BSD

Brochos 3a (3) – 3b

Elul 9, 5785. 09/02/2025

Brief notes.

1- In a roundabout way we spoke about a Golem and if he/she/it…. can be counted for a Minyan.

Story of the Rogatchover and Reb Chaim Eliyahu Althaus (and here) regarding creating a Golem for a 10th for a Minyan!

R’ Elye Chaim Althaus, seated, 2nd from left

“He did not understand what Said. I spoke regarding his question of whether the Golem could join a Minyan or similar, and I answered that the Golem was not considered reality… and could not be joined to anything… was only made through הרכבה שכיבית. When one is created through ספר יצירה, he has no categorical existence.”

צפנת פענח חלק ב, סימן ז

The point of the Rogatchover:

When two items combine, mix or fuse, it can occur in two ways with different results.

Fusion happens either thru הרכבה שכוניית. Meaning that the fusion is primarily due to the fact two items are adjacent. But it is not a thorough fuse, as each still retains (some of) its character.

הרכבה מזגית means that the fusion creates a new מציאות. A singular entity formed by the total ‘mix’ of the two ingredients.

A living human, comprised of a body and soul, is a result of a הרכבה מזגית. An entity that is called a ‘living person’ is a result of the total fusing of his גוף ונשמה.

A Golem however, the שם  (or thru ספר יצירה)  that gives him animation is like a battery in the sense that it does not really fuse with his clay body. He is therefore not a human or even an animal.

Thus, a Golem does not have the designation of a מציאות אדם and cannot be counted in a Minyan.

(Though this does seem to happen often at various minyanim. Ed.)

2- The story of the חורבה….

Discussed the idea of חשד and מראית עין, which we dealt with in שקלים.

The גמרא in Shabbos 23b – the reason for leaving פאה at the edge of a field and not in the middle.

The  ש”ך  that derives from our גמרא that wherever there is a concern of a חשד, if two people are present, the חשד disappears.

Such as creating a 2 or 3D sculpture of the sun or moon.

Singularly that is something that is prohibited, however if two people create it it would be allowed.

יו”ד קמא” שך כז.

3- The expression in our גמרא that ‘a משמורה and a half of a משמורה’ is considered as two.

1.5=2?

Lets round it up to 2.

Spoke about despite the rule of רובו ככולו, this does not apply to שיעורים. Such as with a שיעור ארבעים סאה  of a מקוה. Obviously one cannot say רובו ככולו  and use a מקוה that has only 30 סאה.

This is a big topic and BL”N we will continue next week.

This idea of 1+1.5=2 was used by some to consider one whole loaf of bread plus another that is missing a bit as לחם משנה.

 

 

או”ח רעד מחצית השקל.

 

 

BSD

Brochos 3a (2)

Menachem Av 18, 5785 08/13/2025

Short notes on topics discussed.

1 – We continued on the topic of תיקון חצות. Whereas in נגלה, it is not noted as a designated time to lament the חורבן,  in the world of נסתר there is much written about it.

As mentioned last week the Alter Rebbe does not mention it in his שלחן ערוך, but added it when he began to rewrite it.

2 – Spoke that the Alter Rebbe, despite his Siddur being very minimalist, omitting many parts that are printed in all Siddurim today (such as סליחות and אבינו מלכנו on a fast day), he did include תיקון חצות in his Siddur.

There is even a מאמר that prefaces it – and a unique one at that. It is actually, as the Alter Rebbe begins, an elaboration and explanation on Tanya Chapter 43. Meaning that the Alter Rebbe himself wrote a פירוש on Tanya!

3 – The next piece of גמרא is a story of Reb Yosi and אליהו הנביא. We mentioned in a previous Shiur the famous חתם סופר where he writes that אליהו הנביא makes his reappearance in two ways – as a נביא and as a חכם.

When in a נביא form, his rulings on הלכה would be problematic since תורה לא בשמים היא. However when he  comes down as a human then he is just as any other חכם.

Therefore, concludes the חתם סופר, there is no issue with him advising Reb Yosi about various הלכות,  just as there is no problem when we say תיקו- which means that אליהו הנביא will resolve many questions that were left unanswered.

4 – Part of the conversation:

וְאָמַר לִי: בְּנִי, מַה קּוֹל שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּחוּרְבָּה זוֹ? וְאָמַרְתִּי לוֹ: שָׁמַעְתִּי בַּת קוֹל שֶׁמְּנַהֶמֶת כַּיּוֹנָה וְאוֹמֶרֶת: אוֹי לִי שֶׁחָרַבְתִּי אֶת בֵּיתִי, וְשָׂרַפְתִּי אֶת הֵיכָלִי, וְהִגְלֵיתִים לְבֵין הָאוּמּוֹת. וְאָמַר לִי: חַיֶּיךָ וְחַיֵּי רֹאשָׁךְ! לֹא שָׁעָה זוֹ בִּלְבָד אוֹמֶרֶת כָּךְ, אֵלָּא בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים אוֹמֶרֶת כָּךְ, וְלֹא זוֹ בִּלְבָד, אֵלָּא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נִכְנָסִין לְבָתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּלְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת, וְעוֹנִין ״יְהֶא שְׁמֵיהּ הַגָּדוֹל מְבוֹרָךְ״, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְנַעֲנֵעַ רֹאשׁוֹ וְאוֹמֵר: אַשְׁרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁמְּקַלְּסִין אוֹתוֹ בְּבֵיתוֹ כָּךְ! מַה לּוֹ לָאָב שֶׁהִגְלָה אֶת בָּנָיו, וְאוֹי לָהֶם לַבָּנִים שֶׁגָּלוּ מֵעַל שׁוּלְחַן אֲבִיהֶם!

 And after this Elijah said to me: What voice did you hear in that ruin?

I responded: I heard a Heavenly voice, like an echo of that roar of the Holy One, Blessed be He (Maharsha), cooing like a dove and saying: Woe to the children, due to whose sins I destroyed My house, burned My Temple, and exiled them among the nations.

and I heard a heavenly voice…

 And Elijah said to me: By your life and by your head, not only did that voice cry out in that moment, but it cries out three times each and every day. Moreover, any time that God’s greatness is evoked, such as when Israel enters synagogues and study halls and answers in the kaddish prayer,יְהֶא שְׁמֵיהּ הַגָּדוֹל מְבוֹרָךְ, He shakes His head and says: Happy is the king who is thus praised in his house. When the Temple stood, this praise was recited there, but now: How great is the pain of the father who exiled his children, and woe to the children who were exiled from their father’s table.

 5 – We learnt the תוספות about the two ways of understanding the meaning of:

אָמֵן, יְהֵא שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא יִתְבָּרֵךְ.

Is it

אָמֵן, יְהֵא שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא.  מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא יִתְבָּרֵךְ.

A period after  רַבָּא. Meaning that there is a pause because it splits into 2 prayers.

