BS”D

Shkolim 2a

Mar Cheshvan 9, 5784. October 24, 2023

1- We began with a general overview of the Talmud Yerushalmi.

• Completed or ‘sealed’ 100 years before the Bavli sealed.
• The cause for its early ‘closure’.
• How it differs from the Bavli. Language and structure.
• The issues with the various גרסאות.
• Why we generally follow the Bavli when it goes against a Yerushalmi ruling.
• When the Bavli leaves a question unanswered we follow the Yerushalmi.
• The ראשונים that didn’t have the Yerushalmi.
• The Rambam’s reliance on the Yerushalmi.

• Polemic if Rashi had all or just parts of the Yerushalmi.
• The manuscript that was found in the Cairo Geniza, a compendium of the הלכות of the ירושלמי, that seems to have been written by the Rambam.

Here is a great link for a book listing all the places the Bavli and Yeruhalmi disagree,

2- The famous letter of Rav Sherira Gaon which is the only source we have for many historical facts from the time of the Mishnah to the era of the גאונים. See here. Here.  Video presentation.

Page from Iggeres of R Sherira Gaon

3- We mentioned one example where we follow the ירושלמי despite the clear instructions from the בבלי. Megillah 31a.

The הפטורה on שמחת תורה.

Where as in בבלי us states quite clearly to say a potion of מלכים,

Most communities say the beginning of יהושע.

Tosfos is perplexed as to why we don’t follow the גמרא’s opinions, and says that it’s a mistake!

They then add that some say that Rav האי גאון ruled differently, but do not know the reason.

The Rosh points out that we follow the ירושלמי that the הפטורה should be the one from יהושע.

Interestingly, it’s not in ‘our’ ירשולמי that we possess!

4- Mentioned the הלכה of ‘marrying a great granddaughter’!

Whereas מן התורה one is permitted, מדרבנן us is prohibited.

The ירושלמי states that this prohibition goes on forever.

“אברהם אבינו cannot marry any woman of his descendants’

The Rambam says that the prohibition is just for a great granddaughter – it does not continue to her daughter.

See here AH 15, 12.

5-

And so we began….

באחד באדר משמיעין על השקלים

Discussed the very basic הלכה of the שקלים.

All the קרבנות brought from ראש חודש ניסן and on, had to be funded (only) from the ‘new collection’.

This means that even if there was a large surplus of cash left over from the previous year’s collection, that money cannot be used for the new קרבנות. We will see later on as to what was done with this surplus money.

Basically, ר”ח ניסן was the beginning of the fiscal year for the בית המקדש.

Hence the need to start announcing about the new collection on Rosh Chodesh Adar, 30 days prior to the new fiscal year to assure that the new קופה will be fully funded.