Difficulties in Understanding the Mishnah
In this chapter of Pirkei Avos, the Sages teach us several lists grouped by number. First, we found seven lists, each consisting of ten items. At the very beginning of this chapter, we read that "the world was created with ten utterances." In other words, the first list that the Mishnah teaches us regards the Creation of the world. It says, "There were ten generations from Adam to Noach." We see that the Mishnah follows the story of Creation with a second list of ten regarding the "crown" of Creation, i.e., the first man. The Sages are teaching us these lists in chronological order; the same is true of the groups of ten listed in our chapter.
The famous Maharal asks that our Mishnah, the last list of tens items, seems to be the exception to this rule. The first Mishnah discusses Creation. Our Mishnah, which lists those items created after the sixth day, should be the following teaching. Why is this not so; why is our Mishnah pushed off until the end of the list?