#1-  יְהֵא שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא.- May we merit the days when Hashem’s name will be read fully – time of Moshiach. (Full pronunciation of the 4 letters). Pause. This is a בקשה.

#2 – מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא יִתְבָּרֵךְ. That is another prayer.

Or

אָמֵן, יְהֵא שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא יִתְבָּרֵךְ

No period, just one sentence. May the great name of Hashem be blessed forever. This is (not a בקשה but)  a praise.

מחזור ויטרי הל’ שחרית ט – 216 – see below.

Some commentators suggest that besides inserting a pause (according to the first explanation – יְהֵא שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא. Pause) there is another practical difference between the two meanings – does one need to stand during Kaddish? If it’s a בקשה, then it’s proper to stand.

See below from Yisrolik M.

6 – Spoke about the various שלחן ערוך type compilations, that were written from the time the ש”ס was completed, that acted as a ‘guide’ for the average person to follow.

These concise הלכות were culled from ש”ס and the works of the גאונים that followed.

We have the הלכות of  רב האי גאון and others and then the רמב”ם and finally the שלחן ערוך.

[Mentioned the שערי דורא which for hundred of years before the בית יוסף wrote his שלחן ערוך was the de facto reference guide for הלכות of יורה דעה]

One of the earliest surviving ‘book of codes’  called מחזור ויטרי, which is a מחזור that was compiled by רבי שמחה from the town of Vitry in France, who was one of the talmidim of Rashi.  Here.

Also see previous Shiur.

This compilation is used as a basis for many of the Ashkenazi minhogim still practiced today.

[We mentioned the non-Chabad custom not to sit in the Sukkah on שמיני עצרת. Despite the fact that it goes against a clear גמרא, they follow the מחזור ויטרי].

The first explanation above in קדיש is mentioned in our Tosfos.

7 – We discussed the latter part of the Tosfos as to what the קדיש is said in Aramaic.

.

 

 

 

BSD

Brochos 3a

Menachem Av 11, 5785. 08/04/2025

Brief notes:

1- Our גמרא discusses the משמרות (segments) of the night and whether the night is split into 3 or 4 משמרות.    At this stage let’s assume that there are only 3 משמרות.

in the first watch, a donkey brays;

Assuming a night is a net 12 hours, then night and the first משמר  begin at 6 PM,  and ends at 10 PM, the second one at 2 AM and the third at 6 AM.

 

in the second, dogs howl

2 – What’s the relevance of this? Well, in addition to the opinion of Reb Eliezer that the end of the time one may say קריאת שמע is at the conclusion of the first משמר, the גמרא states that at these 3 משמרות Hashem ‘raors like a lion and expresses regret for the חורבן’.

אֲמַר רַב יִצְחָק בַּר שְׁמוּאֵל מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרָב: שָׁלֹשׁ מִשְׁמָרוֹת הָוֵי הַלַּיְלָה, וְעַל כָּל מִשְׁמָר וּמִשְׁמָר יוֹשֵׁב הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְשׁוֹאֵג כָּאֲרִי וְאוֹמֵר: אוֹי לִי שֶׁחָרַבְתִּי אֶת בֵּיתִי וְשָׂרַפְתִּי אֶת הֵיכָלִי, וְהִגְלֵיתִים לְבֵין אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם!

Rav Yitzḥak bar Shmuel said in the name of Rav: The night consists of three watches, and over each and every watch the Holy One, Blessed be He sits and roars like a lion, because the Temple service was connected to the changing of these watches (Tosefot HaRosh), and says: “Woe to Me, that due to their sins I destroyed My house, burned My Temple and exiled them among the nations of the world.”

 3 – We mentioned the רא”ש who says that a person should emulate Hashem and at the end these 3 משמרות also lament the חורבן and pray for its rebuilding.

4 – This is the הלכה as it states right at the beginning of  the Shulchan Aruch. סימן א.

הַמַּשְׁכִּים לְהִתְחַנֵּן לִפְנֵי בּוֹרְאוֹ, יְכַוֵּן לַשָּׁעוֹת שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּנּוֹת הַמִּשְׁמָרוֹת שֶׁהֵן בִּשְׁלִישׁ הַלַּיְלָה וּלְסוֹף שְׁנֵי שְׁלִישֵׁי הַלַּיְלָה וּלְסוֹף הַלַּיְלָה, שֶׁהַתְּפִלָּה שֶׁיִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּאוֹתָן הַשָּׁעוֹת עַל הַחֻרְבָּן וְעַל הַגָּלוּת, רְצוּיָה.

One who arises to supplicate before his creator should aim for the hours when the heavenly watches are changing, which are at one-third of the night, and at the end of two-thirds of the night, and at the end of the night; for prayer which is offered at these times regarding the destruction [of the Temple] and regarding the exile is accepted.

Interestingly, there is no mention in the Shulchan Aruch of תיקון חצות. Even more surprising,  the Alter Rebbe does not mention it either in his Shulchan Aruch (but does in his Siddur).

ח טוב להשכים קודם אור הבוקר^כו להתחנן לפני בוראו וטוב שיתחנן בשעות שמשתנות המשמרות שהן לסוף שליש הלילה^כז ולסוף שני שלישי הלילה ולבסוף הלילה שבאלו הזמנים הקב”ה זוכר לחורבן בית המקדש וכו’ לכן התפלה שיתפלל האדם באותה שעה על החורבן והגלות רצויה וקרובה להתקבל לכן ראוי לכל ירא שמים שיהא מיצר ודואג באותה שעה^כח ולשפוך תחנונים על חורבן בית המקדש כמ”ש^כט קומי רוני בלילה לראש אשמורות

The מגן אברהם quotes the זהר where תיקון חצות is indeed mentioned.

However, as is known, the Alter Rebbe began to rewrite his Shulchan Aruch, but unfortunately, all that reached us are just the first four סימנים. And in the first סימן of the מהדורא בתרא he brings the מגן אברהם and the זהר about the importance of חצות and the importance of  saying תיקון חצות.

ב אבל ראוי לכל ירא שמים^יא וכל החיל אשר נגע ה’ בלבו^יב לקום בחצות הלילה^יג ולקונן מעט^יד במזמור על נהרות בבל^טו וכיוצא בו^טז (כמו שנדפס בסידורים^יז) על חורבן בית המקדש וגלות השכינה^יח כמ”ש^יט קומי רוני בלילה לראש אשמרות וגו’ וכמו שהקדוש ברוך הוא מקונן בעת ההיא ואומר^כ אוי לי שהחרבתי את ביתי כו’ וטוב מעט בכוונה מהרבות שלא בכוונה^כא ואח”כ^כב לעסוק בתורה^כג שבעל פה^כד עד אור היום^כה:

5 – As an introduction the many interesting אגדות  in מסכת ברכות,  we prefaced the importance of remembering that not everything is to be taken literally. There is much beneath the surface and one must dig and hope to find an explanation.

