BS”D

Shkolim 2b (2)

Mar Cheshvan 23, 5784. November 8, 2023

Short notes:

1- We discussed again the phenomenal story told by Reb Moshe with the fellow that spoke לשון הרע on the daughters of Lot.

Here it is in English.

R Moshe Feinstein, with R Leibel Kaplan, (Montreal).

2- The גמרא discusses the days for the מגילה reading. 14th of Adar for cities without walls and the 15th for walled cities.

Reb Chelbo’s opinion if one inside a walled city and reads it on the 14th. Does he need to repeat it on the 15th?

3- We reviewed the 2  אדרs in a leap year.

A- Purim – observed in אדר שני .

B- In אדר ראשון one is not allowed הספד ותענית.

C- In regards to becoming Bar Mitzvah – if one was born on any  אדר he becomes Bar Mitzvah in אדר שני. OC 55.

D – As the Rebbe points out, the Alter Rebbe totally omits this הלכה!

Also here.

E – The famous רמ”א at conclusion of אורח חיים.

תרצ”ז

וטוב לב משתה תמיד

Always good to be happy

F- The משנה states that on the 15th of אדר one of the tasks of the בית דין was to ensure that all grave stones, to avoid becoming טמא,  were marked properly by pouring/painting them with סיד, white plaster. ומציינין את  הקברות.

We discussed the מצבה that was found in a garden dating back to the year 5159.  הקנ”ט.

625 years ago.

That’s from year 1398!

The תשובה of the חתם סופר (YD 337) that discusses the ramifications of טומאה of this קבר.

Topics he touches upon are:

• עצם לוז.
• The disintegration of bones after many years.
• Bones of the people that perished in מבול.
• Bones that were revived by יחזקאל הנביא.

To be continued bl”n next Shiur.

BS”D

Shkolim 2b

Mar Cheshvan 16, 5784. October 31, 2023

1 – We continued with the גמרא on 2a where it discusses the reason for announcing the collection of the  מחצית השקל a month before it is due. באחד באחד באדר משמיעין על השקלים .

This early announcement allows the collection and assures its arrival in ירושלים by ראש חודש ניסן.

The logic follows, that communities further away from ירושלים, would need to make that announcement and begin the collection much before ראש חודש אדר.

The גמרא mentions locations that the announcement was made ‘from the beginning of the winter’.

2 – Once the שקלים would arrive at the בית המקדש, it would be placed in 3 large bins or קופות.

3 times a year, an amount of שקלים would be removed from these large bins. as we will learn more in detail further on.

The three dates were 15 days before: פסח, שבועות and סוכות.

3 – We mentioned that although only half a שקל was given, the term used is שקל.

משמיעין על השקלים not משמיעין על חצי השקלים

Even our מסכתא is called שקלים and not מחצית השקל!

The Ramban explains that since the מחצית השקל  was what was needed to be every given every year, as time passed, the adopted name for the half Shekel, simply became ‘a ‘שקל. Meaning the giving of the half a שקל.

4 – Additionally the Ramban adds an interesting suggestion.

At the time there was a only a full Shekel (in Hebrew, or Sela in Targum) coin and Dinar coins. Four Dinar equaled   one Shekel/Sela. To give the מחצית השקל one would need to change a Shekel to 4 Dinar and give 2 Dinar for מחצית השקל.

This change, as we will learn further on, created a fee or commission that was paid to the money changer.

It is probable, says the Ramban, that during the second Beis HaMikdosh a special coin that had the value of a half a Shekel was minted.

A silver half shekel coin of the third year of the Great Revolt against Rome, minted in Jerusalem in 69 CE. (Israel Antiquities Authority/Tal Rogovski)

better image of same

The purpose was to make available a single coin to avoid the need of changing a full Shekel into 4 smaller Dinars.

This newly minted coin, with a value of only a half of a Shekel, was henceforth named Shekel. The original Shekel kept the name of a Sela – סלע.

5 – We repeated the story with the ‘Lost coin’.

Dani suggested this link in Hebrew.

https://www.hidush.co.il/hidush.asp?id=22316

In English here.

