Tosefta

The Tosefta is a rabbinic work closely related to the Mishnah and organized in a similar topical structure. Its name means “addition” or “supplement,” reflecting its function. The Tosefta includes material that parallels the Mishnah, elaborates on it, or preserves alternate formulations and teachings that were not included in the Mishnah’s final form. Like other early rabbinic texts, it records multiple viewpoints and assumes an interpretive setting shaped by oral transmission. The Tosefta is important for understanding how rabbinic law developed and how the Mishnah was read, expanded, and discussed in early rabbinic circles.