BSD
Shkolim 19a (2)
Adar 4, 5785 – 3/04/2025

1- Continued from last week if money was found on the floor in the area of the 13 שופרות.

Since there are many levels in הקדש, a coin found between these 13 שופרות (that are destined for different types of the עבודות in the בית המקדש), there are specific rules on where to allocate them to.

2- We ‘scratched the scratch of the surface’ on the large issue of ספקות.
Namely, for all the תרי”ג מצוות where there is no doubt or question life is simple.

• Putting on fire on Shabbos is prohibited.
• Crabs are not kosher.
• Tefillin need to be worn everyday.
• 

However, in case of doubts, like ‘is electricity considered fire?’ ‘is swordfish kosher?’ or ‘is 10 minutes before night considered day?’ all of these fall into the category of ספיקות.

The same applies if we are unsure if for example: did I say שמע? Or when we are unsure what the final הלכה is. Is machine מצה is OK for the first night of פסח. Or one is unsure if he gave מחצית השקל.

Torah life is full of such ספיקות.

3 – We mentioned that interestingly nowhere does the תורה say explicitly, that when in doubt, if we should go לחומרא or לקולא.

However there is the global rule that if the ספק is in regards to a מצוה דאורייתא, we usually go לחומרא. On מצוות דרבנן we usually go לקולא.
ספק דאורייתא לחומרא וספק דרבנן לקולא

Parenthetically, we mentioned the famous מחלוקת between the רמב”ם and the רמב”ן if this rule itself is מן התורה or מדרבנן.
The classic work on this topic is the שב שמעתתא.

4 – The above rule that ספק דאורייתא לחומרא וספק דרבנן לקולא, obviously is only when we cannot resolve the ספק. If we have a piece of meat of unknown and unverifiable origin, [it is  –  ספק –   [כשר או לא, we go לחומרא, since it’s a דאורייתא question. If something is questionable if it’s טבל (nowadays), then perhaps we go לקולא.

Kosher?

But ספקות can be resolved by verification. Such as witnesses (a Hechsher)  stating that an item is Kosher. If a גט is in question if it actually reached the woman’s hand, witnesses can testify and the ספק is resolved.

5 – There are other ways to establish a fact when in doubt.

We briefly discussed 3 of these methods; all three are מן התורה.

A – חזקה. Roughly translated as ‘status quo’.

For example, if a מקוה drops below 40 סאה and we are unsure when this drop occurred. חזקה will tell us that we can assume that it had a full 40 סאה up to the moment we realized that it was below 40.

B- רוב. That means we rely on statistics and nature. Since in the majority of cases the results are x, we can assume that this ספק is also x.
For example in הלכות טריפות: an animal is טריף if the membrane covering its brain is punctured. Now, do we need to check every animal if that is indeed so? The answer is that we rely on רוב. Being that by far, most cows and bulls do not have punctured skulls, there is no need to check them.

[Lungs are checked because lesions סרכות are common]

בדיקת הריאה

C – קרוב. Location. If an object found on the street and we question  to whom it belongs, קרוב rules the person that lives closest to the location where it was found, has a strong case that it belongs to him.

6 – We discussed the מקור for all 3 above and what if two of the above point in opposite directions. Which one outweighs the other?

7 – In general, these 3 types of verifications, the הלכה is not telling us ‘what actually the item is’ or ‘what actually happened’.

For example, finding a piece of meat in a city that has mostly kosher butchers, the הלכה, says that it can be eaten. But it does rule that it is a kosher piece of meat or that we are allowed to eat it?  The consensus is that it just advises us that we can rely on the רוב and eat it. We discussed this point at length.

Which store did the meat come from?

Ditto for חזרה and קרוב.

F – However, we mentioned ר’ אלחנן וסרמן who says (קובץ שיעורים ב”ב סי’ ע”ח)  that there is a difference between a חזקה and רוב. A חזקה, as above, only tells you that ‘follow the status quo’.

For example: If a man throws a גט to his wife and we are unsure if it reached her, we go after the חזקה that she is still an אשת איש since are unsure of what happened. But it’s not that the חזקה tells us that it did not reach her because she is an אשת איש. For what has her current status to do with resolving the question if it reached her or not.

It’s just that since we are in doubt, we leave her status as it is.
רוב however verifies (to an extent) what the status is. Like in the example above of finding meat in a Jewish city.

The רוב verifies and tells us that it is indeed a Kosher piece of meat.

These topics are deep and complicated. We mentioned them as a broad introduction to explain our משנה that says that we follow the rule of קרוב, as where to direct the coins found in the area of the שופרות.

Why not רוב? Why don’t we check which שופר has the most coins?

To be continued.

BSD
Shkolim 18b (2) – 19a
26 Shevat, 5785 – 2/25/2025

Brief notes

1- Discussed the קומץ which was the minimum amount one needed to supply to the בית המקדש if he wished to donate לבונה, frankincense.

Here.

2 – The גמרא offers 4 explanations for the 6 שופרות that were labeled נדבה. Why 6 שופרות ?

The first one is that it corresponds to the 6 families in every משמר. We reviewed the way the 24 משמורות worked as we learnt at the end of מסכת סוכה.

One of the groups hard at work

Due to the large number of כהנים in every משמר, they were split into 6 groups corresponding to the 6 weekdays. Each בית אב worked on one day of the week.

On שבת they all worked together.

Now, when visitors would enter the בית המקדש they would donate for קיץ המזבח. To avoid conflicts, these donations were split evenly into these 6 שופרות, with each of the 6 בית אב using the coins of one of the 6 on their allotted day to bring עולות for קיץ המזבח.
ושלום על ישראל

3- The פרק ends with the discussion about the ‘box with the hole’ that was placed in the בית המקדש by יהוידע הכהן.
Was it one box or 2?

4- We began the next פרק that discusses a case where money was found on the floor between these 13 שופרות.

Many coins did not make it into the Pushke

Since there are many levels in הקדש, we need to be careful as to where we place these found coins.

The using of צדקה money that was collected for one purpose for another (also) worthwhile צדקה is something that needs to be done carefully. We discussed these issues in פרק שני.

So a coin found between these 13 שופרות that are destined for different types of the עבודות in the בית המקדש, there are specific rules on where to allocate them to.

5 – We discussed the global issue of ספקות in הלכה and will BL”N continue at the next shiur.

Klimovich

BSD
Shkolim 18b
20 Shevat, 5785 – 2/18/2025

1- We continued from last week.
יהוידע הכהן had an issue with a פסוק חומש.

Here are some parameters to understand his issue.
קרבנות in general are of two categories.

Obligatory ones – חובה, such as עולה, חטאת and אשם.
Donated ones – נדבה. Such as שלמים and עולה.