6 – Furthermore, continues the Ramban, when he moved to ארץ ישראל he found these two coins. A full Sela and a Shekel (half a Sela) which was used for מחצית השקל.

Sela coin, from the Bar Kochba revolt

This is how he describes the coins:

7 – For פרשת וירא we spoke about the amazing story with Reb Moshe Feinstein when he was a Rov in Luban in 1921.

In English, here.

BS”D

Shkolim 2a

Mar Cheshvan 9, 5784. October 24, 2023

1- We began with a general overview of the Talmud Yerushalmi.

• Completed or ‘sealed’ 100 years before the Bavli sealed.
• The cause for its early ‘closure’.
• How it differs from the Bavli. Language and structure.
• The issues with the various גרסאות.
• Why we generally follow the Bavli when it goes against a Yerushalmi ruling.
• When the Bavli leaves a question unanswered we follow the Yerushalmi.
• The ראשונים that didn’t have the Yerushalmi.
• The Rambam’s reliance on the Yerushalmi.

• Polemic if Rashi had all or just parts of the Yerushalmi.
• The manuscript that was found in the Cairo Geniza, a compendium of the הלכות of the ירושלמי, that seems to have been written by the Rambam.

Here is a great link for a book listing all the places the Bavli and Yeruhalmi disagree,

2- The famous letter of Rav Sherira Gaon which is the only source we have for many historical facts from the time of the Mishnah to the era of the גאונים. See here. Here.  Video presentation.

Page from Iggeres of R Sherira Gaon

3- We mentioned one example where we follow the ירושלמי despite the clear instructions from the בבלי. Megillah 31a.

The הפטורה on שמחת תורה.

Where as in בבלי us states quite clearly to say a potion of מלכים,

Most communities say the beginning of יהושע.

Tosfos is perplexed as to why we don’t follow the גמרא’s opinions, and says that it’s a mistake!

They then add that some say that Rav האי גאון ruled differently, but do not know the reason.

The Rosh points out that we follow the ירושלמי that the הפטורה should be the one from יהושע.

Interestingly, it’s not in ‘our’ ירשולמי that we possess!

4- Mentioned the הלכה of ‘marrying a great granddaughter’!

Whereas מן התורה one is permitted, מדרבנן us is prohibited.

The ירושלמי states that this prohibition goes on forever.

“אברהם אבינו cannot marry any woman of his descendants’

The Rambam says that the prohibition is just for a great granddaughter – it does not continue to her daughter.

See here AH 15, 12.

5-

And so we began….

באחד באדר משמיעין על השקלים

Discussed the very basic הלכה of the שקלים.

All the קרבנות brought from ראש חודש ניסן and on, had to be funded (only) from the ‘new collection’.

This means that even if there was a large surplus of cash left over from the previous year’s collection, that money cannot be used for the new קרבנות. We will see later on as to what was done with this surplus money.

Basically, ר”ח ניסן was the beginning of the fiscal year for the בית המקדש.

Hence the need to start announcing about the new collection on Rosh Chodesh Adar, 30 days prior to the new fiscal year to assure that the new קופה will be fully funded.

BS”D

Suka 56b -Siyum

M Cheshvan 2, 5784. October 17, 2023

1- Discussed the two opinions of the distribution of the 12 loaves of the לחם הפנים every Shabbos afternoon at the changing of the משמרות.

The חכמים say it was an even split. 6 for the outgoing משמר and 6 for the incoming משמר.

רבי יהודה says that is a 7 -5 split, with the incoming משמר receiving 7 and the outgoing one, only 5. The reason being that the incoming משמר ‘completed’ the work of the outgoing משמר by closing the doors Shabbos evening that were opened שבת morning by the outgoing משמר. This ‘extra’ work earned them another loaf.

The גמרא  points out that the sum total is the same. If one receives 6 this week (upon incoming)  and 6 next week (upon outgoing)  – that equals 12.

Ditto for taking 7 this week (upon incoming) and only 5 next week (upon outgoing) it also equals 12.

So why does Reb Yehuda say the split was 5 to 7?

