This episode and our future learning for the time being are dedicated to the speedy recovery of בילא פריידא בת העניא מינא - Baila Freyda bat Henya Minna (with apologies for any mis-transliteration). Beginning with some words of explanation for our recent delays.... and moving on to further discussion of false oaths, wicked people, lying, the punishments that take place, and why the courts administer oaths the way they do. Plus, the insidious "reed of Rava."
Jun 10, 2025•19 min•Season 26Ep. 39
The end of chapter 5: Someone says: Give me my deposit that is in your possession - and the response is one oath that seems to stand for 5 separate denials. With 4 tannaitic opinions as to when the oath counts for a single oath vs. a group of them -- with 2 different methodologies. And starting chapter 6: with a new mishnah, and a new oath -- issued by the judges. The mishnah is long, reviewing the cases of the chapter... many of which are "modeh be-miktzat" - agreeing to part of the claim, and ...
Jun 09, 2025•23 min•Season 26Ep. 38
An oath on a deposit - to make it clear that it's not in the person's possession, for example. A deliberate false oath of deposit means a korban asham - a guilt-offering. Back when they were studying Shevuot in yeshiva in the time of the Gemara - witnesses warn the person not to swear falsely. Note - the korban asham is fairly unusual, in that it is itself the punishment, or the guilt, and not for the sake of atoning. Plus, Rav Kahana's question about witnesses warning against false testimony - ...
Jun 09, 2025•19 min•Season 26Ep. 37
Finishing chapter 4 and beginning chapter 5! The term "Amen" has an element of an oath to it. As does "No." And "Yes." With support from God's promise to never destroy the earth via water again. Plus, what happens when an oath is in the form a curse, swearing to the negative? When would the Ineffable Name of God be required - if one is going to curse "in the name of God"? A new mishnah! (with the new chapter) - An oath over a deposit or collateral. How aware does the oath-taker need to be of a v...
Jun 06, 2025•27 min•Season 26Ep. 36
2 mishnayot and a good amount of Gemara! 1 - Administering an oath to one who could testify about a plaintiff, but instead denies that he saw anything - the false-oath-maker would still be exempt from the korban. One who asks a whole congregation to come forward - that's not even an oath. Plus, several other cases where the oath-taking would not be sufficient to make a false oath incur the need to bring a korban. 2 - If one insists one take the stand, but not with the language of oath - the comm...
Jun 05, 2025•22 min•Season 26Ep. 35
Different opinions about the oath of testimony on monetary matters and monetary matters only. Note the example of camels and their propensity to bump into each other and even kill other animals, apparently during the mating process. Plus, the question of the degree to which circumstantial evidence would be accepted. Also, the question of liability for a false oath - in monetary claims. And Rabbi Shimon was mocked in the land of Israel - for his view that a case of false oath regarding a deposit ...
Jun 04, 2025•24 min•Season 26Ep. 34
2 mishnayot! The administration of witnesses taking a false oath of testimony, apparently along with an oath that they know nothing about what they're being asked to testify about - perhaps swearing falsely, which may or may not entail an offering to atone for it. That requirement may depend on the specifics of the oath. Also, what about testimony about one's status -- and the oath taken in that context. Plus, the significant difference between a case of status that involves a kohen to adjudicat...
Jun 03, 2025•20 min•Season 26Ep. 33
When 2 potential witnesses deny any knowledge of the event(s) they're asked to testify about, the claim is that they need to deny at exactly the same time. And since that precise of a time is not possible, perhaps they weren't really liable... (this is the view of R. Yosi HaGlili, who says they could have spoken at "the same time," with a certain amount of time to make a short utterance. Also, the case of one witness -- when that would be acceptable, and when insufficient. Note the eye to the pr...
Jun 01, 2025•18 min•Season 26Ep. 32
After 4 ways to keep yourself away from falsehood on yesterday's daf, we have another 9 ways here (13 in total) - and all of them fall under this category. Also, who is intended in the category of "those who are not fit to testify" when there's already been a list of those who are not fit to testify!?! Perhaps a king. Perhaps the one who plays with dice. Also, a new mishnah: defining the oath of testimony (swearing that they have nothing to say on behalf of the plaintiff). Including the concern ...
Jun 01, 2025•16 min•Season 26Ep. 31
Chapter 4! On the "oath of testimony" - the witness swears on the Bible that his testimony is correct, as rooted in a verse in Vayikra/Leviticus, as formal court proceedings. A new mishnah: This oath of testimony is only issued to men. An other points of trustworthiness. But how valid is that testimony? Also, note that this "men" is specific - to exclude women, as compared to other more generic uses. Of course, there are other circumstances where women's testimony is acceptable. Plus, the formal...