A חטאת or אשם are brought as a כפרה – sin offering, with part of the animal placed on the מזבח and the rest (meat and hide) going to the כהנים.

An עולה is all burnt on the מזבח, except for the hide which the כהנים keep.

However, when discussing the laws of an אשם, where the meat in eaten by the כהנים, the פסוק surprisingly concludes by saying:

אָשָׁם הוּא אָשֹׁם אָשַׁם לַהשם.

להשם usually means, like an עולה , totally consumed on the מזבח.
So how do we reconcile this with an אשם that usually is partly eaten by the כהנים?

2- יהוידע הכהן explained that the פסוק is indeed discussing an אשם. However not the actual and usual אשם, but the extra money that may be left over after one purchases an אשם.

The extra מותר of an אשם and חטאת , the פסוק is telling us, is collected  to buy עולות that are completely placed and burnt on the מזבח and (only) the hides go to the כהנים. Thus, this type of (hybrid) קרבן, brought when there is nothing else to place on the מזבח, is in a sense an אשם (having been originally designated as an אשם) but it is totally consumed by the מזבח – as the פסוק states אָשָׁם הוּא אָשֹׁם אָשַׁם לַהשם.

3 – Speaking of an אשם we mentioned the famous רבינו יונה of Girona. Here and here.  From Chabad- org.

רבינו יונה has an interesting explanation as to why the cost of אשם , brought on a ספק עבירה, is by far much more expensive than a חטאת, which is brought on a ודאי שוגג.
Here.

‘Why is it that the תורה is מחמיר on an אשם more than a ודאי?

(see also Ramban here) 

My teacher (רבינו יונה) said that when doing תשובה on a ודאי one is truly contrite ,regretful and his repentance is whole heartedly.
However, when repenting on a ספק, human nature is to come up with many excuses (סברות) thinking that ‘perhaps there was no sin committed at all’ and there is no need to repent….

So the תורה says that an אשם should be far more expensive, resulting to compel this person to do a proper תשובה’.

Quoted by the Alter Rebbe in his Shulchan Aruch. OC 603. 

See also לקו”ש ח”ג ע 944.

4 – The גמרא continues discussing a קרבן עצים and the minimum amount of wood one must bring.

Interesting point about the size of the logs placed on the מזבח. Due to the rather small area of the מערכה, the logs needed to be an exact אמה, to allow an area for the כהנים to walk around it.

קרבן עצים is a great מצוה, but make sure that it allows room for others….

When giving צדקה one needs to use, in addition to his heart, also his שכל…..

We mentioned the humorous story (unsure if it actually happened) of the carp inside the תשליך……

BSD
Shkolim 18a
13 Shevat, 5785 – 2/11/2025

1- After the ‘diversion’ describing שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר שֻׁלְחָנוֹת שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיוֹת הָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ , the last משנה of this פרק, finally addresses the topic of our מסכתא:

.שְׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר שׁוֹפָרוֹת הָיוּ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ

2- So we have 13 Pushkes – שׁוֹפָרוֹת for various purposes, each with a particular label. They were shaped like a שופר so that no hand can be inserted into them.

This topic is placed in שקלים מסכת due to the fact that the first Pushke was for the actual שקלים that were collected every year throughout the world. If one wanted to bypass all the collectors, he would insert his מחצית השקל into Pushke #1. תִּקְלִין חַדְתִּין – New Shkolim.

From this Pushke they שקלים would be placed in the לשכה.

Pushke #2 was for ‘old Shkolim’. תִּקְלִין עַתִּיקִין. This one was for those that missed giving a מחצית השקל in the previous year.

The משנה continues enumerating the other 11 Pushkes.

3 – The latter part of the משנה (and following גמרא) touches on a קדשים topic, with an interesting historical story.

We generally find many מדרשים explaining פסוקים in ש”ס etc. by the תנאים and אמוראים.

Our משנה describes a story where a מדרש on פסוקים was recorded hundreds of year before the תנאים – in the time of the first בית המקדש!

Now, the כהן גדול at the time of יואש המלך was יהוידע. He is on the list of the מסורה – one of the people by which the תורה was transmitted, going back to משה רבינו.

Rambam in his Hakdomo to the Yad:
אליהו קיבל מאחיה השילוני ובית דינו, ואלישע קיבל מאליהו ובית דינו, ויהוידע הכהן קיבל מאלישע ובית דינו.

4 – יהוידע הכהן had an issue with a פסוק חומש.

Here are some parameters to understand his issue.
קרבנות in general are of two categories.
Obligatory ones – חובה, such as עולה, חטאת and אשם.
Donated ones – נדבה. Such as שלמים and עולה.

A חטאת or אשם are brought as a כפרה – sin offering with part of the animal placed on the מזבח and the rest (meat and hide) going to the כהנים.

An עולה (brought as a חובה or נדבה) is all burnt on the מזבח, except for the hide which the כהנים keep.

However, when discussing the laws of an אשם, when the meat in eaten by the כהנים, the פסוק concludes by saying:
אָשָׁם הוּא אָשֹׁם אָשַׁם לַהשם.

להשם usually means, like an עולה , totally consumed on the מזבח.
So how do we reconcile this?

To be continued.

5 – We mentioned an interesting idea about a story in מסכת שבת.
10 a.

The משנה states וְלֹא יִקְרָא לְאוֹר הַנֵּר. One should not read by the light of a candle on שבת. No reason for this prohibition is offered.
However, in 12b, the גמרא quotes a תוספתא: that states the reason for this הלכה: Do not read by candle light for one may adjust the wick.

לֹא יִקְרָא לְאוֹר הַנֵּר, שֶׁמָּא יַטֶּה. אָמַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן אֱלִישָׁע: אֲנִי אֶקְרָא וְלֹא אַטֶּה. פַּעַם אַחַת קָרָא וּבִקֵּשׁ לְהַטּוֹת. אָמַר: כַּמָּה גְּדוֹלִים דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לֹא יִקְרָא לְאוֹר הַנֵּר. רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר: קָרָא וְהִטָּה, וְכָתַב עַל פִּנְקָסוֹ: אֲנִי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן אֱלִישָׁע קָרִיתִי וְהִטֵּיתִי נֵר בְּשַׁבָּת; לִכְשֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ אָבִיא חַטָּאת שְׁמֵנָה״!?

One may not read a book on Shabbat by the light of the lamp, lest he adjust it. Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha said: I will read and will not adjust, as I will certainly not forget that it is Shabbat. However, once he read a book by candlelight and he sought to adjust the wick. He said: How great are the words of the Sages, who would say that one may not read by candlelight. . Rabbi Natan says: That was not the way it happened. Rather, he read and actually adjusted the wick, and he wrote afterward in his notebook [pinkas]: I, Yishmael ben Elisha, read and adjusted a lamp on Shabbat. When the Temple will be rebuilt I will bring a fat sin-offering as atonement for my sin.