אמר אביי בוצינא טבא מקרא

Literally translated: People will choose receiving a tiny vegetable now, while still growing, despite it being small, over a promise of receiving a large fully grown vegetable in the future.

In our vernacular: One in the hand is better than 2 in the bush.

So, we show the incoming  משמר, that their volunteering for the coming week is appreciated, by giving them 7 now. Not 6. Despite them knowing that next week, on the way out they will receive only 5.

2- We went on to finish BE”H the מסכתא that we began on December 5, 2019!

3- The tragic story of the girl that went astray, married a Greek goy and slammed the מזבח with her sandal.

לוקוס לוקוס עד מתי אתה מכלה ממונן של ישראל ואי אתה עומד עליהם בשעת הדחק

4- Spoke about the famous incredible Sicha of the Rebbe on Miryam bas Bilga.  ו’ תשרי תשל”ה.

Video with Hebrew subtitles. Here. English here.

Here. Here.

5- We discussed the equally incredible Sicha of the Rebbe two weeks later on שמחת תורה.

The Rebbe quite clearly said that his finding (on ו’ תשרי) some merit in what this unfortunate girl did, was to be מעלה her נשמה that has been unable to find its place for thousands of years!

He prefaced it with a story of the Alter Rebbe who similarly found a זכות for the killers of זכריה הנביא. By doing this he elevated their נשמות and subsequently the דיבוק of these people left the person they ‘infested’.

And The Rebbe concluded:

6- Spoke about the continuation of the Sicha explaining the Rambam in his letter (אגרת השמד ואגרת תימן) that  ירבעם בן נבט who is the symbol of the epitome of evil, will be judged (in addition to all his monster עבירות) for  also not performing the Mitzvah of עירוב תבשילין!

The Rebbe emphasized the flip side of the above, that even a small מצוה, performed by a ‘lowlife’ who has done  דבר שפל ביותר,  offers the opportunity for him to connect himself with הקב”ה.

Here are the incredible words:

6- We BE”H began מסכתא שקלים from the ירושלמי.

מחצית השקל

A מצוות  עשה and yet, most opinions say that there is no ברכה said on it.

We discussed briefly the תשובת הרשב”א that offers an explanation. (18)

The Rashba lays down many rules as when to make a ברכה or not.

Here are 2 rules:

1- A מצווה that may not be completed after the ברכה. Such as צדקה and other מתנות עניים.

One makes a ברכה, the receiver refuse it, and the ברכה is לבטלה!

So prior to giving צדקה  a ברכה is not made.

2- תרומה or מעשר and מחצית השקל. Why do we not make a ברכה? ‘Because you are not giving anything that belongs to you’!!

It belongs to the Kohen or the Beis Hamikdash to begin with.

We had a lively discussion as to why money of צדקה is, as it seems from the רשב”א, more ‘yours’ than מחצית השקל or תרומה.

To be continued.

BS”D

Suka 56a (2)

Tishrei 25, 5784. October 10, 2023

1- We continued the Sugya of the Brachos שהחיינו and לישב בסוכה – which one is said first.

‘חיובא דיומא’, – לישב בסוכה

vs.

שהחיינו – תדיר ושאינו תדיר – תדיר קודם.

2- The גמרא brings proof to both opinions from the distribution to the כהנים the  two types of breads on a Shabbos that is also חג השבועות.

On such an occasion, in addition to the weekly distribution of the לחם הפנים (which is a thick bread but not חמץ, and called מצה) there were an additional 2 breads, the שתי הלחם, (which were חמץ) that were also distributed.

Now, the rule is that there was no bartering allowed. Meaning that each כהן received a piece of both breads. Taking more of one in place of taking none of the other was not allowed.

The מצה was something baked and eventually eaten every week. The חמץ of the שתי הלחם on the other hand, was a once a year occurrence – on שבועות.

The fellow distributing the pieces of the two breads would say ‘here is a piece of this bread and here is a piece of the other bread’.

Which should he mention first? חמץ or מצה.

Here too we have a clash of what comes first.

