Introduction to the Tosefta (Part 5) – Commentaries on the Tosefta

Commentaries on the Tosefta

The Tosefta has not been privileged to a large number of commentaries like the Mishna or Talmud Bavli. There are no dedicated commentaries on the Tosefta from the Rishonim (Medieval Authorities), although many Rishonim quote the Tosefta on many occasions in their commentaries on the Mishna and Talmud Bavli. I have compiled a list of all of the dedicated commentaries on the Tosefta that are known to me, although it is possible that there are other commentaries on the Tosefta that I am not aware of.

1)      Magen Avraham by Rav Avraham Aveli Halevi Gombiner from Kalisz, the author of the commentary Magen Avraham on the Shulchan Aruch. Amsterdam 1732 and in the back of the Vilna Talmud Bavli. Seder Nezikin only.

2)      Yam Yissachar by Rav Yissachar Ben Carmoly. Metz 1769. Masechta Beitza only.

3)      Chasdei David by Rav David Pardo. Covers the whole Tosefta. Sedarim Zerayim, Moed and Nashim were originally published in Livorno, in 1776. Seder Nezikin was published in Livorno, in 1790. Seder Kadshim was published in Jerusalem, in 1890. And finally in 1977, Seder Taharot was published by Wagshal Publishing together with the rest of commentary, set in a new typeset, in 10 volumes. And abridged version of this commentary is also printed in the back of the Vilna Talmud Bavli.

4)      Toledot Yitzchak, by Rav Yitzchak Itzik Halevi Ben Shlomo Zalman of Lemgau, written in Amsterdam and Groningen 1776-1800. The commentary covers the following Masechtot: Shabbat, Eruvin, Pesachim, Beitza, Rosh Hashanah, Yoma, Megillah, Shekalim, Yevamot, Ketubot, Kiddushin, Gittin, Nedarim, Nazir, Sotah, Bava Kamma, Bava Metzia, Bava Batra, Avodah Zarah, Sanhedrin, Shavuot, Makkot, Ediot, Horayot, Zevachim, Menachot, Chulin, Keritut, and Mikvaot. The author was chief rabbi of Groningen until his death in 1801. His cousin, Yitzchak Ben Mordechai tried to have the work printed. He published a broad sheet with proofs from the manuscript in 1801, to propagate the work and attract subscribers, but without results. In 1809 the author’s pupil Rav Avraham Prins tried it again and reprinted the broad sheet at the end of his work, Likkutei Tzvi, Amsterdam, 1809, but again in vain. Currently the majority of the work remains in manuscript kept in the University of Amsterdam Library, Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana, Manuscript  #2. Chapter 3 of Yoma was published in Journal Yeshurun, Volume 9, pp. 76-91. The commentary on Masechta Megillah was published by Machon Ofek in 2001 with notes by Rabbi Avraham Shoshana.

5)      Commentary of the Gra (Vilna Gaon) on the Tosefta. Vilna 1799. Seder Zerayim only. Printed under the title Hatosefta.

6)      Commentary of Rav Yonah Bar Gershon from Vilna. Vilna 1799. Seder Zerayim only. Printed together with the commentary of the Gra in Hatosefta.

7)      Tosafot Bikkurim by Rav Menachem Nachum Ben Yehudah Leib from Tchais. Shklov 1809. Seder Moed only. On the title page of this edition it says that the author wrote a commentary on four Sedarim of the Tosefta: Moed, Nashim, Nezikin and Kadshim. However it seems that only the commentary on Moed was printed.

8)      Tanna Tosfaa by Rav Shmuel Avigdor Bar Avraham Tosfaa from Karlin. Vilna 1837. Seder Nashim only. The commentary is divided into 3 parts: Minchat Bikkurim which is a detailed commentary based on the two Talmuds, Ittur Bikkurim which is a discussion of Halacha and Mitzpeh Shmuel, which is an index of where the same or similar Beraitot appear in the Talmuds. This separate edition was published on Seder Nashim only, however commentaries Minchat Bikkurim and Mitzpeh Shmuel were published in the back of the Vilna Talmud Bavli edition of the Tosefta on the whole Tosefta in 1861, as listed separately below.

9)      Tosefet Yerushalayim by Rav Yisrael Isser Ben Mordechai. Vilna 1871. A summary of Halachot (laws) from the Tosefta.

10)   Vehaya Beracha by Rav Tzvi Elimelech Shapiro of Dinov, the author of Benei Yissaschar. Przemysl 1875. Chapter 1 of Masechta Berachot only.

11)   Minchat Bikkurim Rav Shmuel Avigdor Bar Avraham Tosfaa from Karlin. Vilna 1861 and 1881. Printed in the back of the Vilna Talmud Bavli. Covers the whole Tosefta.

12)   Mitzpeh Shmuel by Rav Shmuel Avigdor Bar Avraham Tosfaa from Karlin. Vilna 1861 and 1881. Printed in the back of the Vilna Talmud Bavli. Covers the whole Tosefta.