As others point out – the story with Reb ישמעאל, is only brought down as part of the תוספתא where a reason is given. The dry הלכה in the Mishna, where no reason is given, is not followed by the story of Reb ישמעאל.

Why?

The answer is that when no טעם of a גזירה is given, there is less of a chance that one may say : I know the reason and it does not apply to me.

In the תוספתא where a reason is offered, it follows with a story to teach us that despite what one may think, a גזירה is not bound by the reason. Even if one thinks that the reason does not apply, the גזירה must still be adhered to.

As the גמרא writes in עבודה זרה, on 35a that the חכמים, when announcing a new גזירה, would (sometimes) not divulge the reason behind the enactment of the גזירה until 6 months.

דְּאָמַר עוּלָּא כִּי גָּזְרִי גְּזֵירְתָּא בְּמַעְרְבָא לָא מְגַלּוּ טַעְמָא עַד תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי שַׁתָּא דִּלְמָא אִיכָּא אִינִישׁ דְּלָא סְבִירָא לֵיהּ וְאָתֵי לְזַלְזוֹלֵי בַּהּ.

BSD
Shkolim 17b (3)
6 Shvat, 5785 – 2/04/2025

Some short notes:

1 – Our גמרא begins to discuss the 10 מנורות and the 10 שולחנות that שלמה המלך placed in the בית המקדש he built.

These were in addition to the original מנורה ושולחן that was made by משה רבינו for the משכן.

2 – The difference of opinions if these extra 10 were used.
Some say never, some say occasionally and others say they were always used.

[If they were always used it means that every week there were 120 loaves of bread placed on these tables]

3 – Now these extra 10 were inside the היכל.

5 on each side of the original מנורה ושולחן.

The issue is that because of their size, the 10 would overflow out of their designated area as is stated in the חומש. Namely, the שולחן needs to be in the North of the היכל, and the מנורה in the South.
Additionally, they needed to be in the Western half of the היכל.

4 – Our ירושלמי גמרא is cryptic and we discussed the lengthy סוגיא on this topic in מסכת מנחות.

5 – Another topic discussed are two opinions as to the direction the שולחן ומנורה were placed. West to East or North to South. We mentioned the רמב”ם that accepts the opinion of one in regards to the מנורה and the other opinion in regards to the שולחן.

6- We touched on the topic of the מנורה on חנוכה. In the שלחן ערוך (OC 671, 7) it says that the מנורה in a Shul should be placed on the South wall. The רמ”א quotes the תרומת הדשן that we should place them in the direction of מזרח למערב. See the מגן אברהם.

Menorah at South wall in 770

In ספר המנהגים חב”ד there is a footnote wondering why we don’t place our home מנורה in the מזרח למערב direction if possible.

7- We mentioned the topic of where should the position of a רב of a Shul be. Either to the left of the ארון קודש, (when facing the ארון קודש) that would mean on the North side – צפון. Or to right of the ארון קודש, meaning on the South side – דרום.

Logic would say on the same side as the מנורה (left- צפון ) since it represents חכמה.

8- We discussed the משמרת שלום by ר’ שלום קוידנובר who writes on this topic.

Notes in Hebrew:

א-
רמב”ם פסק שהשולחן היה עומד ארכו לאורך הבית, מערב מזרח. אבל המנורה  צפון דרום.
והרמ”א תרע”א מביא מתה”ד שה”ה למנורת חנוכה – מזרח מערב. ועיי”ש במג”א שכן צ”ל בבית הכנסת. ובספר המנהגים חב”ד כותב בהערות שצ”ע למה לא נהגו כן בבית אם אפשרי.

ב-
הרמב״ם (הלכות תפלה פי״א ה״ג) בונין תיבה באמצע בית הכנסת כדי שישמעו כולם בשווה. והכסף משנה שם לימד זכות על קהלות אלו, לפי מה שנתן הרמב״ם הטעם כדי שישמעו. אבל החת”ס או״ח סי׳ כ״ח מביא ראי’ מאלכסנדריא שלא שמעו את החזן ואעפ”כ הי’ הבימה באמצע. ומבאר החת״ס מסכרא, דכיון שנכו מחזיקין את הבימה שקורין עליה כקרבנות, שהיא דוגמת המזבח, מפכי כן סוככים את הבימה בערבה בסוכות כשם שהיו מקיפין את המזבח בביהמ״ק, וא״כ כשם שהמזבח היה נתון באמצע ההיכל, כן מהראוי להעמיד את הבימה באמצע ביהכנ״ס דוגמת המזבח. והאריך החת״ס ומסיק דהכלל הוא חדש אסור מן התורה בכל מקום.
וראה יהודה יעלה למהר״י אסאד זי״ע (או״ח סי׳ ג׳). כמו הר סיני שכולם היו מסביבו.

ג-
משמרת שלום (קיידנוב, סי׳ ט״ו סעי׳ ב( רבים מהגדולים והצדיקים מדקדקים לעמוד אצל ארוה״ק מצד דרום ואכוה״ק היו עומדים אצל ארוה״ק מצד צפון.

ד-
במנחת חינוך (מצוה צ״ח) מסתפק אם מה שכתבה תורה שתהיה המנורה כיכר

זהב טהור, הכוונה שתהי׳ לכל הפחות כיכר, אכל טפי מכיכר לא איכפת לן, או שמא הקפידה תורה שתהיה כיכר דוקא לא פחות ולא יותר. ומביא ראי’ מדברי רש״י ז״ל עה״ת שם ככר, לא פחות ולא יותר, הרי דאסור להוסיף על משקל המנורה. ומביא ראיה מסוגיין ומגמ׳ מנחות שהכניסו אלף כיכרות לאור עד שעמדו על כיכר, וכן מהא דהכניסו את המנורה, שהיתה יתירה דינר, שמונים פעמים כאור עד שעמדה על כיכר, הרי דיש קפידא שלא תהא יתירה על כיכר, דאל״ה למה להו לאטרוחי כולי האי שלא תהא יתירה על כיכר.

BSD
Shkolim 17b (2)
28 Teves, 5785 – 1/27/2025

1- We began הלכה ו that describes the 13 tables that were in the בית המקדש.

