D.C’s Daf Yomi Unraveling the Logic Behind the Mishnah’s Order

Our daf yomi shiur recently completed Maseches Bava Batra and has begun the next tractate, Maseches Sanhedrin, which raises the question of why Sanhedrin follows Bava Batra. More generally, is there a logic behind the order of the Mishnah? For example, Maseches Gitin (dealing with divorce) is placed before Maseches Kiddushin (focused on marriage), even though chronologically, marriage precedes divorce. Is there a reason behind this seemingly unconventional arrangement?

One of the straightforward yet insightful answers to this question was offered by Rabbi Reuven Margaliot at the beginning of his book on Sanhedrin, Margaliot HaYam. Rabbi Margaliot observed that each seder (section) of the Mishnah is arranged in descending order based on the number of chapters in each tractate. Take a look at seder Nashim: it begins with Yevamot, which has 15 chapters, followed by Ketubot with 13 chapters, then Nedarim with 11, Nazir with nine, Sotah with nine, Gitin with nine, and finally, Kiddushin with four.

A similar pattern is manifest in Seder Nezikin. It begins with Bava Kamma, Bava Metzia, and Bava Batra, originally compiled into one tractate called Nezikin that included 30 chapters. Following these are

BY RABBI URIEL CHARLAP

Sanhedrin and Makkot; the latter was part of the former tractate, which contained 14 chapters. Next is Shevu'ot, which includes eight chapters, and so forth.

Although this answer is not perfect for various reasons, its elegant simplicity is quite geshmak. It provides a surprising perspective to explore the design of Torah Sheba’al Peh, one of many views through which we can deepen our understanding of the Talmud.

Ohr Hatorah’s daf yomi shiur meets on Mondays through Thursdays at 9 PM, on Shabbos 45 minutes before Mincha, and on Sundays at 8 AM.