BS”D

Shkolim -13b

Menachem Av 23, 5784. 08/27/2024

We continued on Daf 13b.

1- As per the Mishna, מרדכי was also called פתחיה and also בלשן, meaning an elaborator, explainer or clarifier. We will encounter more of his wisdom and ability to solve puzzles next week IY”H.

2- Some offer a רמז in two of the names: מרדכי &  פתחיה.

The 5 letters of each name corresponds to double or half of the other letter, signifying an explanation or elaboration.

פ  = 80 – מ   = 40

ת = 400 – ר = 200

ח    = 8 –  ד     = 4

י    = 10 – כ   = 20

ה     = 5 – י   = 10

They add that the reason the last two letters of פתחיה  are only half of the last two letters of  מרדכי  is due to  מרדכי , in the latter part of his life, being occupied with עבודת הכלל,  lost his standing and friendship with some of his colleagues of the  סנהדרין.

כִּי מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי מִשְׁנֶה לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו דֹּרֵשׁ טוֹב לְעַמּוֹ וְדֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל זַרְעוֹ.

3- The גמרא discusses the greatness of the early תנאים that were       סופרים – also meaning ‘counters’ as they would count the letters of the תורה.

We related a story written by the חיד”א about Reb Saadia גאון who in jest asked a simple tailor how many stitches he sewed that day.

The tailor responded: honored Rabbi, how many letters are there in the תורה?

Reb Saadia גאון was hurt being that this was the first time that someone asked him a question for which he did not have answer.

He tried to count but was unsuccessful until a מלאך revealed to him the exact number. Having the correct number Reb Saadia גאון wrote a song enumerating the sum of every letter of the אלף בית in the תורה.

שם הגדולים – ר’ סעדי’ גאון.

4- We discussed the saying in our גמרא:

אנו כחמורים ולא כחמורו של רבי חנינא בן דוסא ושל רבי פנחס בן יאיר אלא כשאר חמורים

If the earlier generations were angels, we are men; if they were men, we are donkeys.

5-  The גמרא writes the famous story of Reb Pinchas ben Yair’s donkey חולין (ז.) when it refused to eat grains that were not free of מעשר.

The story of Reb Sender Menkin ע“ה.

Reb Sender Menkin ע“ה

6- We discussed the brilliant מנחת חינוך regarding בן הקמצר  who was able to write 4 letter at a time.

Concluded with the צמח צדק that writing 4 letters at a time is not considered exactly ‘at the same time.

יו”ד סי’ ריג

 

 

BSD

Shkolim -12b -13a

Menachem Av 16, 5784. 08/21/2024

Short notes.

 

1- As mentioned in the previous shiurim, Daf 12-13 deal with difficult קדשים concepts. We therefore broke up the topics and are discussing just a few lines every week.

We tackled another topic and skipped ahead for the second half of the Shiur (to Daf 13a) with the intention to go back BL”N  and complete what we skipped.

2- The topic this week: When a person is מקדיש an animal, it needs to be the ‘right’ type of animal.

Meaning that it needs to be, to start, the right gender for that particular קרבן that he is מקדיש. The animal also needs to be the right age. It cannot be a בעל מום.

Male and Female

Now an עולה and also a קרבן פסח and an אשם can be be (only) a זכר.

What if one is מקדיש a נקבה for and עולה, פסח or an אשם?

Does it become קודש at all, and if yes, what level of קדושה does it have?

If it becomes קדוש at the top level, קדושת הגוף, then it follows that it can also trigger a תמורה. (A replacement).

We discussed the four opinions and their reasons.

Here is the chart we followed.

3- We jumped ahead to הלכה ה that discusses the ‘upper hand’ of הקדש. Inflation and deflation always works in the favor of הקדש.

4- Began פרק ה.