If based on ‘חיובא דיומא’, meaning an item that is more associated and identifiable with this unique day, it follows that  – שבועות and חמץ שתי הלחם is more important than the   תדיר ושאינו תדיר – תדיר קודם, of the לחם הפנים. Thus the fellow should say ‘here is a piece of חמץ and here is a piece of the מצה’.

If however, תדיר ושאינו תדיר – תדיר קודם is more important than ‘חיובא דיומא’, the fellow should say ‘here is a piece of מצה and here is a piece of חמץ.

The גמרא concludes that there are actually two opinions on what the fellow used to say!

3- We discussed as to why we switch the order of  שהחיינו and לישב בסוכה on the second night.

4- We finished with the fascinating Rogatchover about the פר העלם דבר that was brought as a result of the not observing יום כיפור at the חנוכת הבית of the first בית המקדש.

סמיכה על פר העלם דבר של ציבור, איור מתנ”ך שנת 1890

Our גמרא is perhaps proof to this original idea.

We spoke about this at the Sukkos Shiur in 2014.

Here are some of the cryptic notes.

————————

הושענא רבה, תשע”ד

 פר העלם דבר

רגצ’ובי

גמרא מו”ק ט,א.  – דאחיל ליה

http://hebrewbooks.org/shas.aspx?mesechta=12&daf=9&format=pdf

יומא פ,א. עינוי לא הותר מכללו..

http://beta.hebrewbooks.org/shas.aspx?mesechta=6&daf=81&format=pdf

הוריות ג,א. קהל רק בארץ ישראל.

http://beta.hebrewbooks.org/shas.aspx?mesechta=28&daf=3&format=pdf

נ”ך מלכים א, ח, סה

http://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14263&st=&pgnum=102

http://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14263&st=&pgnum=103

לפי”ז התחיל החנוכה ביום ח תשרי. ח ט י יא יב יג יד, ואח”כ התחיל חג הסוכות טו טז יז יח יט כ כא, וביום השמיני – היינו שמ”ע כב תשרי, שלח את העם והם עזבו רק ביום כג תשרי.

הרעיון

http://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1086&st=&pgnum=315

http://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1086&st=&pgnum=316

הוספות לאחר זמן :

1- ויש להביא ראי’ לזה מסוכה נו, א. שמשמר שיו”ט חל בשבוע שלו היו מקריבין כל קרבנות…ושאר קרבנות ציבור. לאתויי מאי? לאתוי פר העלם דבר.

ובפירוש רש”י אם אירע ברגל!

2- מפורש בגמרא שרבי אליעזר ראה טיפות דם על הפרוכת. יומא נז, א. ומוקי לי’ בדם של פה”ד. עיי”ש בתוס שמה שראה היתה הפרוכת של בית ראשון. עיי”ש בתוס’. [כח סיון תשפ”א]

BSD

Sukkah 56a

Tishrei 11, 5784. September 26, 2023

Some topics discussed.

1- Continue the topic of the משמרות.

The Gemara in תענית  identifies the משמר that was working the week of the חורבן.

אמרו כשחרב בית המקדש בראשונה אותו היום ערב תשעה באב היה ומוצאי שבת היה ומוצאי שביעית היתה ומשמרתה של יהויריב היתה והלוים היו אומרי׳ שירה ועומדין על דוכנם ומה שירה היו אומרים {תהלים צ״ד:כ״ג} וישב עליהם את אונם וברעתם יצמיתם ולא הספיקו לומר יצמיתם ה׳ אלהינו עד שבאו נכרים וכבשום וכן

בשניה.

2 – The allocation of the עבודה year round and on the שלש רגלים.

• All year it was one משמר per week exclusively.
• The basic rule is that all עבודות that were added because of the particular Yom Tov (מוספין) were divided by a גורל to all כהנים.
• As to the regular עבודות, not specific to יום טוב, the current משמר had the exclusive.
• During Peasch and Shvu’os all Kohanim entered a lottery to participate in the קרבנות החג. .
• On Sukkos, as per the previous משנה , it was divided more or less equally, to all 24 משמרות.

3 – The uniqueness of the  לחם הפנים that was baked on Friday, placed on the שולחן on Shabbos and consumed the following שבת.

