine "massektot," each of which is further subdivided into "parshiyyot". The nine massektot are as follows:

  1. "Massekta de-Pesah", covering the pericope "Bo" (quoted as "Bo"), Ex. xii.1–xiii.16, and containing an introduction, "petikta," and 18 sections.
  2. "Massekta de-Vayehi "Beshalach" (quoted as "Besh."), ib., xiii.17–xiv.31, containing an introduction and 6 sections.
  3. "Massekta de-Shirah," (quoted as "Shir"), ib., xv.1–21, containing 10 sections.
  4. "Massekta de-Vayassah," (quoted as "Vay."), ib., xv.22–xvii.7, containing 6 sections.
  5. "Massekta de-Amalek", consisting of two parts:
    1. the part dealing with Amalek (quoted as "Am."), ib., xvii.8–16, containing 2 sections.
    2. the beginning of the pericope "Yitro" (quoted as "Yitro"), ib., xviii.1–27, containing 2 sections.
  6. "Massekta de-Bahodesh," (quoted as "Bah."), ib., xix.1–20, 26, containing 11 sections.
  7. "Massekta de-Nezikin," ib., xxi.1–xxii.23. (see next)
  8. "Massekta de-Kaspa," ib., xxii.24–xxiii.19; these last two messektot, which belong to the pericope "Mishpatim" contain 20 sections consecutively numbered, and are quoted as "Mish."
  9. "Massekta de-Shabbeta", containing 2 sections:
    1. covering the pericope "Ki Tisa" (quoted as "Ki"), ib., xxxi.12–17
    2. covering the pericope "Vayakhel" (quoted as "Vayak"), ib., xxxv.1–3

The Mekhilta comprises altogether 77, or, if the two introductions be included, 79 sections. All the editions, however, state at the end that there are 82 sections (comp. I.H. Weiss l.c. p. 28; M. Friedmann, l.c. pp. 78–80).

Read more about this topic:  Mekhilta

Famous quotes containing the word structure:

    “What is the most rigorous law of our being? Growth. No smallest atom of our moral, mental, or physical structure can stand still a year. It grows—it must grow; nothing can prevent it.”
    —Mark Twain [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835–1910)

    “For the structure that we raise,
    Time is with materials filled;
    Our to-days and yesterdays
    Are the blocks with which we build.”
    —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1809–1882)

    “There is no such thing as a language, not if a language is anything like what many philosophers and linguists have supposed. There is therefore no such thing to be learned, mastered, or born with. We must give up the idea of a clearly defined shared structure which language-users acquire and then apply to cases.”
    —Donald Davidson (b. 1917)