We retold the  משל of the Munkatcher Rebbe on this topic. A man who had a room with the walls especially painted with exquisite scenes of art, behind which lay hidden riches for his son to find. If he would just delve within, he would find the riches lying beneath.

The classic example of the above are the many mentions in פסוקים and חז״ל  that seem to imply that הקב״ה  has a physical body ח״ו.

And indeed, sadly, there were some who actually believed this.

We spoke at length about the רמב״ם ( in  תשובה ג, ז) who waged a ‘war’ to uproot this belief. He labels anyone that believes so as a  מין!

The ראב״ד strongly objects to this label. He writes that many great people believed this, and it was not their fault. They simple misunderstood some אגדתות.

ולמה קרא לזה מין? וכמה גדולים וטובים הלכו בזו המחשבה לפי מה שראו במקראות ויותר מה שראו בדברי האגדות המשבשות את הדעות.

6 – There is an old quip that when the רמב״ם wrote that one who believes that Hashem has a physical form is a מין , many people were moved from גן עדן to גיהנום….and when the ראב”ד responded, they were all moved back to גן עדן….

7- Mentioned the vort from Ren Yonatan Aibshytz about

וּלְכֹ֣ל׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹ֤א יֶֽחֱרַץ־כֶּ֙לֶב֙ לְשֹׁנ֔וֹ

What does this have to do with מכת בכורות?

There was more (see in Hebrew below) but we’ll leave the notes for another day BL”N.

 

—————————————

 

 

בלקו“ת במדבר , לו, א.  הנה בנוהג שבעולם שמכתירין את המלך בכתר מלכות ומסתמא יש לזה שרש למעלה

מהרש”א ג, א.

אשמורה ראשונה – נפש הטבעית. אחרי יום עבודה. נמשך אחרי החומר.

אשמורה שני’ – נפש החיונית – באמצע השינה- זמן למזיקים. כלבים צועקין בלילה, מה”מ בא כו’ (ב”ק ס, ב). אבל ולכל בני ישראל לא יחרץ.

אשמורה שלישית – נפש השכלית אחרי שישן ונח אז שכלו זך ללימוד התורה. כמו תינוק שיונק . ערובין נד, ב.

לא יחרץ כלב. מה השייכות לחצות ומכת בכורות? אלא כלבים צועקים באשמורה האמצעית. ואפשר עפי”ז לכוון חצות בדיוק אז למה אמר משרע”ה כחצות שמא יטעו   אצטגנני פרעה?

לכך נאמר ולכל בנ”י לא יחרץ, אז אין סימן!

הגר”י אייבשיץ.

גשמיות האל ח”ו. י”ד תשובה ג ז. ראב”ד. פירוש מילת ‘ממנו’.

אדה”ז חצות רק במהד”ב. מ”א. והרשב”א פי’ לענין קדשים. כי לא ראה את הזוה”ק. יבמות עב, א. שעת רצון אבל שם ל”ד על על החורבן.

BSD

Shkolim 22b

Menachem Av 4 5785 ~ 7/29/2025

Siyum on מסכת שקלים

We began Shkolim on Mar Cheshvan 9, 5784. October 24, 2023 and last night we concluded.

Mazal Tov to all!

1 – The last משנה mentions the הלכות of bringing מעשר שני to the בית המקדש after the חורבן.

הַשְּׁקָלִים וְהַבִּיכּוּרִים אֵנָן נוֹהֲגִין אֶלָּא בִּפְגֵי הַבַּיִת. אֲבָל מַעְשַׂר דָּגָן וּמַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה וּבְכוֹרוֹת נוֹהֲגִין בֵּין בִּפְנֵי הַבַּיִת וּבֵין שֶׁלֹּא בִּפְנֵי הַבַּיִת.

שְּׁקָלִים  and בִּיכּוּרִים  apply only if there is a בית המקדש , but תרומה ומעשר , and מַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה, and בְכוֹרוֹת , apply whether there is a בית המקדש or there is no בית המקדש.

As the commentaries explain, this משנה follows the opinion that the קדושה of ארץ ישראל after the second חורבן was not been diminished and has in fact, remained the same.  קדושת הארץ לא בטלה

2 – For the Siyum we gave an general overview of this topic and as mentioned, this issue is ‘global’ and a far ranging topic, starting at the משנה and still debated today on a very practical level.

3 – Here are the basics.

ארץ ישראל

• The ownership of ארץ ישראל began during the time of the אבות when הקב”ה  promised it to their descendants. So it was theirs even before entering ארץ ישראל hundreds of years after ברית בין הבתרים.

• When entering ארץ ישראל,  led by יהושע,  the land was elevated to a new  קדושה  relevant to מצוות התלויות בארץ. Once the land was conquered, all produce were חייב  in תרומות ומעשרות  as well as rukes of שמיטה  etc.

גלות הראשון

• Now, did anything change upon being exiled 850 years later to בבל,  at the destruction of בית ראשון?  Did this קדושה  disappear? Would a farmer, that somehow avoided the גלות בבל,  need to set aside  תרומות ומעשרות?

Exile into Babylonian captivity

• That is a מחלוקת  amongst the תנאים,  with the הלכה  being that the קדושה  was  בטל.

קדשה לשעתה ולא קדשה לעתיד לבוא

• Fast forward 70 years and עזרא  along with 40,000 Jews, with the permission and encouragement of the מלכי פרס ומדי,  comes back to ארץ ישראל  and begins to settle the land and construct the   בית שני.

Ezra returns…

• Once again, their actions brought back a קדושה  relevant to  מצוות התלויות בארץ.
• Here as well, there are different opinions if this קדושה  at the time of בית שני,  was at the same level as during  בית ראשון. The consensus is that this קדושה  and the resulting obligation of תרומות ומעשרות  is  מן התורה. [See further along the novel opinion of the Rambam  תרומות א כו].

גלות השני

• After 420 year, déjà vu all over again; the second בית המקדש is destroyed, this time by the Romans and the bitter long גלות that we are still in, begins.

• Once again, we encounter a מחלוקת תנאים  in several places in Shas, as to what happened to קדושת הארץ.  The way it is expressed is: Did עזרא  establish the קדושה  for only as long as there would be a בית המקדש,  or his intention was for this קדושה  to last forever.
• The הלכה  is that קדושה שנייה העומדת לעולם לשעתה ולעתיד לבוא. That קדושה   by Ezra is forever.
• So we encounter a difference between the first חורבן where the קדושה was נתבטל , versus the second חורבן where the קדושה continues until today. What is the reason for different outcomes from both exiles?
• The Rambam, בית הבחירה, ו: ט”ו offers an explanation as follows [much has been written to explain his words. Here is the simple reading]: The first time that בני ישראל  entered their land was a ‘conquest’. The term is  כיבוש הארץ.

Thus, the conquest of the Babylonians annulled their conquest.

• However, the return of עזרא  from בבל  was not a conquest, being that they had permission from the king to populate ארץ ישראל.  His claim to the land was by simply settling there. The term is חזקה.

