Moed (
Hebrew: מועד, "Festivals") is the second Order of the
Mishnah, the first written recording of the Oral Torah of the Jewish people (also the
Tosefta and
Talmud). Of the six orders of the Mishna, Moed is the third shortest. The order of Moed consists of 12 tractates:
Eruvin: (ערובין) ("Mixtures") deals with the
Eruv or Sabbath-bound - a category of constructions/delineations that alter the domains of the Sabbath for carrying and travel. 10 chapters.
Pesahim: (פסחים) ("
Passover Festivals") deals with the prescriptions regarding the Passover and the
paschal sacrifice. 10 chapters.
Shekalim: (שקלים) ("Shekels") deals with the collection of the
half-Shekel as well as the expenses and expenditure of the
Temple. 8 chapters
Yoma: (יומא) ("The Day"); called also "Kippurim" or "Yom ha-Kippurim" ("Day of Atonement"); deals with the prescriptions
Yom Kippur, especially the ceremony by the
Kohen Gadol. 8 chapters.
Sukkah: (סוכה) ("Booth"); deals with the festival of
Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) and the
Sukkah itself. Also deals with the Four Species (
Lulav,
Etrog,
Hadass,
Aravah — Palm branch, Citron, Myrtle, Willow) which are waved on Sukkot. 5 chapters.
Beitza: (ביצה) ("Egg"); (So called from the first word, but originally termed, according to its subject, Yom Tov - "Holidays") deals chiefly with the rules to be observed on
Yom Tov. 5 chapters.
Rosh Hashanah: (ראש השנה) ("New Year") deals chiefly with the regulation of the calendar by the new moon, and with the services of the festival of
Rosh Hashanah. 4 chapters.
Ta'anit: (תענית) ("Fasting") deals chiefly with the special fast-days in times of drought or other untoward occurrences. 4 chapters
Megillah: (מגילה) ("Scroll") contains chiefly regulations and prescriptions regarding the reading of the
scroll of Esther at
Purim, and the reading of other passages from the
Torah and
Neviim in the synagogue. 4 chapters.
Hagigah: (חגיגה) ("Festival Offering") deals with the Three Pilgrimage Festivals (
Passover,
Shavuot,
Sukkot) and the pilgrimage offering that men were supposed to bring in
Jerusalem. 3 chapters.
The
Jerusalem Talmud has a
Gemara on each of the tractates, while in the
Babylonian, only that on Shekalim is missing. However, in most printed editions of the Babylonian Talmud (as well as the
Daf Yomi cycle), the Jerusalem Gemara to Shekalim is included.
In the Babylonian
Talmud the treatises of the order
Mo'ed are arranged as follows: Shabbat, 'Erubin, Pesachim, Rosh ha-Shanah, Yoma, Sukkah, Beitzah, Hagigah, Mo'ed Katan, Ta'anit, Megillah; while the sequence in the Jerusalem Talmud is Shabbat, Eruvin, Pesachim, Yoma, Sheqalim, Sukkah, Rosh ha-Shanah, Beitzah, Ta'anit, Megillah, Hagigah, Mo'ed' Katan.
On the Festivals, some have the custom to learn the Tractate in this Order which details the laws of that respective festival. (e.g. they would learn Tractate Rosh Hashanah on the holiday of
Rosh Hashanah).