Two mishnayot! But first, a quick note on the tearing of the get document. Plus, how minors can acquire property... with 3 stages of development. Also, a new mishnah, with several cases - including the important detail that a minor cannot designate a shaliach, and R. Elazar's point that a woman (then) could be divorced against her will. Also, another mishnah with implications regarding eating from terumah. Plus, the implications of a get going into effect at a place specified.
Jul 20, 2023•20 min•Season 19Ep. 65
Two mishnayot: 1. A woman who appoints a shaliach to accept her get for her needs two sets of witnesses to ensure the divorce goes through. Likewise, when are the main parties in a transaction believed over a third (objective) party, and when the reverse? 2. The case of the na'arah hame'orsah - a minor girl who is betrothed and needs a get to be free of the betrothed. Her father needs to accept the get. Plus, a minor girl who can safeguard her get can get divorced.
Jul 19, 2023•19 min•Season 19Ep. 23
When a woman tells a shaliach to go get her get, and he goes the husband, tells him, and the husband hands it over "as she said," but R. Nachman maintains that she's still not divorced. The Gemara then discusses why he says this, and also where his analysis may go wrong (and she would be divorced). Where the wording and process are essential. Also, may a woman appoint a shaliach to accept a get? It's a machloket. But don't we need to be stringent and be careful lest she not really be divorced, a...
Jul 18, 2023•22 min•Season 19Ep. 63
More on the interactions between Jews and non-Jews -- specifically in the context of shemitah. How much encouragement can a Jew give a non-Jew? Plus, how a Jew must avoid a double greeting Plus, a story with Geneivah, the sage who causes some consternation, including now, using a double-greeting. Also, a new chapter (6), with a new mishnah, and a return to divorce and messengers bringing bills of divorcement as designated, and receiving them on behalf of the wife. With very specific instructions...
Jul 17, 2023•19 min•Season 19Ep. 62
On the interactions between Jews and non-Jews. Also, a new mishnah, on lending utensils to this who are not careful about Shevi'it. Also, the case of a mother-in-law, a son-in-law, and demai (food that may not have been tithed). Note the lack of "cancel culture."
Jul 16, 2023•20 min•Season 19Ep. 61
The people who lived in the Galil wanted to know if they could read from the Torah for public reading from a chumash (a scroll of only one of the 5 books of the Torah). Turns out, it wasn't an easy question. Plus, can a scroll of one parsha be written for the sake of teaching children? The answer depends on whether you think the Torah was given as a while or piecemeal. Plus, Queen Helene's sheet of gold with the parsha of Sotah on it, for the kohen. But what about writing down the Oral Torah? Al...
Jul 15, 2023•19 min•Season 19Ep. 60
The daf describes the continuity of leadership from Moshe Rabbenu to Rebbi to Rav Ashi. Two mishnahs and the Gemara introduces the idea of Darchei Shalom.
Jul 14, 2023•26 min
Wrapping up the dapim about the destruction of the Temple. First, on a beautiful (Jewish) child in prison in Rome, as visited by R. Yehoshua ben Hananya. [Who's Who: R. Yishmael Ben Elisha] Plus, another story of destruction, as siblings who were separated and enslaved were nearly forced to marry each other for the sake of their beauty. Also, a story to illustrate a verse from the prophet Mikhah, on how insidious corruption had become and can be. PS: We've overcome the app problem, thank God, at...
Jul 13, 2023•21 min•Season 19Ep. 58
On Onkelos -- the famous translator, who converted to Judaism. The Gemara here presents his investigations prior to conversion, wherein he consults some dead and ostensibly wicked non-Jews: Titus, Balaam, Jesus. Titus advises him to fight the Jews, not join them. Also, concern about the small size of the Land of Israel, and the way it's going to expand as needed. Plus, other famous converts - Na'aman, Nevuzadran, Haman's descendants, Sisera's descendants, Sennacharib's descendants... Shmaya and ...
Jul 12, 2023•25 min•Season 19Ep. 57
Another very long daf with the stories about the destruction of the Second Temple. Encountering some of the personalities of that era... During the time described, there was a serious famine, which is important backdrop. Also, Rabbi Tzadok fasted for a very long time in his prayer for the salvation of Jerusalem. Which brings us to the story of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, and how he fundamentally saved Judaism being destroyed along with the Temple. Note the conflict among the Jews - Zealots and th...