● 8 marble tables for the rinsing of the קרבנות

● 1- marble table (next to the ramp) for the preparation of the placing the קרבנות On the מזבח.
● 1- silver table (next to the ramp) to place the 93 כלים needed for the עבודה. (see תמיד).
● 1 – gold table near the door to the היכל to place the removed לחם הפנים.
● 1- marble table near the door to the היכל to place the fresh לחם הפנים prior to placing them on the שלחן.
● 1- the gold שולחן that the לחם הפנים were placed onto for 7 days.

2- The משנה offers the reason for the marble and gold table used for the preparation and the removal of the fresh and old לחם הפנים.
The marble for the fresh ones – מעלין בקודש. It will be a step up from the marble table to the שולחן which was made of gold.

The gold one for the לחם הפנים that was removed. It needed to be gold since ולא מורידין.

3- We discussed the famous question of the מנחת חינוך – מצוה צז.

כיון דלחה”פ היו מונחים בדפוסים שהם קערות והם כלי שרת והיו של זהב, היאך בכניסתו להיכל היו מניחין אותו על שלחן של כסף ? והלא אין מורידין. ומה יועיל מה שאח”כ יעלה, הלא עתה מורידין. והי’ ראוי להיות ג”כ שלחן של זהב כי בשוה שרי כמו ביציאתו

The לחם הפנים were baked in gold forms called קערותיו, which were a כלי שרת. So placing them on a marble table is a ‘downgrade’! (See  previous Shiur, Tosfos Sukkah 48b ).

And if the placing them on the marble table was done while still in their golden forms, and therefore not called ‘downgrading’ (because they are still in their gold forms), then where is the ‘upgrading’ when removing them from the gold forms unto the gold שולחן? He concludes that the forms were not a כלי שרת and the bread was not נתקדש.

4- Mentioned the answer of Reb Meir Shapiro אור המאיר סימן ז. He suggests that the idea of מַּעֲלִין בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְלֹא מוֹרִידִין is only when the item reaches its final stage.

Like when removing the לחם הפנים. Since all week it was on a gold table, it cannot be placed on a silver or marble table since placing it there is its final location as bread. [It was distributed after taking it out of the היכל].

However, when the bread was placed in the gold forms for baking it is in the process of reaching its final destination – which is the gold שולחן. So placing it temporarily on a marble table is not considered ‘downgrading – מורידין’.

5 – Discussed the oft quoted ט”ז about מַּעֲלִין בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְלֹא מוֹרִידִין who suggests a wide ranging and new interpretation.

The issue is placing ספרים inside an ארון קודש, even temporarily.

Now when there a ספר תורה inside the ארון  it is a not problem since it is not a downgrade for the ארון since the תורה is still there.

כתב רש״ל נראה דאין קרוי הורדה מקדושה אם מניחין שאר ספרים בארון אצל ס״ת דהא עדיין בקדושתו קאי ותדע שהרי העולם נהגו להניח בארון יריעות פסולים וה״ה חומשים ושאר ספרים.

However, when there is no ספר תורה in the ארון:
אכן צ״ע היכא שהוציאו ס״ת ממנו אם יכולין להניח בתוכו שאר ספרים דמאחר דלית ביה ס״ת הוה הורדה מקדושה לפי שעה או לא עכ״ל

He quotes his father-in-law, the ב”ח, that says that even a temporary downgrade is not permitted.

Therefore he disapproves the מנהג of placing a candle inside the ארון קודש on הושענא רבה when all the ס”ת are removed. Unless the rational is that the candle is in honor of the תורה that were removed. But he doesn’t accept this reason.

ולפ״ז לא יפה עושים קצת שביום הושענא רבה שמוציאין כל ס״ת ושמים שם נר דולק והוי דופן ארון הקודש תשמיש לאותו נר. אלא שי״ל כיון שעושין כן לכבוד התורה לסי׳ תורה אור דהיינו רמז בזה כשאין שם ס״ת צריך לאור הנר. אבל אין זה מספיק כיון שיש איסור להוריד הקדושה של הארון

He continues that all the above is if the ארון קודש is in good condition and is still used as a proper ארון קודש.

If however it has degraded to a point that is not used anymore for ספרי תורה, then he suggest that there is no issue to use it for ספרים.

[We mentioned an example – an ארון קודש that reached a point that it is not fitting for ס”ת and a new one was purchased. Can the old one be used in the Shul library as a bookcase for a ש”ס or any other ספרי קודש?]

‘For the idea of מַּעֲלִין בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְלֹא מוֹרִידִין is only if the item can still be used for its original ‘higher’ קדושה. Such as a proper and still functioning ארון קודש cannot be used as a bookcase .
If the ארון קודש has lost it luster and cannot be used any more, the on the contrary, rather than discarding it (גניזה) or keeping it empty, its advisable to use it for another קדושה even if it is a ‘downgrade’.

ולולי דמסתפינא אמינא מילתא חדתא דהא דאמרי׳ בהנך מילי דאסור לעשות מקדושה גדולה קדושה קלה היינו כ״ז שראוי׳ לקדושה גדולה. אבל אם אינה ראויה לזה רק לקלה, טפי עדיף שיעשו בה לכל הפחות קדושה קלה ממה שתהיה פנוי׳ ותגנז ………..עדיף טפי לעשו׳ בה תשמיש קדוש׳ להחזיק בה ספרים ממה שתהיה פנויה לגמרי בלי קדושה כלל.

6 – The גמרא discusses the reason for a marble table to place the fresh לחם הפנים prior to placing them on the שלחן. Why not silver or even gold?

The answer is that a metal table would cause the bread to warm up and go stale.

[We didn’t fully grasp this since the bread was warm anyway, if it was baked Shabbos morning מנחות צה, ב].

The גמרא asks: didn’t the לחם הפנים miraculously remain warm all week anyway? So what’s ‘another small miracle’ if it were to be placed temporarily on a metal table?

The גמרא answers that אין סומכין על הנס.

זֶה אֶחָד מִן הַנִּיסִּים שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהָיוּ מַנִּיחִין אוֹתוֹ חוֹם כָּךְ הָיוּ מוֹצִיאין אוֹתוֹ חוֹם. [שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר] לָשׁוּם לֶחֶם חוֹם כְּיוֹם הִלָּקְחוֹ. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר. אֵין מַזְכִּירִין מַעֲשֶׂה נִיסִּים.

7 – Short points:
● The source that the לחם הפנים was warm all week is from the story of אחימלך giving the לחם הפנים to דוד המלך.
● We discussed the sage of דוד המלך and his constant fear and escapes from שאול המלך.
● Story of מחר חודש.
● His escape to גת and acting like a deranged fellow. Writing graffiti on the gates of the city.
● משוגעים in the king’s palace. חֲסַר מְשֻׁגָּעִים אָנִי כִּי הֲבֵאתֶם אֶת זֶה לְהִשְׁתַּגֵּעַ עָלָי הֲזֶה יָבוֹא אֶל בֵּיתִי.
● His visit to נוב, which replaced שילה as the place of the משכן for 13 years.
● His receiving the לחם הפנים and the sword he used to slay גלית.