וכיון שעלה עזרא וקידשה לא קידשה בכיבוש, אלא בחזקה שהחזיקו בה, ולפיכך כל מקום שהחזיקו בו עולי בבל ונתקדש בקדושת עזרא השניה הרי הוא מקודש היום, ואף על פי שנלקחה הארץ ממנו, וחייב בשביעית ובמעשרות.

• We mentioned some of the question on this Ramabam, specifically the ones from the כסף משנה, and the Rebbe’s מהלך on this topic. Here.

קדושת ירושלים והמקדש

• This topic leads into the other novel idea from the Rambam specifically concerning the קדושה  of ירושלים  and the  בית המקדש. [As opposed to the general קדושה  of ארץ ישראל]
• He says that all the above, whenther the קדושה  was בטל  or not,  applies to ארץ ישראל  only.   יהושע with his   כיבוש sanctified  ארף ישראל,  the first חורבן nullified it and then עזרא sanctified it anew and forever.
• However, the קדושה of ירושלים and the בית המקדש that was sanctified by שלמה המלך is forever! It was never nullified even at the first חורבן.

Why?

In the Rambam’s own words:

וְלָמָּה אֲנִי אוֹמֵר בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ וִירוּשָׁלַיִם קְדֻשָּׁה רִאשׁוֹנָה קָדְשָׁה לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא. וּבִקְדֻשַּׁת שְׁאָר אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעִנְיַן שְׁבִיעִית וּמַעַשְׂרוֹת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן לֹא קָדְשָׁה לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא.

Why do I say that the original consecration sanctified the Temple and Jerusalem for eternity, while in regard to the consecration of the remainder of Eretz Yisrael, in the context of the Sabbatical year, tithes, and other similar [agricultural] laws, [the original consecration] did not sanctify it for eternity?

And he answers:

לְפִי שֶׁקְּדֻשַּׁת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וִירוּשָׁלַיִם מִפְּנֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה, וּשְׁכִינָה אֵינָהּ בְּטֵלָה. וַהֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר (ויקרא כ״ו:ל״א) וַהֲשִׁמּוֹתִי אֶת מִקְדְּשֵׁיכֶם וְאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשּׁוֹמְמִין בִּקְדֻשָּׁתָן הֵן עוֹמְדִים

Because the sanctity of the Temple and Jerusalem stems from the שכינה, and the שכינה  can never be nullified. Therefore, [Leviticus 26:31] states: “I will lay waste to your Sanctuaries.” The Sages declared: “Even though they have been devastated, their sanctity remains.”

• More so, according to the Rambam, one can in theory at least, bring קרבנות today!
• And indeed, this led to the famous controversy when Reb Tzvi Hirsh Kalischer wanted to bring קרבנות in the early 1800s. (See here and  here)
• As well as the famous story from אשתורי הפרחי who relates that Reb Yechiel of Paris who wanted to bring קרבנות
• The Ra’avad had very sharp words on this Rambam.

This is [the Rambam’s] opinion. I am not aware of his source… According to the opinion in the Talmud which states that it was not originally consecrated for eternity, no differentiation was made between the Temple, Jerusalem, and the remainder of Eretz Yisrael…
Even R. Yossi who maintains that the second consecration consecrated the land for eternity made that statement only with regard to the remainder of Eretz Yisrael and not with regard to the Temple and Jerusalem.
Ezra knew that ultimately [the status] of the Temple and Jerusalem would ultimately change and that they would be eternally consecrated by God’s glory [in the Messianic age]. Hence, he did not consecrate it when consecrating the remainder of Eretz Yisrael.
The above was revealed to me, [as it is said:] “The secrets of God [are conveyed] to those who fear Him.”

• He brings proof from various sources that there is no קדושה today in ירושלים and the בית המקדש and there is no כרת for entering the מקום המקדש.

We discussed the words the ראב”ד concludes  with:

So it was revealed to me, as per ‘Hashem reveals his secrets to those who fear him’. סוד ה’ ליראיו  (see here)

Wow!

(See end of this shiur also regarding the ראב”ד and רוח הקדש)

תרומות ומעשרות בזמן בית שני והיום

• As mentioned above, the Rambam’s opinion is that although קדושה enacted by עזרא was for forever, nevertheless, due to the lack of a majority of Jews joining עזרא, the laws of תרומות ומעשרות never became a חיוב מן התורה.

This status of being only מדרבנן was even during the entire time of בית שני.

• Only when there will more Jews in ארץ ישראל than in חוץ לארץ will תרומות ומעשרות become מן התורה.
• Here again the ראב”ד differs and says that תרומות ומעשרות /is  מן התורה.

---

Some of the above in Hebrew.

א- קדושת א”י בפעם הראשונה.

מחלוקת תנאים אם גם קדשוה לע”ל.

להלכה, לא קלע”ל, ובטלה בחורבן ב”ר.

ב – והרמב”ם [ביהב”ח ו, טו-טז] מחדש שקדושת ירושלים והמקדש לא נתבטלה בגלות הראשון, כי קדושתם היא מהשכינה שאינה בטילה. והראב”ד חולק. וכשאין ביהמ”ק זר הנכנס לשם אין בו כרת.

מ”ש דבר זה נגלה עלי בסוד ה’ ליראיו

ושו”ת חת”ס או”ח רח. ע’ בהקדמת הע”ח

ג-  ביאה שני’. מחלוקת אם קדשוה גם לע”ל.

להלכה קדשוה גם לע”ל. והטעם (רמב”ם) כי אז הי’ בדרך כיבוש. לקו“ש טו לך לך ה.

והנקודה: ביאה ראשונה היתה הציווי (דווקא) דרך כיבוש, ומיד אחרי יריחו כבשו אל כל א״י. ואף שהתיישבו בה אח״כ, הקדושה בנוגע למצוות התליות בארץ הי׳ דווקא ע״י כיבוש. וכיבוש מבטלה.

משא״כ בימי עזרא  נתהווה הקדושה ע״י התיישבות, וכמו שהקנאת ה׳ לאברהם לא התבטלה כמו״כ הקדטשה שע”י התיישבות לא התבטלה.

ד –  ראב”ד – [תרומות א, כו] תרו”מ אז מה”ת. והרמב”ם רק מדרבנן, בזה”ז ואפי’ בזמן ב”ש כי לא היתה ביאת כולם.

ה – וי”א, שאם רוב מבנ”י ישובו לארה”ק יהי’ החיוב מה”ת. אבל הגר”ח ס”ל שביאת כולכם היתה רק בשעה שהחזיקו בימי עזרא.

והמנ”ח רפ”ד שואל שלפ”ד הרמב”ם תרו”מ שגדל בירושלים יהי’ חייב מה”ת, שהרי היא קדשה וקיימה בקדושתה מזמן שקידשה שלמה. לפי הגר”ח מיושב.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BSD

Brochos 2b

Tamuz 26, 5785. 07/22/2025

Short notes:

1- We continued with the 3 levels of  טהרה.

