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The Great Assembly

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The Teachings of the Great Assembly
MISHNAH
The transmission of the Torah from Moses to the Men of the Great Assembly includes foundational teachings that shape Jewish ethical conduct. Pirkei Avot, a work of ancient rabbinic ethics and wisdom from the land of Israel, emphasizes ethical and moral teachings, including the importance of patience in justice, raising many disciples, and making a fence around the Torah.
Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.
Pirkei Avot 1:1
The Depths of Prayer
JEWISH THOUGHT
The prayers established by the Great Assembly contain profound and unfathomable depths that even the greatest sages and mystics can only partially grasp. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin’s Nefesh HaChayim delves into the significance and depth of traditional Jewish prayers, emphasizing their spiritual and mystical dimensions.
Pay close attention to his words, that he didn’t say to attend to the intention of the words, for in truth, none of us understand the slightest about the depths of the inner meaning of the prayer, for even what has been revealed to us about a few of the intentions of the prayer from our earliest sages (OBM, supernal holy ones), until the recent holy rabbi, man of God-Elohi”m, the awe-inspiring Ariza”l, who achieved wonders and greatness authoring incredible intentional-meditations, are not, in comparison…
Nefesh HaChayim, Gate II 13:2
The Architects of the Tanakh
TALMUD
The Great Assembly played a pivotal role in shaping the Hebrew Bible, with specific contributions from various individuals and groups. The Talmudic tractate Bava Batra provides insights into the authorship of different books of the Tanakh, including mnemonic devices to remember these attributions.
Jeremiah wrote his own book, and the book of Kings, and Lamentations. Hezekiah and his colleagues wrote the following, and a mnemonic to remember which books they wrote is yod, mem, shin, kuf: Isaiah [Yeshaya], Proverbs [Mishlei], Song of Songs [Shir HaShirim], and Ecclesiastes [Kohelet]. The members of the Great Assembly wrote the following, and a mnemonic to remember these books is kuf, nun, dalet, gimmel: Ezekiel [Yeḥezkel ], and the Twelve Prophets [Sheneim Asar]…
Bava Batra 15a:2
Restoring the Grandeur of Prayer
TALMUD
The sages restored the grandeur of God's attributes and redefined Jewish prayer after the Babylonian exile. The Jerusalem Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism and a compilation of teachings and discussions of Jewish law, recounts the contributions of these historical figures in shaping Jewish liturgy and restoring religious practices.
There are Tannaim who state, he opens, looks, rolls up, and recites the benediction. There are Tannaim who state, he opens, looks, and recites the benediction. Rebbi Ze`ira, Abba bar Jeremiah, Rav Mattanah in the name of Samuel, Practice follows him who said, he opens, looks, and recites the benediction. And what is the reason? When he opened it, the entire people stood up. What is written afterwards? Ezra praised the Eternal, the Great God. In what did he declare Him great? Rebbi Giddul said, by the explicit Name. Rav Mattanah said, he declared Him great by the benediction…
Jerusalem Talmud Megillah 3:7:6
Foundations of Jewish Law
REFERENCE
The judicial and legislative decisions of the Great Assembly, such as interpreting 'an eye for an eye' as monetary compensation, are foundational to Jewish law. This historical assembly of Jewish sages and leaders during the Second Temple period standardized religious practices and communal norms.
The Great Synagogue also appointed judges in all places where Jews resided so that everyone could find justice according to the laws of the Torah. They determined the content of “Tefillin” and “Mezuzoth” on the door posts and tightened all prohibitions, even forbidding many things which were previously permitted. This was done to prevent laxity in the observance of all prohibitions. The commandment of the Torah “an eye for an eye” they interpreted to mean that monetary compensation should be granted to the victim for the damage caused him instead of the literal meaning which is implied in…
The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume I; The Creators of the Mishna, Introduction 26
The Gradual Decline of Prophetic Inspiration
MUSAR
The decline of the Holy Spirit and prophetic inspiration marks a significant spiritual shift in Jewish history. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz, in his 17th-century work Shenei Luchot HaBerit, traces this decline from the time of Shimon Hatzaddik through the Second Temple period.
The third period, the one we described as commencing with the establishment of the second Temple, commenced with Shimon Hatzaddik, and continued during the entire period of the reign of the Greeks, and is called the domain of חציבה. Shimon Hatzaddik himself is described in Avot 1,2, as משירי אנשי כנסת הגדולה, "as a member of the remnants of the men of the Great Assembly, the period during which the last of the Books of the Bible were edited. The Holy Spirit that was available during those years continued to decrease until the destruction of the second Temple.
Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Chukat, Torah Ohr 43
From Kings to Sages
COMMENTARY
The transition of leadership from kings and priests to sages after the destruction of the Second Temple ensured the continuity of Jewish tradition. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, in his commentary on the Torah portion Pinchas, discusses how the sages became the heirs to the prophets, maintaining the chain of transmission from Moses to the men of the Great Assembly.
