Mishneh Torah

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mishneh-torah

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who wrote Mishneh Torah?Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides/Rambam)
2. What is the compilation period?1170-1180 CE
3. What is the location of compilation?Egypt
4. Why did Maimonides write the Mishneh Torah?He wanted a clear guide that lets someone who knows the Torah find all the rules in one place, so they don't have to look in many other books.
5. How is the Mishneh Torah organized?It has fourteen books, each about a different area of law, and each book is split into chapters and short paragraphs, making it easy to find the rule you need.

Magnum Opus: An artist's or writer's greatest work, considered their masterpiece.
Halakha: The collective body of Jewish religious laws and customs, derived from the Torah and rabbinic interpretation.
Talmud: A foundational text of Rabbinic Judaism, comprising legal discussions, ethical teachings, and historical narratives, central to Jewish scholarship.
Oral Law: The body of Jewish law and tradition transmitted verbally from generation to generation before being codified.