BSD

Shkolim – 9a

8 Nisan 5784. 04/16/2024

It’s Erev Pesach…so just some brief notes:

1- Our גמרא states the size of a cup that contains a רביעית.

We briefly mentioned the basic issue with שיעורים.

How much is a רביעית?

The גמרא states that there are two ways of measuring it.

1- A רביעית is a ¼ of a לוג. A לוג is the size of 6 eggs. Therefore a רביעית would be 1.5 eggs.

A לוג is the size of 6 eggs.

2- A רביעית takes up a square cup of 2 thumbs x 2 thumbs x 2.7 thumbs.

[Our גמרא ירושלמי has it as 2 thumbs x 2 thumbs x 1.83333 thumbs. However the above 2.7  is the accepted number as per the בבלי in פסחים קט, א .  See Tosfos there].

In theory, using these two measuring systems the result should equal the same, The problem is that, at least in our days, these two methods do not match at all.

By using method 1, we arrive at 2.92 oz. [The average egg today  is 57.6 ml x 1.5 = 86.4ml]

By using method 2, we arrive at 5.04 oz. [The average thumb today is 2.4 cm. So 4.8 x 4.8 x 6.48 = 149.3 Ml].

2- Either our thumbs grew or the eggs shrunk. נתקטנו הביצים.

So which method is correct today?

Reb Chaim Naeh’s opinion is that we should follow method 1.

הגר”ח נאה

The Noda B’Yehuda’s opinion is that we should be מחמיר and use method 2.

There is a third option as per the Rambam  – רמב”ם עדיות א:ב – who used the weight of the Dirham to calculate the amount of a רביעית.

ומצאתי הרביעית הנזכרת בכל התורה תכיל מן היין קרוב כ”ו כספים הנקראים דרה”ם בערבי

He writes that the weight of 26+- Dirhams equals the weight of a רביעית of wine.

A  Dirham weighs 3.205 grams, so the weight of 26 Dirhams equals the weight of  78-80 ml of wine. That would make the רביעית   only 2.7 oz!

Dirham Coin – reads: “Kasbah Arcade, one game per coin only”

We discussed the Dirham and if its weight remained constant throughout the ages.

More contemporary opinions say the Dirham the Rambam used weighed only 3 grams (or less) resulting in an even smaller רביעית.

Modern Dirham

3- We discussed an interesting explanation by Reb Reuven Margolis on a special חודש ניסן in the time of חזקיהו  המלך.

Briefly:

1- We do not say מזמור לתודה on פסח and ערב פסח since a תודה contained חמץ.

שו”ע אדה”ז או”ח תכט, יג.

ונוהגין במדינות אלו שלא לאומרה בשבת ויום טוב^כג מפני שאין תודה קריבה בהן^כד וכן בימי הפסח^כה אין תודה קריבה^כו משום חמץ שבה וכן בערב פסח כמו שיתבאר בסי’ תכ”ט^כז

2- However, we find in תנ”ך , when describing the types  of קרבנות brought upon the rededication of the בית המקדש in the time of חזקיהו, the קרבן תודה.

This was on the 16th day of the first month which is טו ניסן! The first day Chol HaMoed.

Chometz in middle of פסח?

דברי הימים  ב  כט טז

וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ הַ֠כֹּהֲנִ֠ים לִפְנִ֣ימָה בֵית־יְהֹוָה֮ לְטַהֵר֒ וַיּוֹצִ֗יאוּ אֵ֤ת כׇּל־הַטֻּמְאָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר מָֽצְאוּ֙ בְּהֵיכַ֣ל יְהֹוָ֔ה לַחֲצַ֖ר בֵּ֣ית יְהֹוָ֑ה וַֽיְקַבְּלוּ֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם לְהוֹצִ֥יא לְנַחַל־קִדְר֖וֹן חֽוּצָה׃

And the priests went in to the inner part of the house of Hashem, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of Hashem into the court of the house of Hashem.

Chizkiyahu cleans the Temple…

And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad to the brook Kidron.