● The retribution of שאול on the כהנים of נוב and the ultimate punishment for this.
● The tragic story with דואג האדומי, the actual slayer of the כהנים.

● בְּבוֹא דּוֹאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי וַיַּגֵּד לְשָׁאוּל וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ בָּא דָוִד אֶל בֵּית אֲחִימֶלֶךְ.

גלגל 14
שילה 369
נוב 13
גבעון 44
——————————
מנחת חינוך צז. איך הורידו מהקערות של זהב לשולחן של כסף/שיש?
אם לא שנאמר שהקערות לא קידשו. אם התנור מקדשן, מנחות צה, ב
אור המאיר, רמ”ש, ז. שמעלין הוא רק בגמר המצוה.
מעלין בקודש מה”ת או מדרבנן.
ט”ד קנד, ז. דווקא אם אפשר להשתמש בו בקדושה העליונה.
מהרש”ם ד, נז. לשים ספרים בארון שבלה.
רד”ק. נוב עיר שכולה כהנים. תרומה. אבל לחה”פ אחרי הקטרת הבזיכין אין בהם מעילה.

BSD 

Shkolim 17a (2) – b 

14 Teves, 5785 – 1/14/25

1- We reviewed the topic of last week about the Atlantic Ocean overflowing to the ‘Barbary Coast and Calabria’. 

Atlantic flooding through strait of Gibraltar into Mediterranean

2- Our גמרא continues that the water of the miraculous river (last week’s Shiur) will ‘heal’ other seas. 

3- Spoke about an interesting idea from 

1801-1877 ליטש-רוזנבוים, משה ליב בן יהודה,

in his ספר – מתא דירושלים.

When Moshiach comes, how will Chazir be allowed? The healed waters will allow the Shibuta, which has no spine, to swim back against the current, which tastes like pork…

4- This פרק/הלכה concludes with explanation of the gate named שער יכניה.

אַתְּ מוֹצֵא. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעָלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר לְכָאן בָּא וְיָשַׁב לוֹ בְדִיפְנֵי שֶׁלְאַנְטִוֹכִיָּה וְיָצָאָה סַנְהֶדְרִין גְּדוֹלָה לִקְרָאתוֹ וְאָמְרָה לוֹ. הִגִּיעַ זְמַן הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה לִיחָרֵב. אָמַר לָהֶן. אוֹתוֹ שֶׁהִמְלַכְתִּי אוֹתוֹ עֲלֵיכֶם תְּנוּהוּ לִי וַאֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ לִי. בָּאוּ וְאָמְרוּ לִיהוֹיָכִין מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה. נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר בָּעֵי לָךְ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמַע מֵהֶן כָּךְ נָטַל מַפְתֵּיחוֹת שֶׁלְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. עָלָה לְגַגּוֹ שֶׁלְהֵיכָל. אָמַר לָפָנָיו. רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁלְעוֹלָם. לִכְשֶׁעָבַר הָיִינוּ נֶאֱמָנִין לָךְ וְהָיוּ מַפְתֵּיחוֹתֵיךָמְסוּרִין לָנוּ. עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ נֶאֱמָנִין הֲרֵי מַפְתֵּיחוֹתֵיךָ מְסוּרִין לָךְ. תְּרֵין אֲמוֹרִין. חַד אָמַר. זְרָקָן וְעוֹד לֹא יָרְדוּ. וְחוֹרָנָה אָמַר. רָאָה כְמִין יָד נוֹטַלְּתַן מִיָּדוֹ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ כָּל חוֹרֵי יְהוּדָה כֵן עָלוּ לְרֹאשׁ גַּגּוֹתֵיהֶן וְנָפְלוּ וָמֵתוּ. הָדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב מַשָּׂא גֵּיא חִיזָּיוֹן מַה לָּךְ אֵיפוֹא כִּי עָלִית כּוּלָּךְלַגַּגּוֹת. תְּשֻׁאוֹת מְלֵאָה עִיר הוֹמִיָּה וגו׳.

You are finding that when Nebuchadnezzar campaigned here, he came and sat in Daphne of Antioch. The Great Sanhedrin went to him and said to him, did the time come that this House be destroyed? He said to them, give me the one which I made king over you and I will depart. They came and said to Jehoiachin, the king of Judea, Nebuchadnezzar wants you. When he heard this from them, he took the keys of the Temple and climbed to the roof of the Temple. He said before Him: Master of the world! In the past we were trustworthy for You and Your keys were handed to us. Now that we are not trustworthy for You, Your keys are handed to You. Two Amoraim, One said, he threw them upwards and they never returned.

The other said, He saw that something like a hand came and took them from him. When all the freeholders of Yehudah heard this, they climbed to the tops of their roofs, fell down, and died. That is what is written3, Saying about the valley of vision: Why are you doing this, that you climbed on all roofs, the noisy, full, humming city.

We touched on the following subjects.

A- We’re the סנהדרין justified in turning יכניה over to נבוכדנצר?

B- Is suicide ‘permitted’ in extra ordinary occasions? 

Crusade of 1096

BSD
Shkolim 17a
7 Teves, 5785 – 1/07/2025

1- We reviewed some points of last week regarding the 13 locations where one would make a השתחווה inside the עזרה and the connection to the חשמונאים.

2- The next section in the גמרא is very cryptic, esoteric and mysterious. We’re still searching for an explanation as to its meaning. A similar version appears also in the בבלי יומא.

Basically, 3 נביאים prophesied about a phenomenon that will occur in the future.

In short: From inside the קודש הקדשים, a thin stream of water will begin to flow. It will exit the היכל, into the עזרה, pass the מזבח and continue its way out thru the שער המים. (Gate #4 on the south side as mentioned in our Mishna).

From there it will flow North to a sea called Sumcho, then turn South into the כנרת, flow from there to the ים המלח and from there to the ‘ocean’.

[Every once in a while rumors swirl about a stream of water seen coming out of the הר הבית.
נזכה ונחי’ ונראה]

3 – Our גמרא, without explaining the meaning of this stream and its route, discusses various aspects of this stream.

First, that it is an ever widening stream. Starting as a thin sliver of water and expanding until, once in the ocean, it becomes a wide and turbulent river. So mighty is this river, that at that point large boats will be unable to navigate across it.

Secondly, the גמרא discusses the depth of this stream/river.

Finally, the גמרא discusses the water itself. At its source it’s considered water from a מעין.