Jun 01, 2025•16 min•Season 26Ep. 30
2 mishnayot! 1 - If someone swears that something is factually incorrect is in fact true, or if someone swears about something that is impossible to have seen. But what if he's swearing to something as he understands it? There's concern about the plain meaning of words as people understand them. 2 - Oaths that one takes to confirm that one's statement is true - shevuat bitui - in contrast to the one taken in court. Plus, one who says "Amen" to a formulation of an oath without uttering all the wo...
May 31, 2025•18 min•Season 26Ep. 29
What about conditional oaths? That means one oath forbids something, but the second may not. Unless he engineered the events of the first one, and neglected the second one. Also, the story of the brothers Eifa and Avimi, and their learning of Shevuot in the beit midrash.
May 29, 2025•18 min•Season 26Ep. 28
A new Mishnah! With exceptions to the basic laws of oaths - for example, if one swears not to fulfill a mitzvah. Rabbi Yehudah ben Beterah says that one who makes an oath that you're not allowed to make would still entail a violation, but the Tanna Kama seems to think that it wouldn't count as violating. Likewise, an issue to swear on a mitzvah to keep it. Plus, another new mishnah! Different wordings of swearing off something, though in the end, he would only be held accountable or on punishmen...
May 29, 2025•18 min•Season 26Ep. 27
More on the tannaitic dispute of the previous daf. Delineating the logic of amplification - ribui u-miyut vs. kelal u-prat u-kelal. They're two different schools of thought, and the rationale holds across the Talmud, for each of them. But they're also very similar. Plus, taking an oath in an unavoidable way. Also, one who took an oath, but he forgot about the item he had foresworn... Likewise, forgetting an oath itself -- these aspects of forgetting will affect whether an offering is required. I...
May 27, 2025•25 min•Season 26Ep. 26
A new mishnah! Taking a false oath about the past, or an oath about the future, which is not upheld, which turns it into a false oath, about tangible or intangible matters, means a sliding scale offering. Likewise, if it pertains to other people. Plus, the stringencies of oaths (shevuot) vs. vows (nedarim), with regard to each other. Also, if a person swears about another party - falsely - either that person needs to bring the sacrifice or not - a large debate. Oaths also seem to pertain to matt...
May 26, 2025•19 min•Season 26Ep. 25
What if one takes an oath not to eat, and then ingests non-food items, does that break the oath? What about eating non-kosher food? The key is the "isur kolel," an inclusive prohibition. For example, not eating on Yom Kippur is more inclusive than not eating non-kosher food. Also, more extensive prohibitions -- prohibited in the kind of food and the circumstances of eating (for example, consecrated, or Yom Kippur). In one scenario, multiple things can be forbidden at the same time, each nested w...
May 25, 2025•21 min•Season 26Ep. 24
When we talk about eating and drinking - is drinking included in an oath about eating, or not? With practical implications for whether offerings would be required after violating the oath (or perhaps not). Also, the case of one who takes an oath not to drink - without specification - and then drinks many things - he still is liable only for one offering. What if he gives a list of things he won't drink? Is that to exclude everything else, that he might be willing to drink, or is it just about th...
May 23, 2025•18 min•Season 26Ep. 23
A discussion about speech and eating. Which includes defining when one's speech incurs a requirement to bring an offering -- like the blasphemer? A nazir? Plus, "konamot." And oaths about eating that do not specify the details or amounts of prohibition... the Gemara specifies the inferred amounts, when nothing is stated. What about non-food? Does dirt count as eating? What about grapeseed, which isn't eaten outside of a mixture? How do you define that amount for eating? (Or how much dirt counts ...
May 23, 2025•20 min•Season 26Ep. 22
Rabin brought the Torah of Rabbi Yochanan in Israel to Babylonia to establish the difference between a false oath, not keeping one's word, and swearing in vain (with 3 different verses in the Torah that establish the prohibition). Plus, every negative commandment that has an action - gets lashes. But if there's no action, no lashes -- except for the exceptions, where lashes would be incurred. Also, establishing the views of the sages with regard to the unspecified statements - and what they mean...
May 22, 2025•18 min•Season 26Ep. 21
Starting chapter 3 with a Mishnah - and the new topic of uttering oaths. Plus, the question of taking oaths, and getting tripped up by them. Something that is obvious that it's impossible... maybe could have ben done better. Note: Oaths of utterance, oaths that are explicit in the verses, and the "before/after" factor.... If someone takes an oath not to eat - a certain amount, or any amount, a small amount would or would not make him liable, depending on whose view. Plus, anything one might utte...