Despite it being a weekly occurrence and not directly associated with Yom Tov, it was nevertheless allocated to all כהנים that came to the בית המקדש on Yom Tov.

4- Discussed if there is an עבודה associated with the לחם הפנים? The baking? The placing it on the שולחן?

From Rashi it seems that it is indeed an עבודה but not from the שבת that it was eaten but rather from the prior week.

5- We jumped ahead and discussed the story of the next and final Daf of Sukkah with Miryam bas Bilgah.

Every Lubavitcher is familiar with the famous Sicha of the Rebbe concerning the cry of the girl ‘Lukas Lukas’.

See here. Other links here.

As we shall see IY”H when we finish Sukkah, there is another story as to why the משמר of Bilgah was punished.

They always came late! On the Shabbos of their משמר, they would arrive after the scheduled time for the ‘changing of the משמר  guard’ showing a disrespect for the עבודה.

קראצערס or procrastinators

6- We began the סוגיא of the ברכות we say Sukkos night. לישב בסוכה ושהחיינו.

Which is said first?

7- We repeated what we discussed at the beginning of Sukkah 3a about women saying Gut Shabbos to their husbands when they come back from Shul. This allows them to be יוצא  Kiddush since, saying Gut Shabbos, they are also on a דרבנן level similar to their husbands.

Gut Shabbos and Gut Yom Tov to all.

BSD

 Sukkah 55b

Tishrei 4, 5784. September 19, 2023

Short notes:

1- Our משנה describes the משמרות and their allocations for the קרבנות on Sukkos.

We discussed the overall concept for the establishment of the משמרות. It is a logical idea, as the Rambam writes, to avoid chaos.

With the many Kohanim all wanting to do the עבודה, a system had to be set up organizing them into families or groups and designating the week for their עבודה.

משה רבינו -2 established 8 groups or משמרות and דוד ושמואל הנביא expanded them into 24 משמרות, rotating continuously with one משמר working per week. Each משמר was itself divided into 6 or 7 בית אב.

Divrei Hayamim 1.  24, 7-18 :

3 – All throughout the year, only members of that particular משמר would do the   עבודה that week.

However on Yom Tov, for the קרבנות that were unique for that Yom Tov, all Kohanim would enter into a lottery.

We touched briefly if this division is a מצוה or a תקנת נביאים.

רמב”ם ורמב”ן

For many years after the חורבן many Kohanim knew what משמר they belonged to.

Our Mishna describes the קרבנות of סוכות and the system used thus allowing all משמרות to take part in their עבודה.

We discussed the topic of a Kohen that knows today what his משמר is, and knows that this is his משמר’s week or day, is prohibited to drink wine all that week or day.

Why?

The בית המקדש may be rebuilt momentarily and he will be called to do the עבודה and will be disqualified due to his drunkenness!

רמב”ם ביאת המקדש א, ז.

4- Mentioned the fascinating take of the Rebbe on this idea of כהנים not drinking wine because the בית המקדש will be built instantly.

If a Kohen drinks a רביעית of wine he cannot do he עבודה.

Now, to shake off the influence of the alcohol content in a רביעית, one would need to wait  the time it takes to walk a מיל. This short period is sufficient to be considered sober. That is under a 24 minute stroll.

תענית · יז א

רבי אומר אומר אני כהנים אסורין לשתות יין לעולם אבל מה אעשה שתקנתו קלקלתו ואמר אביי כמאן שתו האידנא כהני חמרא

כרבי מכלל דרבנן אסרי מ”ט מהרה יבנה בית המקדש ובעינן כהן הראוי לעבודה וליכא הכא אפשר דמספר ועייל אי הכי שתוי יין נמי אפשר דגני פורתא ועייל כדרמי בר אבא דאמר רמי בר אבא ^אדרך מיל ושינה כל שהוא מפיגין את היין לאו מי איתמר עלה אמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה ^בלא שנו אלא כששתה שיעור רביעית

So basically, this הלכה is saying that a Kohen (who knows his family’s lineage and  his  משמר) is prohibited from drinking wine because within less than 24 minutes, the בית המקדש is rebuilt in ירושלים, and he, this כהן , is also transported there and may be called to do the עבודה!!!!

