Introduction to the Tosefta (Part 2) – The order of the tractates of the Tosefta

The order of the tractates of the Tosefta

There are six orders (Sedarim) of the Tosefta, just like there are six orders of the Mishna. The six orders are:

1)      Zerayim – Seeds

2)      Moed – Holiday

3)      Nashim – Women

4)      Nezikin – Damages

5)      Kadshim – Holy Objects

6)      Taharot – Purities

The order of the Masechtot of the Tosefta generally follows the order of the Mishna, although there are some variations between different manuscripts and printed editions of the Tosefta. There is one exception to this, which is the Masechta Keilim. In the Mishna it is a single tractate, where as in the Tosefta it is split into three separate tractates, known as, Bava Kama, Bava Metzia and Bava Batra. These should not be confused with regular Masechtot, Bava Kama, Bava Metzia and Bava Batra in Seder (Order) Nezikin. To differentiate between them the three tractates of Masechta Keilim are usually called with the prefix “Keilim” (i.e. Keilim Bava Kama, etc…) where as the regular Bavot from Nezikin are called without a prefix (i.e. Bava Kama, etc…). Altogether there are 61 tractates in the Tosefta. The names of the Masechtot also vary between different manuscripts and editions. Even the name of Seder Nezikin is changed in the Erfurt Manuscript of the Tosefta to Seder Yeshuot (The Order of Salvations).

There are four Masechtot in the Mishna that do not have a corresponding Masechta in the Tosefta. This also points to the time of the Tosefta’s compilation being after the Mishna, hence some Masechtot have been omitted, although it is possible that they have existed and simply have been lost over time since the Tosefta was not as popular as the Mishna. The following tractates of the Mishna are completely omitted in the Tosefta:

a)      From Seder Nezikin:

1)      Avot

b)      From Seder Kadshim:

2)      Tamid

3)      Middot

4)      Kinnim

The following table shows all of the variations in the order and names of the tractates of the Tosefta known to me. If a particular Masechta is missing in a particular manuscript its name is omitted in the table for that manuscript. If a name of the tractate is different in a particular manuscript or edition then its used name is written first and the more commonly known name is written in parenthesis.