The seven types of pharisees: historical context and reading rabbinic

“There are seven types of pharisees.” Talmud, Sotah 22b

1. Context: who were the pharisees and of where to go?

1.1. Historical origin of the movement pharisee

• The pharisees (perushim, “separated”) arise in the hellenistic period-hasmoneo (siglos II–I a. e. c.), as a group of pious laymen and teachers of the Law opposed to the excessive hellenization and the concentration of the religious power in the priestly aristocracy (which will give rise to the sadducees).
• Many scholars see them as the heirs of the chasidim (hasideans) referred to in 1 and 2 Maccabees: a group of pious who initially supported the revolt macabea, but later distanced himself when the fight became more political and dynastic.
• According to Josephus, to the I century a. e. c. I-d. e. c. the pharisees were a few 6.000 and had great influence on the common peoplein contrast with the elite priestly saducea.

1.2. Basic traits of self-righteousness

1. Authority of the “Tradition of the Fathers”
   Not limited to the written Torah, but that maintain a Oral torah (myths, halachot, customs) with regulatory authority.
2. Emphasis on purity and holiness in everyday life
   Extend criteria of purity priestly people in general (food, tithes, etc), which explains the name “separate”: to be separated from those who do not follow these rules.
3. Key doctrines
   • Belief in the resurrection of the deadin contrast to the sadducees.
   • Belief in angels, reward and punishment post-mortem.
   • Combination of divine providence and human responsibility.
4. Continuity with the rabbinic judaism
   After the destruction of the Temple (70 ce. e. c.), the line farisea is that which flows in the rabbinical judaism classic. That's why, in the rabbinic literature, the pharisees appear, in good measure, as the “ancestors” of the rabbis.

“The pharisees are the most accurate interpreters of the laws and have great authority among the people.” Flavius Josephus, jewish Antiquities 13.171

2. Groups and schools fariseas real in the era of the Second Temple

Historically we can talk about internal lines within the self-righteousness, but very few are documented as “schools” structured. The main ones are:

2.1. Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai

Are the two great schools halájicas fariseas the end of the Second Temple period.

• Hillel (active approx. the end of the first century a. e. c.) and Shammai (slightly later) are two teachers pharisees, whose interpretations of the Law to make two different styles.
• Their disciples are called Bet Hillel (House of Hillel) and Beth Shammai (the House of Shammai).

General nature of each school (simplifying what we get the sources rabbinical):

• Beth Hillel
  • More flexible in many standards.
  • Famous for emphasizing the mercy, peace, and accessibility of the Law.
  • Many halachot finally accepted continue to the opinion of Hillel.
• Beth Shammai
  • More strict and literalists in the interpretation.
  • On issues of purity, marriage, conversion of the gentiles, etc, tend to adopt the position more demanding.

Historically, these two schools are the “internal parties” pharisees more clear. But, counted thus, we are speaking of two schoolsnot seven.

2.2. Other distinctions internal (not “formal schools”)

The sources also appears:

• The distinction between chaverim (members committed to strictly observe purities and tithes) and am haaretz (people of the town, less strict), where the first tend to be linked to the circle pharisee.
• Within the movement there are pharisees closer to the political power and other more critical, especially in the time of Herod and the roman procurators.

But none of this is presented as a list of “seven groups of pharisees organized”. That number seven comes from the other side: the rabbinic literature.

3. The famous text of the “seven types of pharisees” (Sotah 22b)

3.1. The talmudic passage

In the Babylonian Talmud, treatise Sotah 22bdisplayed in a baraita (tradition tanaítica) that says:

“Our Rabbis taught: there are seven types of pharisees:
the pharisee shikmi,
the pharisee nikpi,
the pharisee kizai,
the pharisee medokiya (“majadero/pylon”),
the pharisee who always says ‘What is my duty to meet it?’,
the pharisee by love
and the pharisee from fear.”

The context is critical: we speak of the “plague of pharisees” (makat perushim), alluding to the hypocrisy and exhibitionism religious. The own Talmud makes it clear that not all of the pharisees go there: the text clearly distinguishes bad guys and good guys.

3.2. The seven types, one by one

The explanations exact vary slightly depending on the translation, but the schema is:

1. Pharisee shikmi (“shoulder” or Shechem)
   • Interpreted as the “takes the mitzvot on the shoulder”, that is to say, it exhibits their works for all to see, or which acts as the town of Shechem, who was circumcised by interest (Gen 34).
   • Image glitz and calculation: good reputation.
2. Pharisee nikpi
   • Is commonly understood as the “hit her feet” because you walk by dragging them to seem humble, or the one who gives tiny steps so as not to “sin”.
   • It is a caricature of false humilitya dramatization of the mercy.
3. Pharisee kizai (“pharisee of the injury/concussion”)
   • Traditionally: the who, to avoid looking at women, close your eyes and hit against the walls, hence their “wounds”.
   • Critical to a asceticism ridiculous and extreme that is not born from an upright heart, but an obsession with the own religious image.
4. Pharisee medokiya (“pestle”, “mortar”)
   • Is described as bent as a pestlealways with his head down to look like a devotee.
   • Again, irony against the body posture theatre of humility.
5. Pharisee “What is my obligation to do it?” (מה חובתי ואעשנה)
   • The one that constantly asks: “What other mitsvá should I do?”
   • The Talmud discusses whether it is a sincere attitude or calculator; often reads like the who looking to accumulate merits for its own accountalmost as an investor spiritual.
6. Pharisee by love (me ahavah)
   • The who fulfills the Torah for the love of God.
   • It is one of the two types of positive on the list: the ideal model.
7. Pharisee by fear (meyirá)
   • The who fulfills the Torah from fear of God, that is, with an awareness of the trial and punishment.
   • Although the reason for this is less perfect than the love, continues to be a pharisee true, not hypocritical.