The Mishna enumerates the 15 ‘managers’ of the various jobs associated with the day to day administration of the בית המקדש.

https://yerushalmi.alhatorah.org/Full/Shekalim/18.1#e0n6

(א) משנה: אֵילּוּ הֵן הַמְמוּנִּין שֶׁהָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ. יוֹחָנָן בֶּן פִּינְחָס עַל הַחוֹתָמוֹת. אֲחִייָה עַל הַנְּסָכִים. מַתְיָה בֶּן שְׁמוּאֵל עַל הַפְּייָסוֹת. פְּתַחְיָה עַל הַקִּינִּים פְּתַחְיָה זֶה מָרְדְּכָי. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פְּתַחְיָה שֶׁהָיָה פּוֹתֵחַ בִּדְבָרִים וְדוֹרְשָׁן וְיוֹדֵעַ בְּשִבְעִים לָשׁוֹן. בֶּן אֲחִייָה עַל חוֹלֵי מֵעַיִם. נְחוּנְייָה חוֹפֵר שִׁיחִין. גְּבִינֵי כָרוֹז. בֶּן גֶּבֶר עַל נְעִילַת שְׁעָרִים. בֶּן בֵּבָי מְמוּנֶּה עַל הַפָּקִיעַ. בֶּן אַרְזָה עַל הַצִּלְצָל. הוּגְדַּס בֶּן לֵוִי עַל הַשִּׁיר. בֵּית גַּרְמוּ עַל מַעֲשֵׂה לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים. בֵּית אַבְטִינָס עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַקְּטֹרֶת. אֶלְעָזָר עַל הפָּרוֹכוֹת וּפִנְחָס הַמַּלְבִּישׁ.

MISHNAH: These are the appointees who were in the Sanctuary

1: Joḥanan ben Phineas of the seals

2, Aḥiyya of the libations,

3-Masyo ben Samuel of the lotteries

3, Petaḥiah of the nests

Petaḥiah is Mordecai. Why was he called Petaḥiah? For he had original ideas

and explained them, and he knew seventy languages

5-.Ben Aḥiyyah for indigestion;

6- Onias the digger of ditches,

7- Gabinius the announcer,

8- Ben Gever for locking the doors,

9 -Ben Bevai for the wicks.

10- Ben Arza for the cymbals,

11-Hugdas ben Levi for the songs.

12- The family Garmu for the Le’chem HaPonim,

13- The family Avtinos for producing the incense.

14- Eleazar for the Poro’ches,

15 -and Phineas the clothier.

 

5- Were all the above צדיקים?

Some say not necessarily. The גמרא in יומא לח, ב  says the reason we mention their names is to know what not to name our children!

There is much to discuss and BL”N will continue next week.

6- Speaking of names not to be used, we mentioned the famous ‘vort’ from Reb Yonason Eybeschutz on רבי ישמעאל אומר.

See here in Hebrew.

בס”ד

ט’ מנחם אב תשפ”ד

08/13/2024

Some short notes and links on the special Shiur. 

R’ Yechezkiel Landau, – נודע ביהודה

Attempting to understand the eulogy of the Noda BiYehuda, Reb Yechezkel Landau of Prague upon the passing of Maria Theresa who was a cruel anti-Semite. 

She was known for her hatred of Jews. In December 1744 anti-Jewish state policy reached its peak and she ordered the expulsion of Prague’s Jews.

Yet, a cursory reading of the eulogy seems to be describing a great צדקת!

‘A wonderful, kindhearted, generous, amazing woman’

It is indeed perplexing on the seeming unbound adoration about MT’s ‘kindness and generosity’. 

Comparing her to יעקב אבינו on whom it says יעקב אבינו לא מת !!! 

Here is the pamphlet in Hebrew that was published in German as well. 

See here an auction of the original pamphlet of the eulogy. 

The antisemitism of Maria Theresa. 

” the most anti-Jewish monarch of her day. “

The expulsion of the Jews from Prague and Bohemia in 1744. 

Another expulsion of the Jews of Prague November, 1941

Jewish History of Prague

See here a great article about this tragic event, including a photo of the commemorative medal minted to memorialize the expulsion and retraction.

 

So what prompted Reb Yechezkel Landau to deliver such a passionate הספד? 

Did he have a choice in the matter? 