13)   Hagahot Hagra by the Gra (Vilna Gaon) as was found in a manuscript by Rav Shmuel Avigdor Bar Avraham Tosfaa from Karlin. Vilna 1881. Printed in the back of the Vilna Talmud Bavli. Covers the whole Tosefta.

14)   Ohr Haganuz. Notes with variant readings of the Tosefta. Printed in the back of the Vienna and Vilna Talmud Bavli Tosefta editions. According to the note printed on the title page these variations come from a Tosefta manuscript that was written in the Jewish year 4856 (1096).

15)   Nuschaot Kitvei Yad. Notes with variant readings of the Tosefta. Printed in the back of the Vilna Talmud Bavli Tosefta edition. According to the note printed on the title page these variant readings come from manuscripts found in various libraries (Batei Eked Sefarim), however which specific libraries and which specific manuscripts is not specified.

16)   Cheshek Shlomo by Rav Shlomo Leib Friedlander. Presbourg 1889-1890. Sedarim Zerayim and Nashim only.

17)   Minchat Yitzchak and Shirei Mincha by Rav Yitzchak Hakohen Schwadron. Jerusalem 1889-1914. Seder Zerayim and Masechta Shabbat only.

18)   Higayon Aryeh by Rav Aryeh Schwartz. Vilna 1890 – Frankfurt Am Main 1901, 1912. Seder Zerayim and Masechtot Bava Kama and Chulin only.

19)   Techelet Mordechai by Rav Mordechai Friedman (Ish Shalom). Paks (Hungary) 1895-1901. Seder Moed only.

20)   Chazon Yechezkel by Rav Yechezkel Abramsky. Vilna 1925 – Jerusalem 1975. Covers the whole Tosefta.

21)   Otzar Lashon Hatosefta by Rav Chaim Yehoshua Kosovsky. Jerusalem 1933. Concordance on the Tosefta.

22)   Mishna and Tosefta, a Comparative Study in English, Tractate Shabbat, by Boaz Cohen. JTS, New York 1935. Masechta Shabbat only.

23)   Tosefet Rishonim by Professor Saul Lieberman. Jerusalem 1937. Reprinted by JTS in 4 volumes. Covers the whole Tosefta.

24)   Tosefta Mefureshet by Rav Asher Fritzker. Tel Aviv 1938. Published under the title Tosefta Shleima. Masechta Shabbat only.

25)   Mishna Vehatosefta by Yakov Meir Zelkind. Haifa, 1939. Masechta Berachot only.

26)   Tosefta Kepshuta by Professor Saul Lieberman. Sedarim Zerayim, Moed and Nashim published by JTS, New York, in 1955. Seder Nezikin published by JTS in 1988. 8 volumes.

27)   Short commentary by Professor Saul Lieberman published together with his critical edition of the Tosefta. Sedarim Zerayim, Moed and Nashim published by JTS, New York, in 1955. Seder Nezikin published by JTS in 1988. 4 volumes.

28)   Mishnat Yosef by Rav Yosef Lieberman. Jerusalem 1986. Masechta Sheviit only. Printed under the title Tosefta Sheviit.

29)   Commentary on Tosefta Bava Kamma by Professor Abraham Goldberg. Hebrew University Magnes Press, Jerusalem 2001. Masechta Bava Kamma only.

30)   Tosefta Atikta by Professor Shamma Friedman. Bar Ilan University Press, Ramat Gan 2003. Masechta Pesachim only.

Translations of the Tosefta

There are a few extant translations of the Tosefta, some complete, some partial, into English and into German. The following list is a summary of the published translations that I am aware of.

1)      Tractate Sanhedrin, Mishna and Tosefta translated from the Hebrew with brief annotations, by Herbert Danby. New York 1919.

2)      Tractate Berakoth, Mishna and Tosephta, translated from the Hebrew, with introduction and notes, by A. Lukyn Williams. New York 1921.

3)      Sukkah, Mishna and Tosefta with introduction, translation and short notes, by A.W Greenup. London 1925.

4)      Die Tosefta Traktats Qiddusin des Vübersetzt und Erklärt, by Philipp Schlesinger. Wurzburg 1934. In German. Masechta Kiddushin only.

5)      Der Tosefta Traktat Jöm Tob, Einleitung, Text, Obersetzung und Erklärung, by Michael Kern. Wurzburg 1934. In German. Masechta Beitza only.

6)      The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction, by Jacob Neusner. Hendrickson Publishers, 2002. English translation of the complete Tosefta.

Books about the Tosefta

Besides commentaries and translations there have been written a few books that discuss the origin, history and style of the Tosefta. I have summarized the ones that I am aware of below.

1)      Mechkarim Beberaita Vetosefta by Chanoch Albeck. Jerusalem 1944. In Hebrew.

2)      Die Toseftaperiode in der Tannaitischen Literatur by Arthur Spanier. Berlin 1922. In German.

3)      The Tosefta: an introduction by Jacob Neusner. Scholars Press, 1992.

4)      Mishnah and Tosefta: a synoptic comparison of the tractates Berakhot and Shebiit, by Alberdina Houtman. Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen 1996.