  618 , לקוטי שיחות חלק ב

5- We mentioned that the 24 משמרות was a tradition that many families of  כהנים kept on identifying with for hundreds of years after the חורבן הבית.

See here.

A גמר חתימה טובה to all.

BS”D

 Suka 55a

Elul 26, 5783. September 12, 2023

Our גמרא enumerates the six songs that were sung in the בית המקדש on the 6 days of חול המועד סוכות. Rashi writes at length the association of the פסוקי תהילים of each song and its association with Sukkos.

Day 1 – Song 1   הבו לה’ בני אלים

Day 2 – Song 2   ולרשע אמר

Day 3 – Song 3  מי יקום לי עם מרעים

Day 4 – Song 4  בינו בוערים בעם

Day 5 – Song 5  הסירותי מסבל שכמו

Day 6 – Song 6  ימוטו כל מוסדי ארץ

If one of these 6 days happen to occur on Shabbos, then only the שיר of שבת is sung.

What do we do on Sunday?

Say if day 3, for example, is on a Shabbos, when the scheduled song 3 is replaced by שיר של שבת, the order for Sunday and on, can be set in two ways.

Option A: אביי

Just skip the song that was omitted on Shabbos. The reasoning is that on day 4, it’s more fitting to sing ‘song 4’ and continue until the end in the proper order.

Using this system, Song 3 is not said that year.

Thursday Day 1 – Song 1

Friday Day 2 – Song 2

Shabbos Day 3 – שיר של יום השבת (song 3 is skipped)

Monday Day 4 – Song 4

Tuesday Day 5 – Song 5

Thursday Day 6 – Song 5

Song 3 is not said that year.

Option B is another logical method.

רבא

We move the entire order ahead by one day.  Meaning that the order of the six is bumped ahead.

To clarify – Option B  means that on Sunday, the skipped שיר of yesterday (because of Shabbos) is sung on Sunday. This results in the song of the sixth day not being said at all.

Thursday Day 1 – Song 1

Friday Day 2 – Song 2

Shabbos Day 3 – שיר של יום השבת

Sunday Day 4 – Song 3

Monday Day 5 – Song 4

Thursday Day 6 – Song 5

Song 6 is bumped and is not said.

Our גמרא accepts רבא‘s opinion – Option B.

2- The above sounds simple enough but this logic is used in other areas of Halacha.

We discussed a few examples.

The first one to use the above logic is the מגן אברהם.

The Ashkenazik Minhag is to say different יוצרות on the first 2 nights of Sukkos. On Shabbos, יוצרות are not said.

So what is said on the second night? The לבוש says that the יוצר for the first night is said. However, in Pozen they say the one for the second night.

Customs of the community of Posen, with a collection of the unique nussach of liturgy as recited in the kehilla of Posen and surrounding areas. Includes special Selichos for the fifth of Av, marking the date when calamities occurred in Posen. Seemingly printed in Posen during the tenure of R. Akiva Eiger as Rav.

Comments the מגן אברהם , as per our גמרא’s conclusion that option B is the right way to go, it follows that on the second night we should say the יוצר for the first night, unlike the מנהג  of Pozen.

See here 642, 1.

3 – Another example is from the פנים מאירות. Volume 2, 126.  He applies the above to the following case.

If 2 people were hired to blow the שופר  for the two days of ראש השנה. One for the fiרst day, the other for day 2.

In a year like this one, when the first day is Shabbos, who gets to blow the שופר on Sunday?

Option A would say the fellow that was hired for the first day lost his turn.

However if we follow option B, the first day ‘blozer’ is moved over to Sunday! The designated Sundry בעל תוקע will need to wait until next year….

4 – We mentioned another example from Reb Chaim Palagi.

שו״ת חיים ביד להגר״ח פלאג׳י (סימן עה)

A family followed the מנהג to give סנדקאות for the first born to the father’s father and the second to mother’s father. What happened  is that that the father’s father was unable to attend the ברית  of the בכור.

When the second son was born, both sides wanted the סנדקאות.