יז וַ֠יָּחֵ֠לּוּ בְּאֶחָ֞ד לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן֮ לְקַדֵּשׁ֒ וּבְי֧וֹם שְׁמוֹנָ֣ה לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ בָּ֚אוּ לְאוּלָ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיְקַדְּשׁ֥וּ אֶת־בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֖ה לְיָמִ֣ים שְׁמוֹנָ֑ה וּבְי֨וֹם שִׁשָּׁ֥ה עָשָׂ֛ר לַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֖וֹן כִּלּֽוּ׃

Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the chamber of Hashem; and they sanctified the house of Hashem in eight days; and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.

לא יַּ֨עַן יְחִזְקִיָּ֜הוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר עַתָּה֙ מִלֵּאתֶ֤ם יֶדְכֶם֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה גֹּ֧שׁוּ וְהָבִ֛יאוּ זְבָחִ֥ים וְתוֹד֖וֹת לְבֵ֣ית יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיָּבִ֤יאוּ הַקָּהָל֙ זְבָחִ֣ים וְתוֹד֔וֹת וְכׇל־נְדִ֥יב לֵ֖ב עֹלֽוֹת׃

Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now you have consecrated yourselves to Hashem, come near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of Hashem.” And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank-offerings; and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt-offerings.

3- What follows is even more perplexing. It describes what occurred the next month when they brought a פסח שני.

Having realized that the פסח ראשון was not observed, they brought the קרבן פסח in the second month חודש אייר.

ל א וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח יְחִזְקִיָּ֜הוּ עַל־כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל וִיהוּדָ֗ה וְגַֽם־אִגְּרוֹת֙ כָּתַב֙ עַל־אֶפְרַ֣יִם וּמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה לָב֥וֹא לְבֵית־יְהֹוָ֖ה בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם

לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת פֶּ֔סַח לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of Hashem at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to Hashem, the God of Israel.

ב וַיִּוָּעַ֨ץ הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ וְשָׂרָ֛יו וְכׇל־הַקָּהָ֖ל בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הַפֶּ֖סַח בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִֽי׃

For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and the entire congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month.

ג כִּ֣י לֹ֧א יָכְל֛וּ לַעֲשֹׂת֖וֹ בָּעֵ֣ת הַהִ֑יא כִּ֤י הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ לֹֽא־הִתְקַדְּשׁ֣וּ לְמַדַּ֔י וְהָעָ֖ם לֹא־נֶאֶסְפ֥וּ לִירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient number, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

ה וַיַּעֲמִ֣ידוּ דָבָ֗ר לְהַעֲבִ֨יר ק֤וֹל בְּכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִבְּאֵֽר־שֶׁ֣בַע וְעַד־דָּ֔ן לָב֞וֹא לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת פֶּ֛סַח לַיהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בִּירוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כִּ֣י לֹ֥א לָרֹ֛ב עָשׂ֖וּ כַּכָּתֽוּב׃

So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-Sheba to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover to Hashem, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem; for they had not kept it in great numbers according as it is written.

יג וַיֵּאָסְפ֤וּ יְרוּשָׁלַ֙͏ִם֙ עַם־רָ֔ב לַעֲשׂ֛וֹת אֶת־חַ֥ג הַמַּצּ֖וֹת בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֑י קָהָ֖ל לָרֹ֥ב מְאֹֽד׃

And many people assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

4 – So far so good. פסח שני in the second month. יד אייר.

טו וַיִּשְׁחֲט֣וּ הַפֶּ֔סַח בְּאַרְבָּעָ֥ה עָשָׂ֖ר לַחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֑י וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים וְהַלְוִיִּ֤ם נִכְלְמוּ֙ וַיִּֽתְקַדְּשׁ֔וּ וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ עֹל֖וֹת בֵּ֥ית יְהֹוָֽה׃

Then they killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month; and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought burnt-offerings into the house of Hashem.

Now פסח שני is observed only one day. But they feasted for 7 days!

כא וַיַּעֲשׂ֣וּ בְנֵֽי־יִ֠שְׂרָאֵ֠ל הַנִּמְצְאִ֨ים בִּירוּשָׁלַ֜͏ִם אֶת־חַ֧ג הַמַּצּ֛וֹת שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים בְּשִׂמְחָ֣ה גְדוֹלָ֑ה וּֽמְהַלְלִ֣ים לַ֠יהֹוָ֠ה י֣וֹם ׀ בְּי֞וֹם הַלְוִיִּ֧ם וְהַכֹּהֲנִ֛ים בִּכְלֵי־עֹ֖ז לַיהֹוָֽה׃

And the children of Israel that were present at Jerusalem kept the feast of מצות  seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised Hashem day by day, singing with loud instruments to Hashem.

