Sifra

Sifra is an early rabbinic interpretive work focused on explaining Torah law through close reading of the biblical text. Its name, Sifra, means “the book” in Aramaic, a title that signals its function as a standard guide for interpretation. Sifra works by analyzing wording, structure, and repetition in scripture to show how legal meaning is derived. Rather than summarizing the Torah, it demonstrates how obligations and rules are drawn from the text itself. As a model of rabbinic legal interpretation, Sifra played an important role in shaping how later rabbinic literature approached the study and expansion of Torah law.