The first is regarding the count of the sages that are mentioned in the Mishnah and that the laws are called according to their names there. We have already said in the introduction to our words that the redactor of the Mishnah abridged his words in the recounting of the names of the people that received [the tradition], to start [only] from Shimon the Righteous and his companions, and that the entire transmission [that he records] goes back to Shimon. And the number of these people according to whose name all of the laws and the challenges and the rectifications and the decrees were written in all of the Mishnah is ninety-one men. And these are them:

Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkanos, Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov, Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yose HaGalili, Yehoshua ben Perachiah, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananiah, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Beteira, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Horkanos, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah, Rabbi Elazar ben Yehudah the man of Bartota, Rabbi Elazar bar Tsadok, Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua, Rabbi Elazar ben Chisma, Rabbi Elazar ben Parta, Rabbi Elazar beRebbi Shimon, Rabbi Elazar ben Pavi, Rabbi Yehudah ben Elaai, Rabbi Yehudah ben Betira, Rabbi Yehudah ben Bava, Rabbi Yehudah ben Abba, Rabbi Yehudah ben Tabai, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, Rabbi Shimon the Twine-spinner, Rabbi Shimon ben Nanas, Rabbi Shimon ben HaSagan, Shimon ben Shetach, Shimon HaTeimani, Rabbi Shimon ben Azzai, Rabbi Shimon ben Zoma, Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar, Rabbi Shimon ben Yehudah, Rabbi Shimon ben Beteira, Rabbi Shimon the brother of Azariah, Rabbi Chaninah the Deputy of the priests, Rabbi Chaninah ben Antigonus, Rabbi Chananiah ben Chakhinai, Rabbi Chananiah ben Gamliel, Rabbi Nechuniah ben Elinatan the man of Kfar HaBavli, Rabbi Yishmael, Rabbi Nechemiah, Nechemiah the man of Beit Deli, Rabbi Yochanan ben Nuri, Rabbi Yochanan the High Priest, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, Rabbi Yochanan ben Baroka, Yochanan ben Gudgada, Rabbi Yochanan the Shoemaker, Rabbi Yochanan ben Yeshua the son of Rabbi Akiva's father-in-law, Rabbi Yose ben Meshullam, Rabbi Yose ben HaChotef Efrati, Rabbi Yose HaGalili, Yosef ben Yoezer, Yosef ben Yochanan, Rabbi Yose Bar Yehudah, Rabbi Yose the Priest, Yosef ben Choni, Rabban Gamliel, Rabban Gamliel the Elder, Dostai the man of Kfar Dima, Rabbi Dostai beRebbi Yannai, Abba Shaul, Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Chutspit, Rabbi Natan, Nachum the Scribe, Rabbi Mayasha, Rabbi Tsadok, Nachum the Mede, Rabbi Dosa ben Horkinas, Rabbi Elaai, Rabbi Kuvri, Papias, Rabbi Matia ben Cheresh, Natai HaArbeli, Shemayah and Avtalyon, Hillel and Shammai, Rabbi Zechairah ben HaKatzav, Admon, Chanan ben Avshalom, Rabbi Yadua the Babylonian, Akavia ben Mehalalel. Rabbi Yakim the man of Chadir, Menachem ben Seganai, Rabbi Yaakov. And we did not keep [the chronological] order in the [list] of their names .