5 – So how do we answer these 2 questions? Bringing a קרבן תודה on פסח and having a 7 day פסח on פסח שני?

Reb Reuven suggests the following based on the story of  חזקיהו who added  an אדר שני  that particular year.

חזקיהו waited until ראש חודש ניסן and only then added an additional Adar II.

The חכמים accepted this added month based on the principle of

אתם אפילו מזידין אתם אפילו מוטעין

But were not pleased with this. They cited the rule that a second Adar can only be added prior to the start of חודש ניסן.

So in reality the ‘first month’, when they brought the קרבן תודה on the 16th of the month was not טו ניסן but טו אדר שני! Thus there was no problem bringin a Chometz קרבן.

And when they brought the פסח שני on the 14th of the ‘second month’ it was not טו אייר but טו ניסן!

That is why they celebrated a full 7 days,  as it was the real  פסח ראשון.

6 – If the ‘first month’ was actually אדר שני (the 13th month) and the second month’ was really ניסן (the first month) why didn’t they write is as such?

Good question.

The answer, concludes Reb Reuven, is that the חכמים wanted to record their disapproval on what חזקיהו did!

Therefore they recorded the months they way it should have been!

נפש חיה סימן תכט.

 

A Kosher and Happy Pesach to all.

BSD

Shkolim – 8b (2)

1 Nisan 5784. 04/09/2024

1- We continued on the topic of a רביעית and the dilution of wine. Will discuss שיעורים of a רביעית next shiur bl”n.

2- Our גמרא discusses the ארבע כוסות and the proper way to drink them.

Can one drink all 4 cups one after the other?

From our גמרא it seems that one would be יוצא. However the בבלי states that one would not and that is the הלכה.

תעב דיני הסיבה וד‘ כוסות ובו ל“א סעיפים

טז. צריך לשתות הד’ כוסות על הסדר^קכב שיתבאר^קכג דהיינו שבין כוס ראשון לשני ובין שלישי לרביעי יפסיק באמירת ההגדה^קכד וההלל ובין שני לשלישי יפסיק באכילת מצה וברכת המזון ואם לא הפסיק ביניהם בדברים הללו אלא שתה ד’ כוסות זה אחר זה לא יצא ידי ד’ כוסות^קכה אלא כולן נחשבין לו לכוס אחד וחייב לשתות עוד [ג]’ כוסות על הסדר^קכו שיתבאר^קכז:

3- The basis for the above is the based on the topic of saying הלל in Shul on the first two nights of פסח.

If we follow the opinion that if one recites הלל in Shul he does not necessarily need to say הלל at the סדר the result would be that between the 3rd and the 4th cup there would be no הפסק.

4- We discussed the opinions of reciting הלל and the מנהג of the ספרדים and חסידים.

The מחבר writes that we do say הלל in Shul while the רמ”א say we (the Ashkenazim) do not.

5- We mentioned the story, from a non Lubavitcher source, told about the Alter Rebbe.

Reb Meir Shapiro (Daf haYomi) related:

In the early days of Chassidus the Alter Rebbe was once in Vilna for פסח.   No one knew who he was except for אנ”ש. After Davening with the Shul מנין , the Alter Rebbe and his Chassidim locked themselves inside the Shul to recite   הלל with great שמחה.

The next morning, the שמש raised a commotion for this ‘great sin’ and the Shul Rov shouted at them “how did you act against the ruling of the רמ”א who says that our מנהג is not to say הלל!”

The Alter Rebbe responded to the Rov:

Please do not be angry. Were you present to witness the  רמ”א banging on the table saying emphatically, ‘our מנהג is not to say הלל’??

Perhaps the רמ”א was lamenting that unfortunately we don’t have this beautiful מנהג….

6 – Another story from a non Lubavitcher source concerning ‘the search for אתרוגים in an armored vehicle in the forests of Italy amongst the wild tribes’.

Nu nu.

