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I've noticed that, besides for the several masechtos actually a part of Shas Bavli that don't have Gemara (shameless plug), it's the custom of printers to include Mishnayos Zera'im after Brachos and Mishnayos Taharos after Niddah. Both of these make sense; if they want to round out the Shishah Sedarim, they might as well include those mishnayos in a volume with the one Masechta that actually has Gemara.

My question is the Masechtos Ketanos. A collection of Braisos, these masechtos cover a wide range of topics, including Mezuzah, Sefer Torah, Simchos (a euphemism), Kallah, and Derech Eretz.

If printers are going to put them in any Seder, why Nezikin? It's not the beginning of the Shishah Sedarim, it's not the end, it's not the middle, and it's not the same topic as just about any of them. Why not put them at the end of Shas, or split them up among the six orders by which ones fit the general topic - Kallah in Nashim, Simchos in Moed, Derech Eretz in Nezikin (to keep Avos company), etc.?

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  • So the question is about the printers?
    – mevaqesh
    Jul 21, 2016 at 0:06
  • @mevaqesh Yeah. I'm asking if there's any significance to that, or if it was just the most convenient place to stick them.
    – DonielF
    Jul 21, 2016 at 21:46
  • kaufmann.mtak.hu/en/ms50/ms50-126v.htm is a manuscript with part at the end of Nashim. I wonder if putting them with Nezikin was just a convention for the Vilna-Rom printers which now has stuck.
    – Double AA ♦
    Jul 25, 2016 at 20:41

1 Answer 1

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BSD

I would suggest that the reason is that the first of the Masechtos, Avos DiRebi Noson, is based on Maseches Avos, so they just included the entire Seider after it.

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    Welcome to MiYodeya David and thanks for this first answer. Since MY is different from other sites you might be used to, see here for a guide which might help understand the site. Great to have you learn with us!
    – mbloch
    Nov 26, 2018 at 3:57
  • Technically speaking, Avos d’Rebbe Nassan isn’t part of the Masechtos Ketanos; Tosfos call it part of the Tosefta (end of DH kal v’chomer on BK 25a).
    – DonielF
    Nov 27, 2018 at 13:24
  • Good point. However, RaShI in Megila 7b when he quotes Maseches Sofrim also refers to it as Tosefta. Additionally, Ein Hacha Nami; just because they are Tosefta does not mean they are not Masechtos Ketanos. See my first point.
    – Dovid Wartelsky
    Mar 30, 2020 at 3:02

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