Mikvah – allows one to eat  מעשר

Nightfall – (after Mikvah) allows one to eat תרומה,  as stated in our Mishna.

Morning – allows one to bring   קרבנות  which will allow him to eat   קדשים.

2 – We mentioned the Chasidisher vort from the  אבני נזר –  the reason ש”ס connects the first מצווה with the idea of eating תרומה after צאת הכוכבים is to emphasize the constant revitalization of a human.

The כהן has already gone to the מקוה  before nightfall, but is still not 100%  טהור due to the ‘residue’ of  טומאה. When night arrives, a new day appears and that residue disappears.

Sunset – a new day

And that indeed is the idea of   קריאת שמע in the evening. We say  שמע in the morning and  much transpires during the day but one still has a  רשימה of the morning   קריאת שמע. When the sun sets and night begins, we need a new ‘injection’ and say  קריאת שמע again.

הטובל לטהרה מטומאתו, אינו טהור לגמרי עד
שיעריב שמשו, מפני שגם לאחר הטבילה נותר
עליו רושם כל שהוא מן הטומאה. זאת, עד הלילה.
משבא הלילה, יממה חדשה באה לעולם, ואותו
רושם של טומאה נמוג ונעלם

זה הוא גם טעמה של קריאת שמע של ערבית
אף על פי שקראנוה בשחרית, מיני אז אנו עוסקים
בענייני חול ומסיחים דעתנו הימנה. אך במשך
היום רושמה עלינו ואין אנו זקוקים לקוראה שנית
ברם, משבאה השמש ומתחיל הלילה, יש צורך
לקרוא שנית קריאת שמע…

בנוגע לכך הוא מביא, כי מפורש בספרי הקבלה, שזהו)
(הטעם לכך, שאין קוראים קריאת שמע בשעת המנחה.

3 – The גמרא  brings a  ברייתא, that adds another ‘time’ for the saying of  קריאת שמע של ערבית.

“From when a poor person enters to eat his bread with salt”.

מִשֶּׁהֶעָנִי נִכְנָס לֶאֱכוֹל פִּתּוֹ בְּמֶלַח

The  גמרא   discusses if that is the same time as   צאת הכוכבים or perhaps earlier.

Earlier would mean when there is still a bit of light. Why ‘a poor person’? Is his meal time different from the average person?

See the Reb Akiva Eiger in Psochim. He quotes from the  ברית שלום, that a poor person cannot afford a candle and therefore eats a bit before darkness.

 

The  גר”א adds that the  גמרא יומא says that blind people who cannot see their food  do not enjoy their meals.

יומא עד, ב סומים אוכלים ואינם שבעים.

We mentioned the vort of the חידושי הרי”ם regarding the צדקה of the rich to the poor when all had the same מן? What could the גביר offer to the needy if  all had whatever food one could think off?

His answer – the גביר  when eating the מן would think of foie gras, steaks and other delicacies. What could the עני come up with? Herring and bread? Better herring?

So the צדקה of the גביר was to introduce the poor man to fancy food he never experienced!

4 – Another ‘time’ for  קריאת שמע, mentioned in another  ברייתא is

מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁבְּנֵי אָדָם נִכְנָסִין לֶאֱכוֹל פִּתָּן בְּעַרְבֵי שַׁבָּתוֹת, דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי מֵאִיר.

From the time when people enter to eat their bread on Shabbat eve.

 As Rashi explains, this time is before  צאת הכוכבים  since the Friday night meal is already to eat as it was prepared on Erev Shabbos.

We mentioned the letter of the Rebbe where he writes that the רביים would eat the Friday night meal late in the evening.

5- See here from the Alter Rebbe’s   שולחן ערוך. Here.

However, see here from the רמ”ע מפאנו

שו”ת רמ”ע מפאנו סי’ ב.

6 – We discussed a topic on  הלכות בית הבחירה  – the שמירה around the בית המקדש.

• Was it only at night?
• Were the guards up all night?
• Is there a חיוב  of שמירה today?
• The fascinating story of Reb Moshe Meshil Gelbshtein and his attempt to set up שמירה in 1880! In english (and below).

https://www.chabad.org.il/Magazines/Article.asp?ArticleID=4403&CategoryID=1093

https://toladot.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-post_04.html

next time you’re in Lakewood…

https://www.facebook.com/hebronofficial/posts/rabbi-hillel-moshe-meshil-gelbstein-1832-1907-was-an-advocate-of-the-jewish-comm/572060741618945/

his descendants

שמירת המקדש לקו”ש   יג, קרח ב. 56.

בזמן הזה.  ר’ מ”מ גלבשטיין. ספר השיחות תש”נ חלק א’ עמוד 404 ואילך,

לשרוף בגדו. בל תשחית חי”ח 463.

 

BSD

Brochos 2a (3)

Tamuz 19, 5785. 07/09/2025

1- We began the גמרא explaining the reason why the משנה begins with קריאת שמע of the evening and not with קריאת שמע of the morning. One answer is that it’s following the Torah –  וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר יוֹם אֶחָד

2- Mentioned the רשב”ם and his פירוש on Chumash where he, as opposed to רש”י, his grandfather, based his פירוש on פשוטו של מקרא, he went a step further and used the עומק הפשט.

Rashba”m

Meaning, the basic literal translation of the words.

בראשית לז, ב.

וגם רבנו שלמה אבי אמי מאיר עיני גולה שפירש תורה נביאים וכתובים נתן לב לפרש פשוטו של מקרא. ואף אני שמואל ב״ר מאיר חתנו זצ״ל נתווכחתי עמו ולפניו, והודה לי שאילו היה לו פנאי היה צריך לעשות פרושים אחרים לפי הפשטות המתחדשים בכל יום.

This is a much discussed topic. Here are some links. Here. Here.

www.seforimchatter.buzzsprout.com (good examples).

A famous example concerns ויהי ערב ויהי בקר

ויהי ערב ויהי בקר – אין כת׳ כאן: ויהי לילה ויהי יום, אלא: ויהי ערב – שהעריב יום ראשון ושיקע האור, ויהי בקר – בוקרו של לילה שעלה עמוד השחר הרי הושלם יום אחד מן הששה ימים שאמר הקב״ה בעשרת הדברות ואחר כך התחיל יום שיני: ויאמר אלהים יהי רקיע (בראשית א׳:ו׳). ולא בא הכתוב לומר שהערב והבקר יום אחד הם, כי לא הוצרכנו לפרש אלא היאך היו ששה ימים, שהבקיר יום ונגמרה הלילה, הרי נגמר יום אחד והתחיל יום שני.

ויהי ערב means, and evening arrived (daytime finished) , and ויהי בוקר  means  day arrived. (night has ended) and it was one full day. Night + day = 1 day.

According to the רשב”ם the six days of creation began in the morning and concluded at the end of the night!