Was it for it to reach the ears of the new King? שתדלנות, Perhaps. 

From this  article:

Joseph II, Maria Theresa’s son and Successor

“He ordered the abolition of serfdom; by the Edict of Toleration he established religious equality before the law, and he granted freedom of the press. The emancipation of the Jews within a short time endowed cultural life with new vitality.”

We concluded with the amazing חתם סופר that giving respect to the government that we live in is as important as putting on Tefillin!

Chasam Sofer, R Moshe Schreiber

. 

 

BSD

Shkolim -12a (2)

Menachem Av  2, 5784. 08/06/2024

1- Our גמרא deals with the topic of:

המקדיש תמימים לבדק הבית עובר בעשה ולא תעשה.

תמורה ז,ב.

Meaning that a perfect and unblemished animal can be נתקדש only for it to be brought on the מזבח as a קרבן.

What happens if one does it anyway? He is עובר בעשה ולא תעשה but is the animal קדוש?

The simple answer is -yes. But it’s not so simple.

2-  In the Yeshiva world there is a very famous Sugya that is generally called “אי עביד לא מהני”.

 

To scratch the surface of this interesting, logical and intricate topic….

Say, for example, one gives מעשר before תרומה. Or a כהן גדול that is מקדש an אלמנה. He transgresses a לאו. OK.

But is his מעשר effective? Is he ‘married’ to this אלמה? Does she need גט?

Interestingly, Daf 4b– 6b in מסכת תמורה is the only place in Sha”s that this concept is discussed.

Must have done it out of order…

However it is a ‘global topic’ that touches upon many places in ש”ס.

Here are the opening lines:

אָמַר אַבָּיֵי כֹּל מִילְּתָא דְּאָמַר רַחֲמָנָא לָא תַּעֲבֵיד אִם עָבֵיד מַהֲנֵי. דְּאִי סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ לָא מַהֲנֵי אַמַּאי לָקֵי? רָבָא אָמַר לָא מַהֲנֵי מִידֵּי, וְהַאי דְּלָקֵי מִשּׁוּם דַּעֲבַר אַמֵּימְרָא דְּרַחֲמָנָא הוּא

אביי said: With regard to any matter that the Torah states not to perform, if one performed it, his action is effective, but the violator receives Malkus.

Because if it was not effective, why would he be flogged for accomplishing nothing?

רבא said: If one transgresses and does it, it is not effective at all. Nothing happened! The reason that he receives Malkus is because he transgressed the will of the Torah.

3 – So in the 3 examples above, תמימים לבדק הבית, מעשר לפני תרומה and כהן גדול לאלמנה, it would seem that Abaya would say: The בהמה is קדוש, the wheat is מעשר  and the כהן גדול is married.

And Rava would say that nothing happened:  The בהמה remains חולין, the wheat remains חולין and the כהן גדול is not married to the אלמנה,

However, as the נמרא continues, in all 3 cases above (and most all other examples), we have an explicit פסוק  that the actions do or do not take effect.

The גמרא then continues on for 2 דפים attempting to find a case where it  אביי or רבא are arguing.

It concludes that…..in just one or two cases they actually disagree. In all other cases they agree.

4- One of the cases the גמרא presents is the one from our גמרא.

המקדיש תמימים לבדק הבית עובר בעשה ובלא תעשה

An unblemished animal that was  נתקדש for בדק הבית – it’s a לא תעשה but nevertheless is קדוש. That would seem to be like אביי.

However רבא says there is a special לימוד for this.

5- We quickly mentioned another interesting case – someone that performs a שחיטה on שבת. The שוחט transgressed a לא תעשה but the meat can be eaten.

According to רבא if nothing happened – then there was no שחיטה! So why is it permitted to eat?

We mentioned the מהרי”ט and the רבי עקיבא איגר.

There is a ton more on this – perhaps in the future IY”H.

6- We are in the 9 days so we spoke about the מנורה.

See notes below.

Briefly – the מנורה had 7 candles, 11 ‘buttons’, 9 flowers, was 17 טפחים high and had 22 goblets.

