CAT (Commonly Ambiguous Terms) - Mishneh Torah (Part II)

Another part of the gadlut of the Mishneh Torah (go read Part I if you are confused) is the literary structure. That is to say, appreciating how Rambam ordered the topics of the halakhot. In general, we give the Mishneh Torah the same textual status as the Mishnayot - there is not one word that is accidentally out of place. Not only does this status apply to the individual halakhot, but it also applies to the overall structure of the Mishneh Torah as a whole. Rambam thoughtfully and purposefully organized the 613 mitzvot into 14 books of the Mishneh Torah.

When I posted about Shas, I explained that Chazal organized the 613 mitzvot into 6 Sedarim (sections). Clearly Rambam made a significant break from Chazal’s organizational system when he wrote the Mishneh Torah. A brief analysis of how Rambam and Chazal organized the halakhot should be informative and hopefully entertaining (in a nerdy way).

Being a former teacher I am addicted to charts, and I made a special one for all of you. This chart has three columns:

• Column 1 lists the name of each book of the Mishneh Torah
  
• Column 2 lists the main topics of each book of the Mishneh Torah
  
• Column 3 lists where the main topics can be found in Shas
  

In the following weeks to come I will dedicate one post to each of the books of the Mishneh Torah. That post will analyze some of the organizational differences between Rambam and Chazal. I hope that these posts will discuss not only a philosophy of halakhah, but also a methodology for learning philosophy of halakhah.

Book of Mishneh Torah	Topics of Book of Mishneh Torah	Where the Topics are Found in Shas
מדע	Pre-requisite to halakhah: Knowing HaShem, Talmud Torah, Avodah Zarah, Teshuvah	Massechtot Kiddushin,  Avodah Zarah, and Yoma
אהבה	Shemah, Tefillah, Berachot, Tefillin	Massechtot Berachot, Menachot
זמנים	Shabbat, Chagim	Seder Moed
נשים	Marriage, Divorce	Seder Nashim (except Nedarim and Nazir)
קדושה	Forbidden Relationships, Niddah, Kashrut	Massechtot Yevamot, Kidushin, Niddah and Chullin
הפלאה	Shavuot and Nedarim	Massechtot Shavuot, Nedarim, Nazir and Arachin
זרעים	Laws of Agriculture	Seder Zeraim (except Berachot)
עבודה	Laws of the Beit HaMikdash and Communal Korbanot	Massechtot Zevachim, Menachot, Middot, Tamid, and Meilah
קרבנות	Laws of Individual Korbanot	Massechtot Pesachim, Chagigah, Bechorot, Temurah, Kritot and Horiyot
טהרה	Laws of Tumah and Taharah	Seder Taharot (except Niddah)
נזיקין	Laws of Damages and Murder	Massechtot Bava Kama, Sanhedrin and Makkot
קניין	Laws of Ownership and Slavery	Massechtot Bava Metziah and Kiddushin
משפטים	Laws of Renting, Borrowing Objects and Money, Inheritance	Massechtot Bava Metziah, Bava Batra and Shevuot
שופטים	Laws of Sanhedrin, Testimony, Mourning and Kings	Massechtot Sanhedrin, Horiyot, Shavuot, and Moed Katan