Editing Pharisees (section)

=== Innovators or preservers ===
The Mishna in the beginning of Avot and (in more detail) [[Maimonides]] in his Introduction to {{transliteration|he|[[Mishneh Torah]]}} records a chain of tradition ({{transliteration|he|mesorah}}) from Moses at Mount Sinai down to R' Ashi, redactor of the Talmud and last of the [[Amoraim]]. This chain of tradition includes the interpretation of unclear statements in the Bible (e.g. that the "fruit of a beautiful tree" refers to a [[citron]] as opposed to any other fruit), the methods of textual [[exegesis]] (the disagreements recorded in the Mishna and Talmud generally focus on methods of exegesis), and Laws with Mosaic authority that cannot be derived from the Biblical text (these include measurements (e.g. what amount of a non-kosher food must one eat to be liable), the amount and order of the scrolls to be placed in the phylacteries, etc.).

The Pharisees were also innovators in that they enacted specific laws as they saw necessary according to the needs of the time. These included prohibitions to prevent an infringement of a biblical prohibition (e.g. one does not take a Lulav on Shabbat "Lest one carry it in the public domain") called {{transliteration|he|gezeirot}}, among others. The commandment to read the {{transliteration|he|Megillah}} ([[Book of Esther]]) on [[Purim]] and to light the [[Menorah (Hanukkah)|Menorah]] on [[Hanukkah]] are Rabbinic innovations. Much of the legal system is based on "what the sages constructed via logical reasoning and from established practice".<ref>See [[Zvi Hirsch Chajes]] ''The Students Guide through the Talmud'' Ch. 15 (English edition by Jacob Schacter</ref> Also, the blessings before meals and the wording of the Amidah. These are known as [[Takanot]]. The Pharisees based their authority to innovate on the verses: "....according to the word they tell you... according to all they instruct you. According to the law they instruct you and according to the judgment they say to you, you shall do; you shall not divert from the word they tell you, either right or left" (Deuteronomy 17:10–11) (see ''Encyclopedia Talmudit'' entry "Divrei Soferim").

In an interesting twist, [[Abraham Geiger]] posits that the Sadducees were the more hidebound adherents to an ancient Halacha whereas the Pharisees were more willing to develop Halacha as the times required. See however, [[Bernard Revel]]'s "Karaite Halacha" which rejects many of Geiger's proofs.