The difference להלכה pertains to the various טומאות, some of which require a מעין. A מעין is כשר even while flowing.

However, along the circuitous route of this miraculous river, other sources, such as rain water, are mixed into this stream. It’s is still Kosher for טבילה but may need to be in a מקוה.

4 – Here we encounter a fascinating גמרא.

We prefaced 2 points about the Mediterranean Sea.
ארץ ישראל is on the most Eastern section of the Mediterranean.

A – The Barbary Coast. The coastal regions of central and western North Africa, which is on the Southern side of this sea stretching from Libya to Morocco.

The Barbary Coast (also Barbary, Berbery, or Berber Coast) was the name given to the coastal regions of central and western North Africa or more specifically the Maghreb and the Ottoman borderlands consisting of the regencies in Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, as well as the Sultanate of Morocco from the 16th to 19th centuries. The term originates from an exonym for the Berbers.

B – At the northern part of the Mediterranean Sea are the countries of Turkey, Greece, Italy, France Spain and Portugal.
Italy juts out like a boot into this ocean. In the Southern part of Italy is the famous region (at least for Chabad) called Calabria.

Now, the last part of the prophecy relating to this water flowing from inside the בית קודש הקדשים, states that it will reach the ‘outgoing sea’. This is referring to the Atlantic Ocean that connects to the Mediterranean at the Straits of Gibraltar.

But why is the Atlantic Ocean called the ‘outgoing (or outpouring sea)’?

The גמרא explains, as Rashi quotes it in Chumash (end of פרשת נח and פרשת האזינו), the Atlantic overflowed the land area that is now the Mediterranean Sea!

וגם אחרי כן – אף על פי שראו באובדן של דור אנוש, שעלה אוקיינוס והציף שליש העולם, לא נכנע דור המבול ללמד מהם.

In other words, during the era of אנוש and the דור הפלגה, a full one third of the human population lived on the dry area of where the Mediterranean Sea is today. This flood (‘outgoing sea’) was a punishment that wiped out ⅓ the world’s people due to their immoral behavior. See interesting discussion here.

This tsunami happened twice. Once during the times of אנוש (as Rashi writes). The second time was during the דור הפלגה (as our גמרא has it).

At the first time the flood reached the Calabria region. The second time it reached the Barbary Coast.

Here is the Rashi:

וגם אחרי כן – אף על פי שראו באובדן של דור אנוש, שעלה אוקיינוס והציף שליש העולם
בינו שנות דור ודר – דרב אנוש שהציף עליהם אוקיינוס

• Our גמרא describes the route of the river until it reaches the Atlantic and the ‘double flood’.
  [Samchu, Kineret, Dead Sea and the Atlantic]
  וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הַמַּיִם הָאֵלֶּה יוֹצְאִים אֶל הַגְּלִילָה הַקַּדְמוֹנָה זֶה יַם שֶׁלְסַמְכו.
  וְיָרְדוּ עַל הָעֲרָבָה זֶה יַם שֶׁלְטִיבֵּרִיָּא.
  וּבָאוּ הַיָּמָּה זֶה יַם הַמֶּלַח.
  אֶל הַיָּמָּה הַמּוּצָאִים זֶה הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל.
  וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ הַמּוֹצָאִים. כְּנֶגֵד שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים שֶׁיָּצָא. אֶחָד בְּדוֹר אֱנוֹשׁ וְאֶחָד בְּדוֹר פְּלָגָה.
  רִבִּי לָעְזְר בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יָצְא עַד קַלַבְּרִיָה וּבַשְׁנִייָה יָצָא עַד קֵפֵי בֶּרְבֶּרִיָה.

It is written: He said to me, these waters flow out to the Eastern district, this is Lake *Samchonitis, and descends to the lowlands, this is Lake Tiberias, and comes to the sea, this is the Salt Sea, the sea of outgoing water, this is the Great Sea. [Atlantic] And why is it called the sea of outgoing water? For the two times it came out, once in the generation of Enosh, and once in the generation of the Dispersal.
Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: The first time it went out up to Calabria, the second time it went to the Capes of Barbary

*Later known as Lake Huleh, then drained in the 1950s, today the Hula Valley

5- The גמרא continues that Reb Eliezer says that the second time it reached ארץ ישראל!

Does that mean that prior to דור אנוש there was no Western coastline in ארץ ישראל? Landlocked?

רִבִּי לָעְזְר בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יָצְא עַד קַלַבְּרִיָה וּבַשְׁנִייָה יָצָא עַד קֵפֵי בֶּרְבֶּרִיָה. רִבִּי אָחָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יָצְא עַד קֵפֵי בֶּרְבֶּרִיָה וּבַשְׁנִייָה יָצָא עַד עַכּוֹ וְעַד יָפוֹ. עַד פֹּה תָבוֹא וְלֹא תוֹסִיף. עַד עַכּוֹ תָבוֹא וְלֹא תוֹסִיף.

To be continued at the next Shiur BL”N.

6 – We discussed the issue with the 2 ברכות mentioned in the משנה in ברכות.
When one sees mountains, hills, seas, rivers, and deserts one says the ברכה:

בָּרוּךְ עוֹשֵׂה מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית.

When one sees the ים הגדול the ברכה is:
בָּרוּךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה אֶת הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל.

So we have regular ‘seas’ and the ‘big ocean’.

What is the ‘big ocean’? The Atlantic or maybe the Mediterranean as well?

See here. מגן אברהם.

Now if the Mediterranean was formed after מעשה בראשית, then the ברכה when seeing it (cannot be it בָּרוּךְ עוֹשֵׂה מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית) so it must be בָּרוּךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה אֶת הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל.

7 – We spoke about the ‘lost city of Atlantis’, a civilization that was flooded over, mentioned by the philosopher Plato.

[For a perspective of when Plato lived: 

Plato was born in 429 BC and lived until 348.

So he was born in the year 3,332 and died 3,412. 

The first בית המקדש was destroyed in year 3338 (422) and began to be rebuilt in year 3408. 

So Plato lived at the time of גלות בבל] 

In the non-Jewish world most people are skeptical about the tale of Atlantis.

Every few years we hear about a ‘find’ in the Mediterranean proving the existence of a lost civilization, but they are always Barber Maasos.

2011. Lost city of Atlantis believed found off Spain

Whether they locate it or not is irrelevant.

We live with the words of חכמינו זכרונם לברכה.

BSD
Shkolim 16b (3) – 17a
30 Kislev, 5785. 12/31/2024

1 – We concluded הלכה א of the 6th chapter.

A brief summary:

● We reviewed how the משנה and גמרא digressed from the 13 שופרות or Pushkes that were in the בית המקדש (topic of מסכת שקלים) to the 13 tables in the מקדש (as we will learn in הלכה ג) to the 13 locations were people would perform a השתחווה.