This had immense social and political consequences. Throughout most of the biblical era, all three crowns were in operation. In addition to prophets, Israel had kings and an active priesthood serving in the Temple. The dynastic principle – leadership passing from father to son – still dominated two of the three roles. But with the destruction of the Second Temple, kingship and a functioning priesthood ceased. Leadership passed to the sages who saw themselves as heirs to the prophets. We see this in the famous one-sentence summary of Jewish history with which Tractate Avot (Ethics of the…
Covenant and Conversation; Numbers; The Wilderness Years, Pinchas, The Crown All Can Wear 22
The Foundations of Public Torah Readings and Prayers
GUIDES
Structured public Torah readings and guidelines for translations and prayers were established to address the linguistic and liturgical needs of the Jewish community during and after the Second Temple period. Adin Steinsaltz's work delves into the historical development of these practices, highlighting the contributions of Moses, Ezra, and the sages of that era.
The requirement to read the Torah publicly at specific times of the week dates back to the days of Moses. In the time of Ezra, the Men of the Great Assembly added further structure to this enactment, including additional public Torah readings and specific details with regard to how many readers are called to the Torah and how many verses they are required to read. In the time of the Second Temple, and certainly after that, Hebrew was no longer the spoken language of many Jews, and many individuals needed a translator to aid them in comprehending the public Torah readings…
Introductions to the Babylonian Talmud, Megillah, Introduction to Perek III 4
Foundations of Jewish Prayer
HALAKHAH
The contributions of the sages and prophets at the beginning of the Second Temple period are foundational to Jewish liturgical practice. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, in his contemporary presentation of Jewish law, Peninei Halakhah, details the specific prayers and blessings instituted by these early leaders, including the Shemoneh Esrei and the daily prayers.
Anshei Knesset HaGedolah instituted the prayers and the blessings (Berachot 33a). They established the wording of the Shemoneh Esrei and decided on the phrasing of all the berachot, including Birkot Keriat Shema and Birkot HaNehenin (blessings recited upon deriving pleasure from something). They also instituted the recital of the three daily prayers, Shacharit, Minchah, and Ma’ariv – Shacharit and Minchah as obligatory and Ma’ariv as optional.
Peninei Halakhah, Prayer 1:5:2
The Connection Between Prayer Times and Temple Offerings
KABBALAH
The times of Jewish prayers were established to correspond with the daily offerings in the Temple. The Zohar, a foundational work of Jewish mysticism, links the origins of Jewish prayer times to the daily sacrifices described in the Torah.
R. Simeon then rose up and they proceeded on their way, the stranger accompanying them as far as Tiberias. On the way R. Simeon said: ‘Observe that the members of the Great Synod instituted the prayers in correspondence to the fixed daily offerings, of which there were two, as it is written, “the one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer between the two evenings” (Num. 28, 4), that is, at the two periods which coincide with the periods of prayer.’
Zohar, Chayei Sara 23:244
The Language of the Amida
JEWISH THOUGHT
The Amida prayer was crafted using the language of Moses, emphasizing the importance of precise language in prayer. The Maharal of Prague, in his work Gevurot Hashem, explores the significance of using Moses' language for the Amida, rather than adding other words of praise.
The fact that the Men of the Great Assembly decreed that they should be included in the Amida proves that we do not say them to include words of praise but rather to create a set text for the Amida based on the language of Moses.
Gevurot Hashem 1:7
Foundations of the Oral Torah
HALAKHAH
The spiritual foundations of the Oral Torah were established to sustain Jewish faith and practice during 2,000 years of exile. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, in his contemporary presentation of Jewish law, Peninei Halakhah, provides an accessible and thorough presentation of the practical and spiritual aspects of Jewish law.
Through the protection afforded by political independence, Eretz Yisrael became, once again, the national and spiritual center of the Jewish people. Houses of study grew and flourished, fully expressing the injunction of the Men of the Great Assembly: “Produce many disciples and make a fence for the Torah” (Avot 1:1). The spiritual foundations of the Oral Torah, which enabled Jewry to safeguard its faith and its Torah for 2,000 years of harsh exile, were laid in those days.
Peninei Halakhah, Zemanim 11:5:3
Careful Judicial Deliberation
MIDRASH
Judges are encouraged to carefully consider each case individually, even if similar cases have been judged before. The Sifrei Devarim, a midrashic commentary on Deuteronomy, emphasizes the importance of judicial deliberation, setting up many disciples, and making a fence for the Torah.
(Devarim 1:16) ("And I charged your judges at that time, saying:hear among your brothers": He told them: Be deliberate in judgment. If a (similar) case comes before you one, two, or three times, do not say: I've already ruled on this several times, but be deliberate in (the) judgment (of each case). And thus did the men of the Great Assembly say. "Be deliberate in judgment, and set up many disciples, and make a fence for the Torah.")
Sifrei Devarim 16:1
The Guardians of Jewish Tradition
HALAKHAH
The assembly included some of the most notable figures in Jewish history, such as Chaggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and Daniel. Maimonides, in his famed 12th-century code of Jewish law, Mishneh Torah, details the members of this assembly and their role in preserving Jewish law and tradition during the Second Temple period.
[The members of] Ezra's court are referred to as Anshei K'nesset Hagedolah (the men of the great assembly). They included Chaggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Daniel, Chananiah, Mishael, Azariah, Nechemiah ben Chakaliah, Mordechai the linguist, Zerubavel and many other sages - 120 elders in all.
The last [surviving] member of this group was Shimon the Just. He was included among the 120 elders and received the Oral Law from all of them. He served as the High Priest after Ezra.
Mishneh Torah, Transmission of the Oral Law 7

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