Paterfamilias: Decoding the Secrets of Mishnah Avot - episode 4

Who guards the guardians?

First we note that the idea of establishing many students is a Hillel, not a Shammai, pedagogical approach. Next we examine the concept of siyag (fence, boundry) in the historical context of the 2nd century CE's various Jewish factions. We note the source for this idea seems to be Vayikra 18:30 (see Yevamot 21a) which itself is a rabbinic derivation.

The idea of siyag was a point of contention between the Pharisees, Sadducees, the Dead Sea Sect, the Christians and many others. Next time we will see how critical it is to determining which which disagreements are tolerated and which are not, within the Rabbinic (Pharisaic) Judaism of Rebbi's world.

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