● Speaking of bowing down 13 times the משנה mentioned the בית רבן גמליאל that would bow down a 14th time when passing the לשכת העצים due their tradition that the ארון was buried there.

● Speaking of the ארון the גמרא digresses to the current location of the ארון (under the קודש הקדשים, under the לשכת העצים or in בבל). It then moved on to ‘how many ארונות there were’. (1 or 2).

● From there it moved on to the topic of why and who hid the ארון. (King יאשיהו who feared it would be captured by the Babylonians), He also hid the שמן המשחה.

● Speaking of the שמן המשחה the גמרא discusses how this anointing oil was produced. (Spices cooked in oil or first cooked in water then soaked with oil).

● From there it digressed to the anointing the כהנים and מלכים with this oil. (Who was anointed. Only מלכי בית דוד when the appointment of the king was contested. מלכי ישראל were always [and מלכי בית דוד after it was hidden] anointed with שמן אפרסמון.

● It moved along to the measurements of the ארון (Is an אמה 5 or 6 טפחים?)

● From there to the big topic of what exactly was placed inside the ארון. (Second לוחות only or also the broken pieces of the first set as well).

● Discussed the shape of the לוחות. Our ירושלמי (rectangular לוחות) vs the בבלי (square לוחות).

● It then moved on to the construction of the ארון. (Three boxes or just one wooden one plated with gold). Discussed the need for the height of the ארון to be taller than the actual height of the לוחות. (Radvaz)

● Speaking of the לוחות it digressed to discussing how the עשרת הדברות were written on the two tablets. (10, 20 or 40 times). The topic of the letters engraved ‘thru and thru’. (Forward or in reverse).

● Finally, to the ספר תורה that was inside the קודש הקדשים . (inside the ארון or outside on a box or shelf).

● Discussed if this ספר תורה was ever removed from the ארון or קודש הקדשים .  (Rashi vs Tosfos).

There were many more topics…the above summary is just an overview of the major points of discussion.

2- We began הלכה ב where the משנה discusses the 13 locations of the 13 השתחוייות. The משנה stated that these 13 locations correspond to the 13 שערים that the בית המקדש had.
The גמרא however, says that there are some who say the בית המקדש only had 7 gates.

So where are these 13 locations?

We mentioned that the story of חנוכה is mentioned very rarely on the משנה. In the past, in the name of the חתם סופר, we spoke about רבינו הקדוש the compiler of the משניות who was displeased with the חשמונאים (not being descendants from שבט יהודה) declaring themselves kings. He therefore didn’t create a מסכת חנוכה.

In the גמרא too, besides in מסכת שבת, the חשמונאים are not mentioned many times.

בהשגחה פרטית , learning this on חנוכה, our גמרא states:
עַל דָּעְתּוֹן דְּרָבָּנִן אֵיכָן הָיוּ הַהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיּוֹת הַלָלוּ. כַּהִיא דְתַנִּינָן תַּמָּן. וּשְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה פְרָצוֹת הָיוּ בוֹ שֶׁפְּרָצוּם מַלְכֵי יָווָן. חָזְרוּ וּגְדָרוּם בני חשמונאי וְגָזְרוּ כְּנֶגְדָּן שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיוֹת.
In the Rabbis’ opinion, that only 7 gates existed, where were the thirteen prostrations?

As we have stated there: “There were thirteen breaches, where the Greek kings breached it; the חשמונאים came back and closed them and established correspondingly thirteen prostrations.”

See also מדות ב, ג. See a reconciliation of the two opinions (7 or 13 gates) in Tosfos Kesubos 106a – שבעה כנגד ז׳ שערים

3- These 13 breaches or breaks were not in the walls of the בית המקדש itself.

Surrounding the walls of the בית המקדש there was a 2′-4’ high stone or wood wall that designated the area beyond which no טמא מת or a אינו יהודי would be be allowed to enter.

Warning signs in Greek and Latin were posted on this wall advising as such.

Interestingly, 2 such signs survived until today.

“No foreigner may enter within the balustrade around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.”

See here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Warning_inscription

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ancient-temple-mount-warning-stone-is-closest-thing-we-have-to-the-temple/#:~:text=Written%20in%20Greek%20(no%20Latin,the%20death%20which%20will%20ensue.%E2%80%9D

https://avande1.sites.luc.edu/jerusalem/sources/temple-warning.htm

In Hebrew: Here. Here.

It was in this parapet wall that the Greeks blasted 13 openings to show their displeasure as to their exclusion. When the חשמונאים defeated the Greeks and repaired the break they commemorated this event by establishing 13 points in the בית המקדש where one would prostate himself.

To be continued.

4- The story of the roaming מגיד that had only one דרשה on פרשת קורח…..Tabak Pushkah…

When was משה רבינו told to build the ארון?

3 opinions:

The command to collect funds and material for the Mishkan.

1- They were told and actually donated right after מתן תורה. Before חטא העגל. Zohar.

2- Both after יום כיפור. Tanchuma.

3 – משה רבינו was told before חטא העגל but he only told them afterwards.

See here:    לקוטי שיחות – ו (שמות)

https://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14929&st=&pgnum=164

וזה לשון הראב״ד ז״ל לוחות ושברי לוחות מונחות בארון זו למעלה מזו השבורות למטה מן השלמות. זהו לפי הגמרא שלנו דקתני הלוחות ארכן ששה ורחבן ששה אבל לפי הגירסא דגרסינן בשקלים בירושלמי הלוחות ארכן ששה ורחבן שלשה יכולות הן לעמוד זו בצד זו בארון וכמה היא נכונה בעיני זאת הגירסא שלא היו יכולות לעמוד זו על גבי זו אלא שיש דמות ראיה לגירסא שלנו שהרי צוה המקום למשה לעשות לו ארון רחב אמה וחצי קודם שנשתברו הלוחות ולשום שם הלוחות ואם לא היו רחבות אלא שלשה טפחים כל זה הרוחב למה גם מפני זה הטעם אמרו ארכן ששה מפני שראו ארכו של ארון אמתים וחצי ואם לא היו ארוכות כל כך למה צוה לעשותו אורך כל זה.

BSD
Shkolim 16b (2)
16 Kislev, 5785. 12/18/2024

1 – Continued the topic of the לוחות וספר תורה that were inside (or outside) the ארון in the קודש הקדשים.

2 – The גמרא explains the construction of the ארון. Either it was made of 3 boxes (as Rashi says in חומש) or just one box plated with gold.

3- Next topic of the גמרא is the עשרת הדברות that were engraved on the לוחות.

