Tosefta

The Tosefta ( "supplement, addition") is a compilation of Jewish Oral Law from the late second century CE, the period of the Mishnah and the Jewish sages known as the Tannaim.

== Background == Jewish teachings of the Tannaitic period were characteristically transmitted orally, and consisted of short sayings presented with or without attribution, which were memorized through repetition (Shanah in Hebrew) and recited in halls of study. These teachings were primarily concerned with laws and customs (Halacha), though they also included non-legal traditions (Aggada), as well as supplementary material (Tosefta) which was appended later to traditions which warranted clarification or addition of legal material. The Halacha, Aggada, and Tosefta collectively served as the foundation of the Oral Torah and the primary focus of study for the sages during the first two centuries CE. The oral traditions were no doubt transmitted as different collections by different scholars, though the Babylonian Talmud refers to a fixed work known as Tosefta, which was an integral part of a scholar's education. Geonic sources attest to the existence of a single work named Tosefta which is identical to the Tosefta known today.