The Mishna lists five tragedies that happened on 17th of Tammuz and someone asked me if there is a reason for the order they are listed in, as it is not in chronological order, or do we just say that there doesn't have to necessararily be an order to these types of things in the mishnayos?
Thank you and all the best.
Elisha Yagudayev , Flushing , United States
The commentaries offer different explanations of what the five calamities refer to. Consequently, what you write that they are not listed in chronological order is not necessarily the case. Note the following sequence (based on the commentary of the Tiferes Yisrael which, in turn, is based on the Yerushalmi's interpretation of the events):
1. The Luchos were broken - in the desert;
2. The Tamid was stopped - during the siege of the first Beis ha'Mikdash.
3. The walls of Yerushalayim were breached - of both Batei Mikdash.
4. Apostomus burned the Sefer Torah (of Ezra or all the Sefarim that he could find; Apostomus was a Greek general who lived during the era of the second Beis ha'Mikdash).
5. An image was placed in the Heichal (see Bartenura) - also by Apostomus.
I cannot explain the sequence of the events according to the other explanations, but according to this explanation, it all fits beautifully.
B'Virchas Kol Tuv,
Eliezer Chrysler