These numbers correspond to the first פסוק in each of the 5 חומשים.

The first verse of בראשית has 7 words corresponding to the  7 candles.

שמות  begins with 11 words, corresponding to the 11 buttons.

Etc.

Also spoke about

1- The מנורה  as per the גמרא was 18 טפחים!

2- The opinion that there are 7 חומשים.

3- The upside down נון.

————————–

Here is a link:

בס”ד

תהילים (קיט, קל) פֵּ֖תַח דְּבָרֶ֥יךָ יָאִ֗יר מֵבִ֥ין פְּתָיִֽים׃

The opening of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

מנורה – 7 נרות. 11 כפתורים. 9 פרחים . 17 טפחים גובה. 22 גביעים

1- בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 7

2- וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְרָ֑יְמָה אֵ֣ת יַעֲקֹ֔ב אִ֥ישׁ וּבֵית֖וֹ בָּֽאוּ׃ 11

3-  וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל⁠־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃ 9

4-  וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה אֶל⁠־מֹשֶׁ֛ה בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר סִינַ֖י בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד בְּאֶחָד֩ לַחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֜י בַּשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשֵּׁנִ֗ית לְצֵאתָ֛ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לֵאמֹֽר׃ 17

5 -אֵ֣לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל⁠־כׇּל⁠־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן בַּמִּדְבָּ֡ר בָּֽעֲרָבָה֩ מ֨וֹל ס֜וּף בֵּֽין⁠־פָּארָ֧ן וּבֵֽין⁠־תֹּ֛פֶל וְלָבָ֥ן וַחֲצֵרֹ֖ת וְדִ֥י זָהָֽב׃ 22

׆ וַיְהִ֛י בִּנְסֹ֥עַ הָאָרֹ֖ן וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֑ה קוּמָ֣ה׀ יְהֹוָ֗ה וְיָפֻ֙צוּ֙ אֹֽיְבֶ֔יךָ וְיָנֻ֥סוּ מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃  וּבְנֻחֹ֖ה יֹאמַ֑ר שׁוּבָ֣ה יְהֹוָ֔ה רִֽבְב֖וֹת אַלְפֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ׆ 19

וַיְהִ֤י הָעָם֙ כְּמִתְאֹ֣נְנִ֔ים רַ֖ע בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְהֹוָה֙ וַיִּ֣חַר אַפּ֔וֹ וַתִּבְעַר⁠־בָּם֙ אֵ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֔ה וַתֹּ֖אכַל בִּקְצֵ֥ה הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ 17

תורת העולה להרמ”א א, טז.

אור התורה שמות ה, א’ תעט

 

תנו רבנן: “ויהי בנסע הארן ויאמר משה” פרשה זו עשה לה הקב”ה סימניות מלמעלה ולמטה (לפניה ואחריה) לומר שאין זה מקומה. רבי אומר: לא מן השם הוא זה (לא זה הוא הטעם), אלא מפני שספר חשוב הוא בפני עצמו”. (תלמוד בבלי שבת קטו, ב)

אמר שמואל משמיה דסבא גובהה של מנורה שמונה עשר טפחים מנחות כח, ב.

 

 

 

 

 

BSD

Shkolim -12a

Tamuz 24, 5784 – 07/30/2024

A few short notes.

1- From the beginning of 12a to 13a we encounter pure קדשים topics with many basic principles addressed.

2- We discussed the two general types of קדושה in קדשים.

A – If someone is מקדיש an animal that can be brought on the מזבח it becomes קדוש קדושת הגוף .

Ditto for a cash הקדשה for the purpose of buying an animal that can be bought on the מזבח. The animal purchased achieves קדושת הגוף and will be indeed become a קרבן.

B – Anything other than the above is only קדוש קדושת דמים. That includes הקדש of say, gold, wood, real estate, non-kosher animals, kosher animals that have a מום. These assets go towards the בדק הבית.

3 – Our משנה deals with a case of an estate or a living gift that the donor was less than clear as to what exactly he had in mind. All he said was “all my assets are הקדש”.

