Question:Throughout the gamorahs alot of time is spent on who is the author of the misnah. I understand in some application that it is helpful to know; however the legitimacy of the misnah can still be upheld without knowig who the author is. I've asked this question and the resposes have varied ie. you should say in whos name you are quoting,or to see if the author agrees with a misnah somewhere else.It seems to me if it is important enough to figure out who the author is there must be a more fundamental reason. Thank you inadvance for your time.
TOSFOS (Moed Katan 2a, DH Man Tana) explains that the Gemara only asks "who is the Tana of the Mishnah" in a situation where there is some evidence that Rebbi Meir does not agree with that Mishnah. Since we know that Rebbi Meir is the Tana who holds of the opinion expressed anonymously in every Mishnah, when the Gemara asks "who is the Tana of this Mishnah," it has some evidence that it is not Rebbi Meir, and it is in effect asking that there is a contradiction in the opinions of Rebbi Meir.
To that the Gemara answers that this particular Mishnah is not the opinion of Rebbi Meir, but is some other Tana. (The SHITAH MEKUBETZES in Kesuvos 29a, DH Man Tana, discusses this point in a little more detail.)
M. Kornfeld