The simple and accepted way we see around us are simply 5 on one tablet and 5 on the other.

However the גמרא brings a 4 way מחלוקת as to how many times the עשרת הדברת were actually engraved on the לוחות.

כֵּיצד הָיוּ הַלּוּחוֹת כְּתוּבִים.
רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר. חֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַחֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה….
וְרַבָּנִן אָמְרִין. עֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה….
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי אָמַר. עֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה וְעֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה…..
רִבִּי סִימַאי אָמַר. אַרְבָּעִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה וְאַרְבָּעִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה….. טֶטְרַגוֹנָה.

How were the לוחות written?
Rebbi Ḥanania ben Gamliel says, five on one tablet each…. (Total of 10)
The Rabbis say, ten on each tablet….(Total of 20)
Rebbi Simeon ben Yocḥai said, twenty on each tablet…..(Total of 40)
Rebbi Simai says, forty on each tablet, a square.(Total of 80)

On the surface the numbers of 10 and 20 seem simple enough. 5 on each, for a total of 10, or the full 10 on each, for a total of 20. (We discussed the suggested answers as to the purpose of this ‘copy paste’ onto the 2nd tablet).

However, what does the ‘20 on each tablet’ mean? Or ‘40 on each tablet mean’?

We discussed various explanations. Some are a bit complicated. Here is one:

4 – The רדב”ז suggests that to understand the above 4 opinions we need to take into account a few of the ניסים pertaining to the לוחות.
See here.

#1 -The writing on the לוחות went thru the לוחות. Meaning that they were engraved from the front to back. מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה הֵם כְּתוּבִים on each side they were written.
As the גמרא says in שבת קד, א that this unique engraving caused the letters ם and ס to be floating.

#2 – What did the writing that appeared on the reverse side look like? Was it read from right to left? For example: אנכי? Or left to right – meaning backwards? For example: יכנא?

The above גמרא says that it was backwards!
וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא כְּתָב שֶׁבַּלּוּחוֹת נִקְרָא מִבִּפְנִים וְנִקְרָא מִבַּחוּץ כְּגוֹן: נְבוּב בובן (רַהַב בָּהָר) סָרוּ ורס.

Rav Ḥisda said: The writing on the tablets was read from the inside, from one side of the tablets, and read from the outside, the other side of the tablets, in reverse order. The Gemara cites words that appear elsewhere in the Bible: Nevuv was read as bet, vav, bet, nun; rahav as beit, heh, reish; and saru as vav, reish, samekh.

[This cryptic גמרא will be discussed BL”N at the next shiur].

So even according to the opinion that only 5 were engraved on each of the לוחות (for a total of 10) it means that it was read on both sides, (albeit backwards) for a total of 20 times.

We discussed how, based on these two above points, the רדב”ז explains the 4 way מחלוקת.

The opinion of רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל is that each side had only 5.
The רַבָּנִן say that each side had the full 10.
According to both, the back side of the לוחות also had the עשרת הדברות, but in reverse order.

[In a sense – every side, front and back, ‘faced forward’. That is perhaps the meaning of what the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya, quoting our גמרא,
שמשם נמשכו הלוחות שבארון כמ”ש כתובים משני עבריהם כו’ וכמ”ש בירושלמי דשקלים שלא היתה בהן בחי’ פנים ואחור ע”ש:]

רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי adds (to the opinion of the רבנן) that there was another miracle here. Despite the engraved letters on the back of the לוחות being reversed, when reading them they were seen going in the right direction!

So the 10 are actually 20, since they are easily readable from both sides.

רִבִּי סִימַאי  opinion is that עשרת הדברות were readable from all four sides. The רדב”ז explains: Imagine the לוחות standing upright in the middle of the room with all four sides visible and readable. Thus the number 40.

5- We briefly discussed the famous מחלוקת of the ראשונים regarding מזוזות and ספרי תורה if to place them horizontally or vertically.
In short- The גמרא says that one should not affix a מזוזה like a ‘nail’ (or peg, pin, bolt etc) – נגר.

The question in what direction is a regular nail driven into a wall? If vertically, then a מזוזה must be affixed horizontally and vice versa.

רש”י the רמב”ם and many other say that a מזוזה must be affixed upright – vertically.

רבינו תם however says that it’s not דרך כבוד to have them upright.
מנחות לג, א. Here.

To use his expression – ‘we find that ‘upright’ is used when burying mules’!

Another point says רבינו תם, quoting our גמרא, is that we find the לוחות in the ארון were placed horizontally although they would easily have fit if placed upright. The reason they were placed flat is because that is the honorable position for them.

להלכה we place מזוזות at an angle but we place the ספרי תורה in an upright position.

6- Yossi Cohen suggested a fascinating story of a burial ‘face down’.

https://www.beinharimtours.com/tomb-of-rabbi-meir-baal-hanes/#:~:text=Rabbi%20Meir%20passed%20away%20on,standing%E2%80%9D%20in%20reference%20to%20prayer.

Rabbi Meir passed away on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Iyar while in exile outside of the Holy Land His remains were brought to Tiberias and entombed close to his teacher Rabbi Akiva. The Rabbi requested that his body be buried in a standing position as the Torah uses the word “standing” in reference to prayer.

Another version of this legend says that the Rabbi wanted to be buried standing up so that when the Messiah came he could walk straight out to greet him. Before his passing, the Rabbi said that his legacy to generations to come would be that he would intercede in heaven on any person’s behalf if the person is willing to give charity to the poor of Israel in his memory.

face down, not standing up

https://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/242/Q4/

This reminds me of a story, that I find frightening, one which illustrates the frightening evil to which a human can sink and, at the same time, the wisdom of our Sages: Not far from Luban, Russia, there lived a Jew who was a traitor to his people; he spent his life harassing the Jewish community by slandering them to the Russian authorities at every opportunity. At the end of his life, as he lay on his death bed, he summoned the Jewish burial society. “Bury me face down,” he said. Then he died.

His most odd request was brought to the great Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. Rabbi Feinstein ruled that, despite the requirement to fulfill a dead person’s final wishes, he must nevertheless be buried face-up in accordance with Jewish Law.

A few days after the funeral, the Russian authorities rode into town and summoned the Jewish burial society demanding that the recently buried body be dug up. Mystified, the Jews went out to the cemetery and began digging under the watchful eye of the Russians. When the body was unearthed and became visible, the Russians said, “Enough. Bury him again.” Now the Jews couldn’t contain themselves: “Please explain why you wanted to dig him up?” they asked.

“This man,” the Russians explained, “was our friend. He was forever loyal to us. He told us that the Jews hate him so much for being our friend that they are going to bury him face down!”