One of the phrases most famous Rabbi Yehuda hanassipreserved in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers 2:1), is the following:

"What is the straight path that you should choose the person?
The one who is honorable to those who follow him and honorable to others."
— Pirkei Avot 2:1

Rabbi Yehuda hanassi (יהודה הנשיא) — “Rabbi”, “Rabbenu haQadosh”

Life, work and teachings (synthesis rigorous)

(1) the Identity and historical context

• Who was: jewish leader of the late s. II and the beginning of the third century CE, patriarch (נשיא) of the community in the land of Israel and editor-in-chief of the Mishnah. In the sources rabbinical it is called simply “Rabbi” or “Our Holy Master”.
• Approximate dates: birth c. 135 CE and death c. 220 EC (variants 217-219).
• Lineage: the son of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel II, a descendant of Hilel; inherited the leadership patriarchal after the persecutions hadriánicas post Bar Kojbá.
• Headquarters of activity: he directed his beth midrash and the court in Beit She'arim; in the last 17 years old relocated for reasons of health Sepphoris (Tzippori), without giving up the plan to be buried in Beit She'arim.

2) Trajectory line (short time)

• c. 135: born after the wars and decrees of Hadrian.
• c. 160-190- consolidates the nasiut (patriarchy), organizes the Sanhedrin traveling in Galilee (Usha, Shefar'am, Beit She'arim).
• c. 190-210: drives compilation of the Mishnah and sets criteria for canonization, and writing.
• c. 203-220: residence Sepphoris for health; dies and is buried in Beit She'arimnecropolis which then will become a site of pilgrimage.

3) The greater work: the Mishnah

• What is: the first codification of the written Oral Torah, structural basis of the two Talmudim. It is organized in six orders (Zeraim, Moed, Nashim, Nezikin, Kodashim, Taharot) and 63 treaties.
• Role of Rabbi: editor-final and editor; added, deleted, and rewrote materials of previous traditions, setting in large part the version “stam” (judgment anonymous) as a guideline halachic general. The final wording is situated at the end of s. II / beginning of the third century CE, probably in Beit She'arim or Sepphoris.
• Editorial criteria (reconstruibles):
  1. Selection of tanaítas of the five cycles generational;
  2. Order by subjects (not verses), with chapters and paragraphs brief to remember;
  3. Preference for formulations concise and by the stam when you want to set the standard;
  4. Coexistence of minority opinions recorded for later study. (Based synthesis EJ/Encyclopedia.com and studies misnajot).
• Historical importance: no coding, the dispersion, the repression and the passage of time, threatened with forget the Oral Torah; his Mishnah, became the text nuclear the academies of Eretz Israel and Babylon discussed for centuries (Gemara).

4) political Leadership-religious

• Patriarchy strengthened: under him, Rabbi, the institution of the nasi it reached its maximum prestigewith recognition also on the part of roman authorities.
• Relations with Romeliterature talmudic preserves a tradition of friendship with a “Antonino” (disputed if marcus Aurelius, Antoninus Pius or Caracalla). Beyond the identification accurate, these stories suggest channels of influence and protection for the community.
• Private wealth and administration: the sources mention the great fortune of him, Rabbi, used to hold networking and academic community.

5) Health, last years and death

• Chronic conditions: the sugyot mentioned intestinal pains, stones and suffering intense; modern studies discussed diagnostics retrospective.
• Death: stories of Ketubot 103b describe the vigil of prayer of the wise, and their instruction estate; his death was kept secret momentary to avoid shock to the public.
• Burial: Beit She'arim (Galilee) —your choice multiplied the burials there and became the necropolis in reference to the diaspora; the archaeological tradition behind it as a pole funeral of centuries II–IV. (There are also medieval traditions minority pointing to a tomb in Sepphoris, probably a confusion with another member of his lineage).

6) Teachings and intellectual style

• Ethics (Pirkei Avot 2:1): “What is the straight path that you should choose the person? The one who is honorable to the one who does it and honest to others. Be careful with a mitzvah ‘small’ as a ‘big’...”. Ethical framework that combines self-discipline and social responsibility.
• Pedagogy: preference for aphorisms clear and structures to remember; the Mishnah showcasing your criteria economy verbal and ranking of voices. (Deduction editorial supported by IE/Encyclopedia.com).
• Halachah: the stam mishnáico usually mark the accepted standard; the preservation of dissension allows the follow-up study to measure scope and exceptions.
• Relationship Torah–world: his house was a center for academic and government; disciples as Rabbi Jiyya and Bar Kappara transmitted to both your method as your vision of community sustainability (The torah with trade, institutional order).
• Humanism practical: in stories talmudic about his dealings with “Antoninus” appear parables moral (body and soul; the impulse to sin) that underscore responsibility and judgment.

7) Legacy

• Text: set the Mishnah as base code of rabbinic judaism; without his editorial work, there would not be a framework that made possible the Talmudim.
• Institutional: consolidated a nasiut able to negotiate with the imperial power and finance the academic life jewish Galilee.
• Cultural-spatial: Beit She'arim and Sepphoris were associated for ever with her figure: the first as necropolis central (today a World Heritage by UNESCO), the second as intellectual capital of his age.