May 21, 2025•17 min•Season 26Ep. 20
Finishing chapter 2! If there are 2 paths, one with a known source of impurity and the other ostensibly pure, and you don't know which is which, and he walked both paths, he was definitely impure, but it's not known when he became impure. But what if he forgot where he walked? How does he track when he became impure? Also, what about a person who did the same transgression where it entails a sin-offering, for example, and he did it again, and isn't sure about what h remembered and what he forgot...
May 20, 2025•22 min•Season 26Ep. 19
The case of a couple who are engaged in sexual intercourse when she realizes she has begun menstruating -- which makes their intimacy a violation of niddah. The question, of course, is what are they to do? With extenuating factors in whether the man is a Torah scholar, for example. Also, some aggadata on the daf: the consequences - on a metaphysical level - if the couple don't separate. And if a couple takes caution with regard to to the time when she expects to start menstruating, they'll be re...
May 19, 2025•19 min•Season 26Ep. 18
One who discovers that he is impure after entering the Beit HaMikdash needs to depart as quickly and/or directly as possible. But what if he used the shortest route, but took a long time to walk it (or a long route quickly)? Also, one who enters a home that is impure because of tzara'at, that same person stays pure - if he walks in differently from normal. Plus, the kohen's check of the house for tzara'at. Also, the positive mitzvah that is included in the sum total for which one is not liable....
May 18, 2025•14 min•Season 26Ep. 17
More on adding to the city of Jerusalem or the Temple courtyard - where Rav Nachman says one of the factors listed in the mishnah is necessary (as compared to all of them). With the question of lasting sanctification or resanctification, in the time of Ezra and Nechemiah's return to Zion. Note differences between the First Temple and the Second Temple. Also, the question of shifts in status (in terms of impurity upon entry, or thereafter) between the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the Mikdash (Temple)...
May 16, 2025•19 min•Season 26Ep. 16
Sourcing the process of adding to the city of Jerusalem and/or the Temple's courtyard -- in verses. With discussion of whether Moshe's sanctification of Temple vessels lasted for the generations or whether they needed new anointing... and what implications are there (if any) from the vessels to the area? Also, the song to accompany the expansion of Jerusalem or the Temple courtyard - also, from the verses. Plus, the question of using verses as prayer, but not incantation.
May 16, 2025•20 min•Season 26Ep. 15
The end of chapter 1! Does the goat that is sent to "Azazel" atone for kohanim? Unclear, but they have other means of atonement. Plus, the dispute between Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Shimon on atonement. And, with the new chapter, a long mishnah, beginning with the case of a person who touches an impure thing and then enters the holy (or handles the holy foods) - but inadvertently (namely, the transgression is "hidden from him" - the consequences depend on the particulars. And the mishnah continues ...
May 15, 2025•26 min•Season 26Ep. 14
On Yom Kippur atoning for sin, regardless of a person's regret. With a dive into Rabbi Yehudah vs. Rebbe (Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi), as to the extent of the atonement and what happens with unrepented sins. And which view underlies or agrees with the mishnah? Also, the sacrifices atone - but only with repentance, so isn't that going to be the case with Yom Kippur too? But even if Yom Kippur does atone without teshuvah, what happens if the thing to atone for is the violation of Yom Kippur itself?...
May 14, 2025•20 min•Season 26Ep. 13
What can be done with an animal designated for offering that is no longer needed for whatever reason (that does not include a blemish to the animal)? For example, if the owner (the one who sinned) died...so he can't carry out the plan for atonement? Several possible solutions are considered. Also, going back to the atonement of Yom Kippur and all the kinds of transgressions it applies to. Including, it seems, sins for which a person did not repent! (as long as the sinner isn't denying God's exis...
May 12, 2025•18 min•Season 26Ep. 12
More on the animals that were consecrated for a year, yet not used within the year, and now what? The case of grain offerings is brought to determine what happens in the case of "t'vul yom," someone awaiting the end of the day for his dunking in a mikveh to take full effect. Also, physical sanctity of communal offerings can be conditional. As with the first case, what if the item isn't used, but before it's truly been sanctified? It's a dispute whether you can redeem the animals, let them out to...
May 12, 2025•19 min•Season 26Ep. 11
Parsing the specific goats - Rosh Chodesh, festivals, Yom Kippur - where each atones for specific things, and is where each thing can't usurp the atonement property of the others, or be used for other things. The particulars of the offering of the goats also make the difference in how and for what they each atone (sin-offerings have different procedures, including different locations of offering - inner and outer altars). Also, other animals that have been consecrated for the daily offerings - t...
May 11, 2025•19 min•Season 26Ep. 10