7- Speaking of הלל on ליל פסח we mentioned the interesting תשובה  of the Ragatchover concerning the מנהג of Anash to say  הלל on the first two nights of פסח. Here. Part 2, #8

We will discuss it more next week.

In middle of the תשובה he writes to the Rov that asked him the question about saying הלל:

And Anash that do say הלל have no clue as to why, but they are right and ‘they prophesied without knowing it is a prophecy’, to say הלל….

‘Now, if you were a חסיד like us, I would add some more esoteric insights on הלל but for a מתנגד like you this will suffice…..especially as you are also  ‘preacher’ of Mussar   רחמנא ליצלן…..so I’ll be short….. Yosef Rozin

He concludes by asking this Rov to pray for him as he has a bad cold…..

8- Our גמרא asks if one drank the ארבע כוסות with פסקן if he is יוצא.

The conclusion is that the תקנה of the  ארבע כוסות was not enacted to get people drunk!

What is פסקן?

Most מפרשים translate it as ‘sipping’ as opposed to plain drinking.

The question is what causes more intoxication?  sipping (spacing out the drinking) or gulping it down in one shot.

9 – There is an interesting explanation that פסקן means an extremely  large goblet. שבות יעקב או”ח א, כב.

In a letter written to the שבות יעקב a fellow suggest this idea:

He quotes an interesting מדרש, that at the time of the Persian Kings, those attending his feasts were (occasionally?) forced to drink an entire פסקן. It caused either death or psychosis.

The famous party of אחשוורוש was the exception:

וְהַשְּׁתִיָּה כַדָּת אֵין אֹנֵס כִּי כֵן יִסַּד הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל כָּל רַב בֵּיתוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת כִּרְצוֹן אִישׁ וָאִישׁ.

No one was forced to drink.

So our ירושלמי’s question here is as follows: Based on the opinion that at the סדר one must drink רוב כוס (as opposed to רוב רביעית thru out the year) if one uses a פסקן that contains a large amount of wine – does he also need to drink רוב כוס?

 

The שבות יעקב responds:

 

BSD

Shkolim 8a (2) – 8b

16 Adar II  5784. 03/26/2024

1- The משנה describes the next stage of the מחצית השקל process.

בשלש קופות של שלש שלש סאין תורמין את הלשכה

From the office or לשכה , where all the coins would be kept, they filled three קופות or buckets, with each bucket containing three סאה  for a total of nine  סאה.  By doing this 3 times a year, they would transfer from the לשכה to the buckets a total of 27 סאה.

This is the opinion of most ראשונים.

 

The Rambam (שקלים ב, ד)  however has it a bit different. All the שקלים were placed in  one לשכה  and in this לשכה there were 3 large  קופות each containing 9 סאה. The לשכה would be locked and sealed until ראש חודש ניסן when the first of the three transferred occurred.

The תורם would then enter the לשכה and take 3 סאה from  the large (9 סאה) containers and fill each of 3 of the smaller קופות.

והכל מתקבצין למקדש ומניחין אותן בלשכה אחת מן הלשכות במקדש וסוגרין כל דלתותיה במפתחות וחותמין עליה חותמות וממלאין מכל השקלים שיקבצו שם שלש קופות גדולות שיעור כל

קופה כדי שתכיל תשע סאין והשאר מניחין אותו בלשכה.

We discussed the תוספות יום טוב who suggests as to where the Rambam derived this from our גמרא.

2- וְכָתוּב בָּהֶן אָל״ף בֵי״ת גִימ״ל.

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, יְוָנִית כָּתוּב בָּהֶן אָלפ״א בֵית״א גָמל״א

The 3 קופות were numbered with  א ב ג or the three first letters of the Greek alphabet: alpha, beta, gamla. (Gama)

 

We discussed why they used the Greek alphabet.

3- In a previous Shiur (Suka 16b (2) Shvat 20, 5781, February 3, 2021) we mentioned the רבי מנוח who says that in general לשון הקודש was used only for קדושה and not for counting. וזה מהפלגת הגדולים קדושת התורה וכבודה

Does this apply here perhaps?

We also mentioned in the past the interesting  חתם סופר that when we were exiled to בבל we stopped speaking לשון הקודש because of the טומאה of חוץ לארץ.  That explains why within 70 short years many forgot their לשון הקודש.

