This page is about Kodashim, a section of the mishnah. See Kedoshim (parsha)

Kedoshim (parsha)

Kedoshim, K’doshim, or Qedoshim is the 30th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the seventh in the book of Leviticus...

 for the Torah portion by that name.

Kodashim or Qodhashim (Hebrew

Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...

 קדשים, Holy Things) is the fifth Order in the Mishna (also the Tosefta

Tosefta

The Tosefta is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.-Overview:...

 and Talmud

Talmud

The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

). Of the six Orders of the Mishna, it is the third longest. Kodoshim deals largely with the religious service within the Temple in Jerusalem

Temple in Jerusalem

The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...

, the Korbanot ("sacrificial offerings"), and other subjects considered or related to these "Holy Things".

Kodoshim consists of 11 tractates

Mishnah

The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...

:

1. Zevahim: (זבחים, "Sacrifices"); Deals with the procedure of animal and bird offerings. 14 chapters.
2. Menahot: (מנחות, "Meal Offerings"); Deals with the various grain-based offerings in the Temple. 13 chapters.
3. Chullin or Hullin: (חולין, "Ordinary Things"); Deals with the laws of slaughter and meat consumption (i.e. animals used for every-day as opposed to sacred reasons). 12 chapters.
4. Bekhorot
   Bekhorot
   Bekhorot refers to the first-born human, or animal according to the Hebrew Bible in which God commanded Moses in the Book of Exodus to “consecrate to Me every first-born; man and beast, the first issue of every womb among the Israelites is Mine.” It is from this commandment that Judaism forms...
   
   : (בכורות, "Firstborn"); Deals with the sanctification and redemption of animal and human firstborns. 9 chapters.
5. Arakhin
   Arakhin
   Arakhin is the fifth tractate in Seder Kodashim .Only chapters 1–6 based on Leviticus 27:1–8, deals with the vows of donating one's prescribed value as part of the dedication to the Temple, as well as other gifts to bedek habayis, or the treasury of the Temple...
   
   : (ערכין, "Dedications"); Deals mainly with a person dedicating their value to the Temple or dedicating a field. 9 chapters.
6. Temurah: (תמורה, "Substitution"); Outlines the laws of what happens if an animal is substituted for an animal dedicated for a sacrifice. 7 chapters.
7. Keritot: (כריתות, "Excisions"); Deals with the commandments for which the penalty is karet (spiritual excision) as well as the sacrifices associated with their (mostly unwitting) transgression. 6 chapters.
8. Me'ilah: (מעילה, "Sacrilege"); Deals with the laws of restitution for the misappropriation of Temple property. 6 chapters.
9. Tamid: (תמיד, "Always"); Outlines the procedure of the Tamid (daily sacrifice). 6 chapters.
10. Middot: (מידות, "Measurements"); Describes the measurements of the second Temple. 4 chapters.
11. Kinnim
    Kinnim
    Kinnim is a tractate in the Mishna and Talmud. The name means "nests", referring to the tractate's subject matter of errors in bird-offerings. The tractate is found in the order of Kodshim, as it details the laws relating to an aspect of Temple service...
    
    : (קנים, "Nests"); Deals with the complex laws for situations where the mixing of bird-offerings occurred. 3 chapters.

The traditional reasoning for the order of the tractates (according to Maimonides

Maimonides

Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...

) is as follows:

• Zevahim is first as it deals with the main physical "purpose" of the Temple - animal sacrifices.
• Menahot continuing the subject of offerings is placed after according to the scriptural order and the status of meal-offerings as supplementary.
• After dealing with offerings to the Temple, Hullin follows, dealing with "secular offerings".
• Bekhorot, Arakhin and Temurah all discuss auxiliary laws of sanctity and follow the Scriptural order.
• Keritot follows the prior elaboration of commandments as it largely discusses the offering for the transgression of certain commandments.
• Me'ilah follows as it also deals with transgressions of sanctity, although of a lighter nature.
• After dealing with laws, two description tractates were added, Tamid discussing the daily sacrifice and Middot which overviews the whole Temple in Jerusalem
  Temple in Jerusalem
  The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
  
  .
• Finally, Kinnim was placed last as its laws all deal with accidents and situations which very rarely occur.

There is a Gemara

Gemara

The Gemara is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah. After the Mishnah was published by Rabbi Judah the Prince The Gemara (also transliterated Gemora or, less commonly, Gemorra; from Aramaic גמרא gamar; literally, "[to] study" or "learning by...

 in the Babylonian Talmud

Talmud

The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

 to the first 8 tractates

Mishnah

The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...

, and three chapters of Tamid. Although the subject matter wasn't relevant to life in the Babylonian academies, the Gemara was included to follow the idea that the study of the laws of the Temple service is a substitute for the service itself. Also, the rabbi

Rabbi

In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

nic sages wanted to merit the rebuilding of the Temple by paying special attention to these laws. However, in the modern Daf Yomi

Daf Yomi

Daf Yomi "page [of the] day" or "daily folio") is a daily regimen undertaken to study the Babylonian Talmud one folio each day...

cycle and in the printed editions of the Babylonian Talmud, the Mishnah for the last two tractates is added at the end, to "complete" the order.