Thank you to EC who mentioned that this idea is controversial and in the ArtScroll edition they omitted this piece!

See here a discussion on the subject by Marc Shapiro.

3 – Discussed the Equinox when the day and night are of equal time – 12 hours each.

In reality, it’s not exactly because שקיעה is calculated when the entire sphere of the sun is below the horizon and נץ החמה is when just the crown of the sun appears above the horizon. So even on a perfect equal day, daytime will be longer by about 8 minutes. (Thanks to Rabbi Berel Levin, librarian of the Rebbe’s Library, for this point).

4- The משנה discusses 3 items that are in principle allowed to be performed all night.

קריאת שמע

הקטר חלבים ואברים

אכילת קדשים

The משנה continues that the חכמים  ruled, before the night quickly passes, that they must be completed before חצות. So לכתחילה these need to be done prior to  חצות. Only  בדיעבד, can one do them until the next morning.

However, on the middle one,  הקטר חלבים ואברים , it omits this גזירה.  And indeed, there is a מחלקות if this  גזירה  applies to this מצווה.  Rashi – does not apply. Rambam – it does.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 – We mentioned the Rebbe’s explanation as to why Rashi would say that with  הקטר חלבים ואברים  no גזירה  was enacted and even  לכתחילה  one can leave allow meats to be placed on the Mizbeach after sundown.

The Rebbe  לקו“ש ג 948  brings the famous ט”ז  that when a מצווה  is specifically mentioned in the Torah the חכמים did not make  any גזירות in a way that would totally create a situation that the מצווה   will never be performed. Here – אין תוקעים בשופר.

So they didn’t ban תקיעת שופר, even when they enacted the גזירה  of playing musical instruments on Shabbos and Yom Tov. The reason is that since the blowing of   שופר  is   explicitly mentioned  in the  תורה , the חכמים  did not include it in the  גזירה  of musical instruments, since that would mean that  שופר would never be blown on ראש השנה.

However, because of שמא יעבירנו ד’ אמות ברשות הרבים,  they did ban תקיעת שופר on Shabbos since שופר will still be blown when ראש השנה  occurs on a weekday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 שמא יטלנו בידו וילך אצל בקי ללמוד ויעבירנו ד’ אמות

6 – We spoke about the other case where  the ט”ז  uses this rule. That is in regards to doing business with non-Kosher food.

Certified Kosher. Just the pickles.

7 – In relation to the 3 levels of טהרה  discussed in our גמרא we concluded with the Rebbe’s famous explanation of Reb Akiva’s saying:

אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, אַשְׁרֵיכֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל,

לִפְנֵי מִי אַתֶּם מִטַּהֲרִין

וּמִי מְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם,

אֲבִיכֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם,

See Likutei Sichos 18, 180.

See here in English from Chabad.org.

8 – Half in jest, we related the story of a smart man who was caught not telling the truth. 

When confronted as how this fit with what is says in פרקי אבות 

שִׁבְעָה דְבָרִים בַּגֹּלֶם וְשִׁבְעָה בֶחָכָם: חָכָם אֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר בִּפְנֵי מִי שֶׁהוּא גָדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְחָכְמָה וּבְמִנְיָן, וְאֵינוֹ נִכְנָס לְתוֹךְ דִּבְרֵי חֲבֵרוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ נִבְהָל לְהָשִׁיב, שׁוֹאֵל כָּעִנְיָן וּמֵשִׁיב כַּהֲלָכָה, וְאוֹמֵר עַל רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן וְעַל אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן, וְעַל מַה שֶּׁלֹּא שָׁמַע, אוֹמֵר לֹא שָׁמָעְתִּי, וּמוֹדֶה עַל הָאֱמֶת. וְחִלּוּפֵיהֶן בַּגֹּלֶם.

Seven things apply to an uncultured person (Heb. ‘golem’), and seven to a wise person.

A wise person:

1- does not speak before one who is greater than he in wisdom or years; 

2 – he does not interrupt his fellow; 

3- he is not rushed to respond; 

4 – he asks relevant questions; 

5 – he answers accurately; 

6 – he discusses first things first and last things last; 

7 – on what he did not hear, he says ‘I did not hear;’ and he admits to the truth. [meaning he does not lie]. 

The opposite of these is true of the golem.

The wise man answered that he read the משנה  as follows: 

עַל מַה שֶּׁלֹּא שָׁמַע, אוֹמֵר לֹא שָׁמָעְתִּי, וּמוֹדֶה עַל הָאֱמֶת וְחִלּוּפֵיהֶן. 

He admits to the truth, and [occasionally] the opposite….

BSD

Brochos 2a (2)

Tamuz 12, 5785. 07/09/2025

Short notes. 

The entire Shiur was learning the first Tosfos in ש”ס. – see below 

Some parameters we prefaced to understand the תוספות. 

1- Some מצוות have a specific directive as to when to perform them, either during the ‘day’ or during the ‘night’. 

Such as מצה where it says בערב תאכלו מצות. 

לולב- where it says ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון. 

2- קריאת שמע is unique as it says בשכבך ובקומך with no specific mention of day or night. 

Now as we will see further in our גמרא, the words בשכבך ובקומך can be translated in two ways. 

A- When going to sleep and when getting up. [Limited time in the evening and also in the morning] 

B- When sleeping and when being awake. Meaning the time when people are sleeping (all night) and when people are up (all day) 

[We briefly mentioned the כסף משנה and שאגת אריה – stay tuned – to be discussed in the future]

3 – The משנה states that קריאת שמע of ערבית is after צאת הכוכבים and not before. 

4 – The great paradox: Despite the explicit ruling of the first משנה in ש”ס, the fact is that for ages, many people Daven מעריב way before צאת הכוכבים. How is the practice tolerated? 

5 – Rashi himself was bothered by this practice: 

‘And [being that] prior to צאת הכוכבים is not a time when people go to sleep, therefore, someone who says שמע prior to this time is not יוצא. 

If so, why do we say שמע in Shul [when we daven מעריב early]? In order so that שמונה עשרה is preceded by words of תורה. [The שמע is just an introduction to שמונה עשרה].

And therefore, we are obligated to say שמע [again] after it gets dark. And [only] by saying שמע before going to bed we fulfill our obligation [of saying קריאת שמע של ערבית]’. 

In other words, according to Rashi,  שמע  must be said after צאת הכוכבים. However, as to מעריב, as other ראשונים explain רש”י, being that מעריב is a דרבנן, the חכמים allowed it since it would be difficult to gather a מנין at a late hour. But not קריאת שמע, which is מן התורה. 

As to saying the ברכות of שמע, how can we say them before צאת הכוכבים? Are they not part of קריאת שמע? 

The answer is the famous רשב”א, quoted by the Alter Rebbe in Tanya chapter 49, that these ברכות have in a sense nothing to do with קריאת שמע:

See there for explanation על פי חסידות as to why they are called ברכות קריאת שמע. 

6 – Now to the actual Tosfos.

