Chapter 1 · The map of the Shas and the Oral Torah

How a tractate is built - chapter, mishnah, sugya

Lesson 4 of 37 14 min

A tractate is a building: chapters are floors, mishnayot are rooms, and sugyot are the discussions held in each room. We learn to identify each unit and find our way.

Lesson goals

01Distinguish chapter, mishnah and sugya
02Recognise a chapter name by its opening words
03Choose a suitable tractate to begin with

Three units

1Chapter - a large thematic unit, named by its opening words, e.g. "Shenayim Ochazin".
2Mishnah - a short paragraph of law, marked "Matni'".
3Sugya - the Gemara's discussion on the mishnah, opening with "Gem'" and running to the next mishnah or a new topic.

Bava Metzia 2a

שנים אוחזין בטלית, זה אומר אני מצאתיה וזה אומר אני מצאתיה

Two are holding a garment; this one says "I found it" and that one says "I found it".

Which tractate to start with

Start with a concrete topic close to daily life: Berakhot (prayer and blessings), Bava Metzia (found objects and guardians) or Megillah (Purim). In these tractates the sugya structure is clear and the concepts are familiar.

Practice

Open the site's Gemara reader, pick a tractate, and find "Matni'" and "Gem'" on the first page.

Lesson wrap-up

Know the floors and you will find every room.

Check your understanding

Test yourself before marking the lesson complete.

Question 1 of 3

How is a chapter named?

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