Rabbinic literature

Rabbinic literature, in the broadest sense, is any literature written by Rabbis concerning Judaism. It is better restricted though, to that literature which has achieved some degree of canonicity among Jews (or at least some Jews). In that sense, it would include:

• The Mishnah and Tosefta

• Talmud Bavli (the Babylonian Talmud) and Talmud Yerushalami (the Talmud of the Land of Israel, also called the Palestinian Talmud).

• The various Midrash compilations

• The commentaries on the Bible, such as those by Rashi and Abraham ibn Ezra.

• The commentaries on the Talmud, such as those by Rashi.

• The legal codes, such as the Tur, the Shulkhan Arukh, etc.

• The responsa literature.

• Kabbalistic works

• Philosophical works by Saadia Gaon, Maimonides, Gersonides, Nahmanides, Abraham ibn Ezra, and others

• Ethical works produced by the classical rabbis, such as Bahya ibn Paquda, the Mussar Movement, or modern authors.

• Hasidic works

Bibliography

"Back to the Sources: Reading the Classic Jewish Texts", Barry W. Holtz, Summit Books.

"Introduction to Rabbinic Literature" Jacob Neusner, Anchor Bible Reference Library/Doubleday

"Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash", H. L. Strack and G. Stemberger, Fortress Press

Shemuel Safrai and Peter J. Tomsan "The Literature of the Sages: Oral Torah, Halakha, Mishna, Tosefta, Talmud, External Tractates" Fortress, 1987