Rashi’s grandchildren and great grandchildren argued with him and posed many strong question on their grandfather’s שיטה. 

One is: if קריאת שמע שעל המיטה is the way one is יוצא, then why do many people only say the first part of שמע? 

Another: Why don’t we say ברכות קריאת שמע at bedtime? [See רשב”א above]. 

And isn’t קריאת שמע שעל המיטה said only for protection against מזיקים? 

Thus Rashi’s  descendants said the the שמע people say in Shul [before צאת]  is the קריאת שמע that we’re obligated to do every evening. They are יוצא this מצווה even before צאת . 

But how can we do it before צאת הכוכבים? Is it not contrary to what is explicitly sated in the first משנה? 

So we have many approaches to resolve this issue. Here are 2. 

7 – Rabbeinu Tam. 

The  ruling of Mishna is not the definitive הלכה. How’s that? 

We encounter later in our מסכתא an argument between the חכמים and רבי יהודה as to the final time one can daven מנחה and start to Daven מערב.  

The חכמים say that מנחה can be said until צאת [actually until the שקיעה] followed by מעריב. 

Conversely, רבי יהודה says that the end of the time for מנחה is at פלג המנחה and immediately after פלג המנחה one can Daven מעריב. 

In a day that the hours of day and night are 12 each, פלג המנחה is at 4:45 PM. צאת is at 6:00 PM. 

So according to רבי יהודה, ‘night’ begins at 4:45 PM, and saying קריאת שמע after פלג המנחה is perfectly OK since it is nighttime. 

Now, interestingly, in regards to this particular מחלוקת , the גמרא says that one can choose to follow either the חכמים or רבי יהודה, as long as one is consistent. 

So those that Daven מעריב early, accept the opinion of רבי יהודה who disagrees with our משנה as to the start of זמן קריאת שמע של ערבית. Therefore, the שמע one says during מעריב prior to צאת is the שמע one is יוצא with. 

Tosfos continues by asking a strong question on רבינו תם. 

In actuality, those that Daven מעריב, say at 5:30 PM [30 minutes before צאת הכוכבים] rely on רבי יהודה’s opinion that night has begun at 4:45. So far so good. 

But these people also Daven Mincha at 5:15 PM! That’s contradictory, since by choosing to follow רבי יהודה, they cannot Daven Mincha after 4:45! 

8 – The opinion of the R”I. [Rashi’s great grandson]. 

True, as above, night begins either at 6 PM [חכמים] or at 4:45 PM [רבי יהודה]. However, regardless,  זמן קריאת שמע של ערבית actually begins before nightfall! And that indeed is the opinion of some תנאים, who disagree with our משנה,  as we will see further in our גמרא. 

They also bring proof from the story of Rav, who would start Shabbos before צאת  and likely also said קריאת שמע before צאת. 

There is much more on this topic and as mentioned last week the הלכה is like רש”י. 

If one wants to Daven מעריב with a מנין prior to צאת, that’s fine as long as he remembers that he is not יוצא the מצוה of קריאת שמע and will need to say it after צאת. 

 

Appropriate to repeat here from the previous Shiur the opinion of the גר”א that one should better Daven ביחידות after צאת הכוכבים, so as to say שמע in its proper time.

BS”D

Brochos 2a.

 

Sivan 28, 5785. 06/24/2025

1- Beginning of מסכת ברכות- BE”H

מֵאֵימָתַי קוֹרִין אֶת שְׁמַע בְּעַרְבִית

רבינו הקדוש  does not write explicitly that one is required to say קריאת שמע. He begins ש”ס with stating when the earliest time to say קריאת שמע in the evening.

We mentioned (from a Shiur in the past) the words of the Rambam that מצוות that are constantly observed רבי saw no need to state them. מנחות פ”ד, א

 

ודיני הציצית והתפילין והמזוזה וענין מלאכתן והברכות שחייבין לברך עליהן וכל העניינים התלויין בכל זה מן הדינין ומה שנאמר עליהן בשאלות ותשובות, אין ראוי כפי קבלת חבורינו לדבר בהן, לפי שאינו אלא מפרש.

והמשנה לא דברה על אלה המצות דבר מיוחד לכלול דיניהן עד שיהא חייב לפרש אותו. וסבת זה בעיני לפי שהיו הדברים האלו מפורסמים בזמן חבור המשנה והיו ענינים ידועים ונהוגים ביד כל העם פרט וכלל ואין ענין מהן נפלא משום אדם.

וע״כ לא ראה לדבר בהן’ כמו שלא הסדיר התפלה’ ר״ל נוסחה ואיך יתנהג שליח ציבור. לפי שהיה מפורסם ולא חברו בזה סדור. אבל חברו ספר גמ׳ וביאורו:

No need to state the obvious

Also discussed what others suggest is the reason for רבי’s approach. Due to the harsh times of מלכות רומי and others (preceding רבי) where the performance of מצוות was dangerous, the study of תורה was only in an abstract form. Meaning that it intentionally lacked an explicit mandate and instruction for specific performance. Such as “one needs to put on תפילין”. Rather it was just a discussion about the particulars. ‘When can one start saying שמע in the evening’.

2 –

מֵאֵימָתַי

So we start with the word מאימתי. From when.

Mentioned the famous story of Reb Zusha who told Reb Shmelke that perhaps the translation of מאימתי means ‘out of fear and awe of Hashem one needs to recite the שמע’!

3 – Spoke about Ren Yechiel Halperin and his magnum opus the סדר הדורות. His mastery and instant recall of כל התורה כולה is legendary and is considered the expert of Jewish history and chronology.  See here. Here. Here.

He quotes from others that מאימתי is a Gematria of “I Yehuda the Holy One’.  However Reb Yechiel does not accept it, as it it contrary to the humility that רבינו הקדוש is known for Sotah 49a, Mishna.

[See end of Shiur Shkolim -11a]

He brings from the AriZal that מאימתי is ‘from the fear of the מזיקים we recite the שמע  for protection’.

4 –

מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים נִכְנָסִים לֶאֱכֹל בִּתְרוּמָתָן

For a כהן that was טמא and goes to the Mikvah, eating of תרומה needs to be after צאת הכוכבים, which is when ‘night’ begins.

We touched upon the famous מחלוקת between Rashi and his grandchildren on this topic.

Rashi states clearly that before צאת הכוכבים one cannot say קריאת שמע and fulfill this מצות עשה of שמע.

מעריב is different as we will discuss in the future.

So when Davening before צאת הכוכבים (for whatever reason) one must repeat קריאת שמע again. ‘And that is why we say שמע before going to sleep’.

[We will discuss the dissenting opinion of רבינו תם and the ר”י next shiur IYH].

And indeed that is the הלכה as it is brought in the שולחן ערוך.

 

5 – What if there is only one Minyan in town and they Daven before צאת הכוכבים?

Now we have a choice: Daven with the  Minyan (with שמע) and after צאת say שמע again. Or, wait until צאת, then Daven ביחידות.