When taking an inventory of the estate, the גזברים find items that are clearly fit only for בדק הבית. Like precious metals.

However, the estate also included animals that are non-blemished and rare. Do these animals go into the קדושת הגוף  category and end up on the מזבח?

4 – The first case of the משנה discusses if they find proper קטורת in the estate. How קטורת made it into the estate we will see IYH at the next shiur.

5 – A case where an animal that was a perfect fit for the מזבח, but the donor specifically said that it should go to בדק הבית. We discussed the גמרא in תמורה that one that does this is עובר בעשה ולא תעשה. However, it becomes קדוש, it goes towards בדק הבית, but it can never lose it’s attachment to the מזבח. So even after the גזברים must sell it to someone that needs to buy an animal for a קרבן and thus the animal eventually lands on the מזבח.

6 – Being that we are in בין המצרים, we spoke about the הלכה of walking around the בית המקדש and the מזבח where one would always turn to his right.

That would mean that upon entering the gates, even if, say, he needed to pick up an object that was just to the left of the gate, the person would need to start walking to his right and eventually make his way to the left.

Same applied to the מזבח- always walk to the right.

We made mention that by making one right turn…. causes him to make four left turns! That’s 4 vs 1.

Would not making just one left turn be beneficial?

Perhaps the idea is that once you’re on the ‘right’ path the future ‘left turns’ are mitigated.

In other words – making a right because that is the הלכה, all  the resulting ‘lefts’ are Hashem’s issue to deal with.

Maybe.

BK commented that perhaps when walking around the מזבח one would always, out of respect, face the center. So in essence he would always be walking to his right.

However, doing that would cause his backside to be towards the היכל.

Requires further study.

We mentioned the רבינו בחיי who writes says that  ,משה רבינו when he came down from הר סיני holding the לוחות, he walked backwards!

ויפן וירד משה מן ההר – כתב רבינו חננאל מלמד שהיה משה פניו כלפי הענן וירד בדרך עליה מה עליתו פניו אל הענן שעל ההר אף בירידתו כן,

---

Synopsis:

בס”ד

שקלים דף י”א –  י”ב.

מותר הקטורת – Left over Ketores

 מעות הקדש – בנין חולין – בנין קודש – מעות חולין – קטורת  על המעות – קטורת חולין – מעות הקדש – קטורת החולין לאומנין – מעות הקדש לאומנין – קטורת קודש וחדשה.

המקדיש נכסיו. Estate

משנה

1- קטורת

רבי עקיבא – הקדש מתחלל על המלאכה. נותנים לאומנין בשכרן -Direct payment

בן עזאי – אין הקדש מתחלל על המלאכה. כנ”ל. מעות הקדש – בנין חולין – בנין קודש – מעות חולין – קטורת  על המעות – קטורת חולין – מעות הקדש – קטורת החולין לאומנין – מעות הקדש לאומנין – קטורת קודש וחדשה.

רבי עקיבא – למה זה שונה ממותר הקטורת? א- מגונה. ב – נכסי יחיד.

2- בהמה הראויה – Animals suited for the Mizbeach

רבי אליעזר – סתם הקדשות לבדק הבית. זכרים – ימכרו לצרכי עולה. נקבות – ימכרו לצרכי שלמים.

לקרבן ציבור אי אפשר שהרי לא באו ממחצית השקל. ‘אין יוצא מידי מזבח לעולם’.

רבי יהושע – סתם דברים הראויים למזבח הקדיש למזבח. ואפילו הנקבות התכוון לעולה.

זכרים – יקרבו עולות. נקבות – ימכרו לצרכי שלמים.

רבי עקיבא – רןאה אני את דברי רבי אליעזר.

רבי פפייס – במקדיש סתם צודק רבי אליעזר. במקדיש מפורש צודק רבי יהושע.

3- דברים הראוים לגבי מזבח, יינות שמנים ועופות.  Wine, oil and birds

רבי אלעזר – ימכרו לצורכי אותו המין, והמעות לעולה.