The Rules of the Oral Transmission of the Mishnah According to the Aleppo Tradition

This study presents in outline the results of research designed to understand the laws governing the oral transmission of the Mishnah, the Jewish Oral Law. This compilation was originally orally transmitted and remained so until the end of the second century C.E., when it was committed to writing. Even after being fixed in writing, it was read and studied in Jewish communities without the aid of graphic signs such as the accents system used for reading the biblical texts. The vital importance of the Mishnah in the preservation of Jewish cultural identity, and the public character of its study, lead to the question whether the oral transmission obeys certain rules intended to ensure continuity and stability.