Who is right? The father’s father, because he was unable to attend, his זכות moved over to the next oneץ  or did he miss his turn?

5 – Discussed the interesting mnemonics of  הומבה”י and הומהב”י.

6  – We discussed other topics and concluded with the famous רא”ש that brings the opinion of the גאונים strictly forbidding fasting on ראש השנה.

ראש השנה פרק יד

The פסוקים he brings are from the first years of the בית שני.

On ראש השנה, after hearing the מוסר from עזרא. people were sad and cried. נחמיה ט

וַיֹּאמֶר נְחֶמְיָה הוּא הַתִּרְשָׁתָא וְעֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן הַסֹּפֵר וְהַלְוִיִּם הַמְּבִינִים אֶת הָעָם לְכָל הָעָם הַיּוֹם קָדֹשׁ הוּא לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אַל תִּתְאַבְּלוּ וְאַל תִּבְכּוּ כִּי בוֹכִים כָּל הָעָם כְּשָׁמְעָם אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה.

And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people: ‘This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep.’ For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.

Ezra then tells them to be happy on ראש השנה.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לְכוּ אִכְלוּ מַשְׁמַנִּים וּשְׁתוּ מַמְתַקִּים וְשִׁלְחוּ מָנוֹת לְאֵין נָכוֹן לוֹ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ הַיּוֹם לַאֲדֹנֵינוּ וְאַל תֵּעָצֵבוּ כִּי חֶדְוַת יְהוָה הִיא מָעֻזְּכֶם.

Then he said unto them: ‘Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be grieved; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’

What does :’ send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared’ mean

Now who doesn’t have prepared food for ראש השנה?

The גמרא in [ ביצה [טו,ב says it means someone that didn’t make an עירוב תבשילין.

Says the רא”ש, the פשוטו of the פסוק means to say that some people were fasting on ראש השנה and had nothing to eat! And Ezra instructs them not to fast.

Indeed, that is the הלכה not to fast on ראש השנה. OC 696.

כתיבה וחתימה טובה לכל המשתתפים בשיעור ולכל בני ישראל.

BSD

Sukkah 54b-55a

Elul 19, 5783. September 5, 2023

Brief notes on the topics we discussed:

1 – Yom Kippur occurring on Friday or Sunday. Based on our set calendar this cannot happen.

 (לא אד”ו ראש)

The calendar we use was set up by Reb Hillel II, approximately in the year 4119 or year 359 CE. [AKA as the Common Error….]

Even before the establishment of our calendar, when Rosh Chodesh was based upon actually seeing the new moon, some say that it never happened  for Yom Kippur to fall out on Friday or Sunday.

Others say it did and have multiple Mishnayos supporting their opinion.

2 – These ‘others’ are called the “אחרים” in our גמרא. That is a code name for Reb Meir, who says that although it’s a mitzvah to do both – come to testify the sighting of the new moon and for the בית דין to deliberate if to accept this testimony, the calendar was always uniform.

Tos., Sotah 12a

One month had 30 day and the next had only 29 days, the one following had 30 and the next 29. This never changed. Thus Yom Kippur did occasionally occur on Friday or on Sunday.

3 – The obvious question: if this system was set in stone, 30, 29, 30, 29 there would be no need to send out  שלוחין to notify when ראש חודש was established. Once one had a starting point it would follow a steady pattern to eternity! There never was a doubt if the month had 29 or 30 days.

Berel M phrased it better: Why was there a יום טוב שני של גלויות?

4- So far the only one we found that raises this question is the פני יהושע in ראש השנה.

18, a.

