The History of the Mishnah

The Jewish people were led by Zugot, or rabbinic pairs, who taught the binding natures of both the Written Law and the Oral Law, during the first and second centuries BCE. Jewish practice dramatically changed after the destruction of the Second Temple as the community focus shifted from Temple rituals to Torah learning. Threats of Roman persecution also grew, and Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi feared that the Jewish community would become fragmented and any oral traditions would be lost. At that point, he made a bold decision: he wrote down the Oral Law in a book called the Mishnah.