Jul 11, 2023•30 min•Season 19Ep. 56
NOTE: Apologies for the late release. This time, massive machine error, in a complicated way. Hopefully now resolved... A new mishnah - a deaf-mute woman who was married off by her father when she was a minor... Can she get divorced? What happens with regard to terumah? Plus, a beam is stolen and used in the construction of a building... Which leads us to Takanat HaShavim - people can pay money rather than destroy the construction. Also, Takanat HaMizbeah. Plus, a sin-offering obtained by theft ...
Jul 10, 2023•32 min•Season 19Ep. 55
A long discussion comparing R. Meir and R. Yehudah, on damages, when committed inadvertently. Plus, what if a man paid another back with terumah? Where is the penalty for one who acts be-shogeg? How does the dispute play out? The penalty? Also, what happens when there's pigul at the hands of the kohen?
Jul 09, 2023•27 min•Season 19Ep. 54
A new mishnah! One who renders another's produce impure or mixed in ways that it can't be used... Plus, unrecognizable damage - is it tested as damage for payment or not? Also, a talmudic treatment of the dispute between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehudah, over when one is penalized for a violation, for example, of unrecognizable damage, or even Shabbat. And the Gemara's resolution of that apparent contradiction.
Jul 08, 2023•17 min•Season 19Ep. 53
Orphans who rely on a caretaker - with implications whether that caretaker is appointed him by the father, by the court, or no formal appointment, as yet. That person is responsible for making sure that their fields are tithed appropriately. Plus, the apotropos needs to swear that he hasn't taken anything he shouldn't have. Plus, the responsibility when it comes to mitzvot. [Who's Who: Rabbi Meir] Plus, a story of how R. Meir protected orphans from malfeasance by an apotropos. Also, how the prop...
Jul 07, 2023•24 min•Season 19Ep. 52
A case of a person who has 2 daughters and 1 son as heirs - the case has its own complications, but the crux of the matter is how much of a given was it that the daughters would inherit from the estate to provide for the daughters' dowries? Also, when one volunteers to return lost property, the finder doesn't have to swear that he's returning everything he found (or who would ever return anything). Why is swearing (or not) a matter of tikkun olam? Plus, how to handle a singular opinion.
Jul 06, 2023•15 min•Season 19Ep. 51
How to handle different kinds of people who are owed money, one of which is a woman collecting her ketubah, in a case where heirs also want to connect their inheritance. Also, what happens when property has a lien on it and the debit still wants to pay someone else back or make a gift. Plus, death-bed legacies.
Jul 05, 2023•20 min•Season 19Ep. 50
More on collecting compensatory damages from the best quality of land. Plus, the comparison to paying for damage done to consecrated objects, which sounds like an obvious case of "paying from the best," but it's not that simple, after all. Also, a focus on why paying the ketubah from ziborit, the worse quality of land, is tikkun olam, and actually a protection for the woman. Plus, how much commentary on the expectations of Talmudic society, and the question if what is innate and what is society ...
Jul 04, 2023•22 min•Season 19Ep. 49
One who purchases a field from his father, but then the Jubilee year complicated the issues of inheritance vs. purchase. Which leads to a dispute between Rabbi Meir and R. Yehudah with R. Shimon. Also, a new chapter: paying compensatory damages must be paid out of the best land, while loans and IOUs are paid from intermediate land, and the ketubah is paid from the worst quality of land -- established because of "tikkun olam" (but is that all the cases, or just the last one?).
Jul 03, 2023•21 min•Season 19Ep. 48
If one sells oneself and one's children to non-Jews, the children can be redeemed after the father dies, which leads into a famous story about Resh Lakish and his origins as what is often translated as a gladiator, perhaps a brigand. And how he came to be a great chavruta/bar plugta (regular arguing partners) with R. Yochanan. Plus, the way Resh Lakish died basically destitute. Also, a new mishnah: when one sells his field in the land of Israel to a non-Jew, which invalidates the agricultural mi...