חת”ס עה”ת ויגש, כג

4- Speaking of non לשון הקודש languages we mentioned briefly the big topic of inscribing on מצבות  in a foreign language in general and writing a ‘goyishe’ date in particular.

The חתם סופר, the מהר”ם שיק and others.

שו״ת מהר״ם שיק יו״ד סי׳ קע״א

A major issue is when writing a date such as 2024 are we mentioning a date associated with עבודה זרה? Are we causing others to thing about this individual?

The months are also an issue discussed as some of them too are associated with עבודה זרה.

We suggested (half jokingly) that perhaps when we, who generally write from right to left, 2024 means that it is year 4202…..

5 –  The משנה describes the precautions the חכמים established to remove any suspicion of the תורם. Thus when the תורם who enters the  לשכה he does so in a manner that he cannot be suspected in pocketing CV any of the שקלים.

When entering the לשכה his clothing would not have any pockets or hems. Neither would he be wearing תפילין or a קמיע.

אֵין הַתּוֹרֵם נִכְנָס לֹא בְּפַרְגּוֹד חָפוּת, וְלֹא בְּמִנְעָל, וְלֹא בְּסַנְדָּל, וְלֹא בִּתְפִלִּין, וְלֹא בְּקָמִיעַ, שֶׁמָּא יַעֲנִי, וְיֹאמְרוּ מֵעֲוֹן הַלִּשְׁכָּה הֶעֱנִי, אוֹ שֶׁמָּא יַעֲשִׁיר, וְיֹאמְרוּ מִתְּרוּמַת הַלִּשְׁכָּה הֶעֱשִׁיר. לְפִי שֶׁאָדָם צָרִיךְ לָצֵאת יְדֵי הַבְּרִיּוֹת כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לָצֵאת יְדֵי הַמָּקוֹם, שְׁנֶּאֱמַר: וִהְיִיתֶם נְקִיִים מֵיְיָ וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל (במדבר ל״ב:כ״ב), וְאוֹמֵר: וּמְצָא חֵן וְשֵׂכֶל טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי אֱלֹהִים וְאָדָם.

The one who made the appropriation did not enter the chamber wearing a bordered cloak, or shoes, or sandals, or tefillin, or an amulet, lest he become poor and [people] say that he became poor because of a sin committed in the chamber, or lest he become rich and [people] say that he became rich from the appropriation in the chamber.

For one must be free of blame before others as he must be free of blame before God, as it is said: “And you shall be guiltless before the Lord and before Israel” (Numbers 32:22), and it says: “And you will find favor and good understanding in the eyes of God and man” (Proverbs 3:4).

This rule of not acting in a way that will cause others to be suspicious of you is applied in many הלכות.

The issue of being a respected person by all by not acting in a queer and suspicious way is quite logical. It is beneficial to yourself when others are not חושד you in any wrongdoing.

6 – We mentioned the novel explanation of the  ספר חסידים about וִהְיִיתֶם נְקִיִים מֵיְיָ וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.

ספר חסידים  מ”ד.

שהוא מביא עצמו לידי חשד שנאמר (במדבר לב כב) והייתם נקיים מה’ ומישראל ועוד שהוא מכשיל את החושדים אותו ונענשים על ידו שכל החושד בכשרים לוקה בגופו

By acting in a manner that is מעורר חשד upon yourself by others is harmful to others. The ones that suspect in (in error) are hurt.

How?

The rule is החושד בכשרים לוקה בגופו. Someone that suspects others, without any merit or basis, literally suffers CV in his גוף.

So by acting in a way that cause others to be חושד you, you are causing them to suffer the consequences of suspecting you.

The ספר חסידים was printed many times. A very popular and accepted edition with many footnotes etc., was published by Reb Reuven Margolis.

 

R’ Reuven Margolis as a young man

We spoke a bit about this extraordinary תלמיד חכם, Reb Reuven Margolis ע”ה and his vast works, especially the ones that bridge the gap between נגלה ונסתר. See here. His ספרים.

Chabad connection here.

 

7 – The topic of diluting wine at a ratio of one part wine to three parts of water.

The sommelier, laboring at his craft

Was it because wine in ancient times was stronger than the wine we currently consume? Or perhaps it was a way not to get intoxicated?

To be continued.