In many interpretations of classical and modern is summarized as follows: five types of negative, one ambiguous and two positive (love and fear).

3.3. What are “schools” or “organized groups”?

No. This passage is:

• A ethical discourse and satiricalprobably based on real-life experiences of teachers with different types of disciples and colleagues.
• An example of the rabbis criticised the hypocrisy in your movement.

The Talmud it does not say that there are seven schools or currents structured, but seven ways to be a pharisee, i.e., types of spiritual and moral.

“Make and keep what I tell you; but not imitéis their works.” Matthew 23:3

4. Origin and circulation of the idea of “seven groups of pharisees”

4.1. From the Talmud to the subsequent literature

• The baraita of Sotah 22b is collected and commented on by many subsequent works (encyclopedias, jewish, popular articles, christian, etc).
• These works are generally explain that it is a self-criticism farisea similar to the criticism of Jesus to the pharisees hypocrites, and that there are even parallels between the “seven types of pharisees” and the “seven woes” of Matthew 23.

In some sermons and reviews for modern christians, this list has reread simplistic in its form as if they were “seven sects fariseas”, which does not accurately reflect the literary character of the original text.

4.2. Confusion with the true schools (Hillel and Shammai)

It is common to mix:

• The two schools real fariseas (Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai).
• With the “seven kinds” moral of Sotah 22b.

Hence depart phrases such as: “there Were seven groups or schools fariseas”, which, strictly speaking, are inaccurate if taken as a historical overview of the political map-a pharisee of the century I.

5. What it reveals to us this rating on the self-righteousness

5.1. Self-criticism rabbinic hypocrisy

The passage shows that:

• The own wise they saw the danger of hypocrisy within a movement that put so much emphasis on the piety visible and in the observance.
• Have No problem in speaking of a “plague of pharisees”; the message is clear: it is not enough to belong to the correct group or accumulate practices; the decisive factor is the intention (kavaná) and authenticity.

5.2. Internal diversity: the pharisee's authentic to the pharisee exhibitionist

The list suggests that, within the world pharisee, lived:

• Pharisees authenticserving God out of love or awe.
• Pharisees deformed, which became the religion in theater:
  • obsession by the posture, the walk, the external details,
  • search for reputation,
  • exaggerations ascetic without inner depth.

That is to say, the rabbinical text recognizes the internal stress between the vocation ideal of self-righteousness and their possible degenerations.

5.3. Parallelos with the criticism of Jesus (historical-literary)

Numerous studies point out that:

• Criticism of Jesus to the pharisees in the Gospels (about do the works “for to be seen of men”, to load burdens on others, etc) look a lot self-criticism rabbinical of Sotah 22b.
• This reinforces the idea that we are not facing a war of “Jesus vs. all the pharisees,” but to a dispute intrajudía about the correct way to live the Law.

Historically, it is reasonable to see these criticisms as part of a internal discussion in a judaism plural, where several teachers —among them Jesus and the rabbis, pharisees— polemizan against the hypocrisy and legalism empty.

“The self-righteousness was not a sect marginal, but the laboratory's spiritual born rabbinic judaism.” Jacob Neusner

6. Balance historical-critical: what were the “groups of pharisees”?

Summarizing your question from the point of view of research:

6.1. Groups/schools fariseas historically verifiable

1. Pharisees as a movement in general
   • Opposed to the sadducees and, in part, to the essenes.
   • Based on the oral Torah, in the purity and extended in the doctrine of the resurrection.
2. Schools fariseas internal documented:
   • Beth Hillel and Beth Shammai: schools legal rivals within the self-righteousness, with notable differences in interpretation but within the same doctrinal framework core.
3. Other smaller divisions (chaverim / am-haaretz, attitudes toward power, etc) that are not present and never as “seven schools.”

6.2. The “seven types of pharisees” of Sotah 22b

• Are a typology ethics, not a photograph sociological.
• Function as preaching internal and self-criticism of the movement.
• Historically, we report:
  • the awareness rabbinical risk of hypocrisy,
  • the perception that many of the “pharisees” were able to use the identity pious as a screen,
  • the existence of pharisees genuine, that the own scholars distinguish carefully.

“To understand Jesus historically, one must first understand the pharisees.” E. P. Sanders

7. Conclusion

1. There were seven sects fariseas organizedin the style of games with structure and program differentiated.
2. Historically, within the self-righteousness stand out above all two great schools halájicas: Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai, plus some internal divisions less defined.
3. The famous list “seven types of pharisees” comes from the Talmud (Sotah 22b) and it must be understood as:
   • a classification moral and satirical types of pious,
   • a self-criticism farisea against hypocrisy,
   • and an explicit recognition that there are pharisees “bad” and the pharisees a “good” within the movement itself.