What does one do?

We mentioned the opinion of the גר”א that one should better Daven ביחידות after צאת הכוכבים, so as to say שמע in its proper time.

 

BSD

Shkolim 22a

Sivan 21, 5785, 06/17/2025

Brief notes

1- We finished הלכה ג of the 8th פרק and moved on to the final  הלכה  which concludes מסכת שקלים.

We left a few lines unfinished until the middle of the summer when a proper סיום will IY”H be celebrated.

It was decided to begin מסכת ברכות next week.

2- In relation to הלכות טומאה וטהרה, we mentioned a most amazing (but surprisingly, not very well known) story in תנ”ך  with חגי הנביא – the last נביא!  See here. Hebrew. Here.

Briefly, it was חגי who urged the people in  ירושלים to resume the building of the second בית המקדש.

3 – חגי was instructed to go and test the knowledge of the כהנים in the laws of הלכות טומאה וטהרה.

Not not unlike the סמיכה tests we have nowadays…..

So חגי הנביא enters the בית המקדש and asks the כהנים 2 questions.

Here are the words: Chagi 2, 11-14

יא) כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת שְׁאַל־נָ֧א אֶת־הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים תּוֹרָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃

Thus says Hashem : “Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying:

יב) הֵ֣ן׀ יִשָּׂא־אִ֨ישׁ בְּשַׂר־קֹ֜דֶשׁ בִּכְנַ֣ף בִּגְד֗וֹ וְנָגַ֣ע בִּ֠כְנָפ֠וֹ אֶל־הַלֶּ֨חֶם וְאֶל־הַנָּזִ֜יד וְאֶל־הַיַּ֧יִן וְאֶל־שֶׁ֛מֶן וְאֶל־כׇּל־מַאֲכָ֖ל הֲיִקְדָּ֑שׁ וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֹֽא׃

“…ווי איז דער דין”

‘If someone carries meat (of a נבילה or שרץ) in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become holy?'” The priests answered, “No.”

יג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר חַגַּ֔י אִם־יִגַּ֧ע טְמֵא־נֶ֛פֶשׁ בְּכׇל־אֵ֖לֶּה הֲיִטְמָ֑א וַיַּעֲנ֧וּ הַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ יִטְמָֽא׃

Then Chaggai said, “If one who is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, will it be unclean?” The priests answered, “It will be unclean.”

Original photo by LY Freidin

4 – So we have 2 questions and answers. Yet the פסוקים seem ambiguous and do not say explicitly if they answered correctly or not. (although the next פסוק seems to imply that the  כהנים erred.)

That caused later generations to discuss this at length.

5 – We scratched the surface of the מחלוקת between רב ושמואל if they answered correctly or not. שאלת הנביא בהלכות טו“ט בביהמ“ק. פסחים יז, א.

גּוּפָא רַב אָמַר אִישְׁתַּבֻּשׁ כָּהֲנֵי וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר לָא אִישְׁתַּבֻּשׁ כָּהֲנֵי.

Rav said: The priests erred, as they should have said the oil is rendered impure. And Shmuel said: The priests did not err.

6 – The final הלכה discusses the procedure of bringing up to the מזבח the portions of the daily קרבן התמיד.

(א) משנה: אֵיבָרֵי הַתָּמִיד נִיתָּנִין מַחֲצִי כֶּבֶשׁ וּלְמַטָּה בַּמַּעֲרָב שֶׁל מוּסָפִין נִיתָּנִין מֵחֲצִי כֶּבֶשׁ וּלְמַטָּה בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁל רָאשֵׁי חֳדָשִׁים נִיתָּנִין עַל כַּרְכּוֹב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ מִלְּמַעֲלָן.

The meat was first placed on the ramp and then brought up to be placed on the fire.

On ראש חודש, states the משנה, the meat was placed (not on the ramp, but) on the כרכוב.

What exactly is the כרכוב?

We discussed that generally it can mean the ornamental copper molding that wrapped around the מזבח. Here.

כרכוב at the top and lower כרכוב of copper latticework 

וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ לּוֹ֙ מִכְבָּ֔ר מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה רֶ֣שֶׁת נְחֹ֑שֶׁת וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עַל־הָרֶ֗שֶׁת אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת נְחֹ֔שֶׁת עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֥ע קְצוֹתָֽיו׃

You shall make for it a grating, a copper network, and you shall make on the netting four copper rings on its four corners.

7 – However, in our משנה it means the area on top of the מזבח. The reason for placing it on top of the מזבח is to announce to all that today is ראש חודש.

View from the top

We mentioned that this is the reason we do ברכת החודש on שבת מברכים.

8 – Spoke about a little unknown fact about the flat top of the מזבח. The 2 Amos at the outer  perimeter were slight lower than the center of the מזבח. The purpose of this is that the ‘כהנים should not slip’.

 זבחים סב, א.

כרכוב at the top where the Kohanim would walk “so they shouldn’t slip”.

We were unsure if that means not to slip into the center where the fire was or not to slip off the מזבח.

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If the latter, it would mean that the wall of the מזבח reached the height of the center of the מזבח.

 

 

BSD

Shkollim 21b (2)

Sivan 14, 5785, 06/10/2025

1- As discussed last week,  the משנה mentions that 300 כהנים handled the פרוכת to the מקוה for טבילה.

As mentioned, the גמרא  says (Tomid 29a) that this number is an exaggeration.

It was this big!

2- In relation to that גמרא, we referred to the mystical words of the רמ”ע of Fano. The Rebbe would very often cite his explanation.

Briefly, the תורה, when describing what the מרגלים said about ארץ ישראל  says that it has ‘large cities with fortified walls reaching the heavens’. ערים גדולות ובצורות בשמים. דברים א, כח

[This expression is also repeated later דברים ט, א describing ארץ ישראל]

The גמרא comments on this and states that the תורה occasionally speaks using ‘exaggerated terms’.

דִּבְּרָה תּוֹרָה לְשׁוֹן הֲבַאי דִּכְתִיב {דברים א׳:כ״ח} עָרִים גדולות וּבְצוּרוֹת בַּשָּׁמָיִם בַּשָּׁמַיִם סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ אֶלָּא גּוּזְמָא.

The Torah spoke employing exaggerated language, as it is written: “Hear, Israel: You are passing over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fortified up to heaven” (Deuteronomy 9:1). Does it enter your mind to say that the cities were literally fortified up to heaven? Rather, this is an exaggeration.

 The רמ”ע says that at a certain level it is no exaggeration at all. It means to say that the fortified walls of ארץ ישראל are so high that they do not allow the 70 שרים of the אומות into ארץ ישראל. Here.

3- We began the next Mishna that relates to the laws of טומאה וטהרה and will be continued IYH next week.

4 – We mentioned the book מפת הטהרה and the surprising omission by it’s author picked up by the Rebbe. (See the “5th level” in the map below)