במשנה על ששה חדשים השלוחין יוצאין. ולכאורה אתיא הך מתניתין דלא כאחרים דלדידהו אין בין שנה לשנה אלא ד׳ ימים בלבד ולעולם כל החדשים א׳ מלא וא׳ חסר  א״כ מה צורך לשלוחים וזה תימא גדול דהיאך שייך פלוגתא בדבר ידוע שהיו עושין תמיד בכל שנה ושנה ששה פעמים. וליכא למימר שלא נשנית משנה זו דשלוחין אלא לאחר שנקבע הלכה דלא כאחרים. הא ליתא שהרי אף בזמן הבית היו רגילין לשלוח שלוחים כדקתני מתניתין ואחרים בתר הכי דרי דרי הוי והדרא קושיא לדוכתא דלא אשכחן פלוגתא בדבר מפורסם כזה וכדפריך הש״ס להדיא בכמה דוכתי מכדי ברכות והבדלות אנשי כנסת הגדולה תקנינהו ליחזו היאך תקנו והיינו משום דלא שייך פלוגתא בכה״ג בדבר קבוע ומפורסם

To be continued.

5 – Our גמרא discusses the various ways that visitors in the בית המקדש would realize that the בית דין had established that today as ראש חודש.

5 – We mentioned the Munkatcher’s (original and retraction) concerning a  few words in Rashi.

ואף על פי כן אינן נמנעים מלשמוח שמחת מלכם

Originally he wrote that they were written by the censor. He subsequently changed his mind and concluded that Rashi did indeed write these words.

BSD

 Suka 54a-b

Elul 12, 5783. August 29, 2023

1 – We continued with the chart of the various scenarios of the תקיעות במקדש.

See below.

Coin from the era of Bar Kochba, with the two Trumpets

מטבע מתקופת בר כוכבא עליו חרוטות שתי חצוצרות. צילום: פרץ הכהן

2 – In general – These sounds were made with (2 or more) חצוצרות – trumpets, as it says:

וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַתְכֶם וּבְמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם וּבְרָאשֵׁי חָדְשֵׁיכֶם וּתְקַעְתֶּם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת עַל עֹלֹתֵיכֶם

וְעַל זִבְחֵי שַׁלְמֵיכֶם וְהָיוּ לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם:  (במדבר פרק י פסוק י)

Additionally, they were accompanied with the sound of the שופר as is says:

בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר הָרִיעוּ לִפְנֵי׀ הַמֶּלֶךְ ה’: (תהלים פרק צח פסוק ו)

3 – In addition to these תקיעות on a daily basis, Shabbos and Yom Tov, there were two more occasions when תקיעות would be blown:

a-  On ראש השנה, as there is a separate Mitzvah of תקיעת שופר. The שופר would be accompanied by trumpets as well, but the emphasis would be on the שופר. They would both be blown at the same time but the shoar’s sound would continue after the trumpets stopped.

שׁוֹפָר שֶׁל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה שֶׁל יָעֵל, פָּשׁוּט, וּפִיו מְצֻפֶּה זָהָב, וּשְׁתֵּי חֲצוֹצְרוֹת מִן הַצְּדָדִין. שׁוֹפָר מַאֲרִיךְ וַחֲצוֹצְרוֹת מְקַצְּרוֹת, שֶׁמִּצְוַת הַיּוֹם בַּשּׁוֹפָר.

b – On fast days the emphasis would be on the trumpets.

בַּתַּעֲנִיּוֹת, בְּשֶׁל זְכָרִים, כְּפוּפִין, וּפִיהֶן מְצֻפֶּה כֶסֶף, וּשְׁתֵּי חֲצוֹצְרוֹת בָּאֶמְצַע. שׁוֹפָר מְקַצֵּר וַחֲצוֹצְרוֹת מַאֲרִיכוֹת, שֶׁמִּצְוַת הַיּוֹם בַּחֲצוֹצְרוֹת.

Mishna RH 26b.

4 – Our גמרא discusses the masses that came to the בית המקדש on ערב פסח to bring their קרבן פסח. They were divided into 3 groups/shifts  –  כתות ,  and recited הלל during the time the כהנים would bring their personal קרבן פסח.

The length of each shift allowed the saying of הלל three times. The 3rd shift would be the smallest and הלל would not be finished the full 3 times.

5- We began to discuss what the Rebbe wrote in his הגדה של פסח that it was the לויים that recited the הלל and not, as it seems, the ישראלים that made up the majority of participants of each shift.

Will continue next week with the correspondence between the Rebbe and Rav Shlomo Yosef Zevin on this topic.