Jul 02, 2023•22 min•Season 19Ep. 47
3 mishnayot - on tikkun olam. 1. A man who divorces his wife because of a bad reputation, which turns out to be false - they still can't remarry. But what happens if the divorce is because of a vow? 2. A husband who divorces an aylonit - what happens when she remarries and has children with the second husband? 3. One who sells himself and his children into slavery to non-Jews, is not to be redeemed, though the Gemara softens this.
Jul 01, 2023•22 min•Season 19Ep. 46
A slave ran away from his owner in the Diaspora and made his way to the land of Israel, where the owner pursued him to bring him back. Does that work, or does he need to free the slave? Plus, the story of Abaye who has lost his donkey and identifies it only by its white belly, which is accepted as an identifying mark only because of who he is, not because it's that specific, as so many donkeys have white bellies. Also, a new mishnah: captives and the value for which they are to be redeemed. And ...
Jun 30, 2023•23 min•Season 19Ep. 45
A slave owned by a Jew who is sold to a non-Jew, never mind the penalty in place from the mishnah (on yesterday's daf). The Gemara provides different reasons for why a slave might end up with a new non-Jewish owner - including a Jewish owner trying to pay off debt, or the Sicarii taking the slave as property... Plus, the question of tithing in the context of another taking the property - what happens to the slave who comes alongside? Also, when a slave is sold with the specifics in a document......
Jun 29, 2023•28 min•Season 19Ep. 44
What happens when a half-slave gets betrothed to a fully free woman? Or vice versa? Plus, does a half-slave have heirs? Also, playing out the halakhah of a contradictory mishnah. Plus, a new mishnah - with a penalty to one who sells a slave to a non-Jew, and the factor of the Diaspora.
Jun 28, 2023•16 min•Season 19Ep. 43
A person who is still half a slave and half freed, as done by the master... Can he aquire himself for himself? What about when a master gives his property to two slaves? Can they free each other? 2 beraitot establish a dispute on the issues. Also, what are the limitations on the case of the slave - specifically, of course, terumah.
Jun 27, 2023•19 min•Season 19Ep. 42
2 mishnayot: 1. A slave whose owner uses him as a payment of debt to another person, but then is freed before he functions as that payment. What happens?? A tikkun olam decree to keep the peace - and ensure that the slave remains free. Plus, rereading the mishnah by the Gemara - in two ways (by Rav and Ulla). 2. A slave who is half-freed and half-slave... an in-between status that is not easily resolved. How should this person function? It's a dispute between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai, and - ...
Jun 26, 2023•23 min•Season 19Ep. 41
When a slave-owner's conduct has impact on the slave's status. To what extent can a man free a female slave in order to marry her? Plus, the stories of R. Dimi, who traveled between Israel and Babylonia - to address the case where heirs are pushed to free the slaves if their benefactor. Also, a slave owned by 2 people, one of whom frees his half of the slave, but the other owner does not go along with freeing him. To the extent that he transfers his ownership to a minor - rather than free his ha...
Jun 25, 2023•23 min•Season 19Ep. 40
When one renounces ownership of a slave, the slave goes free, but still needs a get shichrur, bill of manumission - and then he can marry a Jewish woman. Plus, what happens when a death leaves slaves without clear owners. Also, why there is a "get" for divorce and also a "get" to free a slave.
Jun 24, 2023•17 min•Season 19Ep. 39
An uncomfortable daf, given our modern sensibilities regarding slavery. Note that the Amoraim themselves owned slaves; it wasn't just a biblical practice. Note also, these are "avadim Canaanim," non-Jews who come to live among Jews, and are required to keep some Jewish practices (or perhaps shouldn't be kept as a slave). Some stories, and the halakhic positions that emerge from them. Plus, what if freeing one's slaves violates a Torah commandment? How do we understand the freeing of a slave to m...
Jun 23, 2023•26 min•Season 19Ep. 38
The daf continues to discuss Prozbul and how it relates to a plant in a pot. Then we have a new Mishnah which continues with the topic of loans and Shmeitah.
Jun 22, 2023•22 min
The daf discusses everything and anything you want to know about the Prozbul.
Jun 21, 2023•16 min
