Daf Yomi DafYomi Daf-Yomi: 2006-07-30

Sefer Nasiach B'chukecha and Mayim Rabim - By: Rabbi Avi Lebowitz

"Nasiach B’chukecha" is a commentary on Klal 68 of the Chayei Adam. In this section, the Chayei Adam gives a brief synopsis of many mitzvah principles such as: osek b'mitzva patur min hamitzvah, hidur mitzvah, mitzvah haba'ah b'aveira, mitzvos tzrichos kavana, bal tosif....

In his newest sefer Nasiach B'chukecha, Rabbi Avi Lebowitz (Rosh Kollel of the Palo Alto Kollel - Jewish Study Network) culls from the many works of the Rishonim and Gedolei Achronim to expound upon, elucidate and analyze the principles discussed by the Chayei Adam. His commentary are written both as footnotes and as additions of specific rules within each category.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Daf Yomi - Yoma 59 Lekavod Shabbos

The Gemara states that everyone agrees that wherever the applications of blood on the corners of the mizbeiach are completed, from there the Kohen Gadol would proceed to apply his seven sprinklings on the roof of the mizbeiach. The reason for this is because it is said וטהרו וקדשו
and he shall [thereby] purify [the Inner Altar] and sanctify it. This implies that in the place where he sanctified it with applications on its corners, there he should purify it with applications on its top. Many times we find that קדושה, holiness, is associated with טהרה purity. Prior to receiving the Torah, which is referred to as טהורה, pure, the Jewish People had to make themselves holy. The same idea is reflected in Shabbos. In order for one to experience the holiness of Shabbos, one has to purify himself, which is accomplished by immersing in the mikveh and ridding himself from all mundane thoughts. Only then can one truly experience the holiness of Shabbos.

For more inspiring thoughts about Shabbos and other topics, visit www.torahthoughts.com

POST # 100 (Less than a Month!) Daf Yomi - Yoma 59 - Prosecutors and Defenders do not Mix

The Gemora learns from a passuk that blood is given for atonement and not for מעילה (using hekdesh for your own purpose). There is an argument in the rishonim if this is only an exclusion for the obligation to bring a korban, yet there will be a transgression or it is excluded completely.

Reb Yosef Engel brings a Meiri that explains this halacha. Sprinkling of the blood on the mizbeach is a סניגור - a defender for Klal Yisroel. The sin of מעילה is akin to a קטיגור - a prosecutor and hence the two cannot mix.

שערים מצויינים בהלכה brings a similar illustration to this. The Gemora stated above (20) that in a year there are 365 days and השטן has a numerical value of 364 to signify that the Satan does not have permission to prosecute or act against Klal Yisroel on Yom Kippur which is the ultimate day of atonement. The two cannot mix.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Daf Yomi - Yoma 58 - Chidush regarding Parshas Shekalim

If Parshas Hachodesh and Parshas Shekalim come out concurrently, the halacha is to read Hachodesh first based on the rule that whichever is more frequent takes precedence. Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank brings a proof from a Tosfos on daf 33 that the rule of אין מעבירין takes preference over the rule of תדיר קודם. Therefore, he posits, that if it would be on the week of Parshas Tetzaveh, which the subsuquent parsha is Ki Sisa (which is the parsha we lain for Shekalim), then we would read Shekalim first based on the rule of אין מעבירין.

I wonder if this is true only if you are laining from one sefer or does he mean even if there would be different seforim?

Daf Yomi - Yoma 58 - Ein Maavirin, but the Possuk Teaches Differently

In Shulchan Aruch, it is stated clearly that if one picks up his tefillin shel rosh first, he must put them down and don the shel yad first. The Magen Avrohom explains that even though there is a rule אין מעבירין על המצות - we do not pass over a mitzva, there is a possuk in the Torah that says the tefillin shel yad should be worn first. The Ohr Hayoshor brings a proof to this reasoning from our Gemora. In truth, the kohen should place the blood on the corner of the mizbeach that he reaches first, however the passuk of ויצא אל המזבח teaches us that he should pass by the mizbeach completely and then sprinkle the blood. It is evident from here that a לימוד from a passuk takes precedence to the rule of אין מעבירין.

Daf Yomi - Yoma 58 - Holding the Tray by Kiddush

The Gemora has a shaila if the kohen put one basin inside another in order to receive the blood, is this considered דרך שירות - a proper manner of performing the avodah or not. The Gemora concludes that it is. In שערים מצויינים בהלכה, he wants to be מחדש a דין according to this. The halacha is that one is obligated to hold the cup while reciting kiddush. If one holds the tray which is holding the כוס, that would be sufficient, based on the conclusion of our Gemora. The Gemora in Chagiga compares the table of a person to the Beis Hamikdash, so it should follow that the halachos are similar.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

NOTICE

Posts are up for Daf 56 and 57. Please notice also that we have three posts from David Farkas on the sidebar (some of you, it may be on the bottom - but I hope not) on Megillas Eicha. There is also a post by Rafi G. from Eretz Yisroel on what special meaning kinnos can have for us today. They can also be found at http:// I am not a posek, but some of what is written there can probably be looked at even when it is forbidden to learn. Our tefillos are that we should be zoche to yeshuos v'nechomos and we shall merit to see binyon habayis b'korov. Amen.

Daf Yomi - Yoma 57 - Connection to Eicha

It seems noteworthy to mention that daf 57, which is the daf we were to learn on Tisha B'Av has a little רמז to תשעה באב. Rebbe Yirmiya stated that the people who live in Bavel are fools - for they live in a dark land, they say over gloomy statements. The Gemora in Sanhedrin brings the passuk in Eicha במחשכים הושיבני and expounds it to mean that it is referring to Talmud Bavli.

Daf Yomi - Yoma 57 - One and Seven

Dr. Berkowitz from our Daf Yomi Shiur told me over from the Sefer Gachalei Eish that the concept behind the 'one and seven' is based on the Gemora in Sukkah that the yetzer hora has seven names and the yetzer tov is the one למעלה which should be superior than the seven למטה.

Daf Yomi - Yoma 57 - Peroches in Rome

Reb Elozar stated that he was in Rome and he saw the peroches with the blood on it. Tosfos (in his first answer)proves that this is referring to the first Beis Hamikdosh and the peroches that was seen was the one by the entranceway by the wall separating the Kodesh from the Kodesh Kodoshim.

Sfas Emes asks that if so, how was it found in Rome? Nevuchadnetzer from Bavel destroyed the first Beis Hamikdosh? He answers that when Koresh returned all the כלים, he probably returned the peroches as well and the Romans took it when they destroyed the second Beis Hamikdosh.

Daf Yomi - Yoma 56 - Rishonim said אתה כוננת

The Gemora relates that there was one who said over a certain version of the order of the kohen gadolon Yom kippur. the Gemora asks on it and corrects the version. This way is the way it is said in the nusach of אתה כוננת which is nusach sfard. The Ritva says this explicitly that this was the nusach that was said. שערים מצויינים בהלכה quotes Rashi and Tosfos that they also said אתה כוננת which is a bit odd, considering that their main nusach was אשכנז.

The Noda Beyehudah's son (113) brings down different proofs that even though something might have been recited in one of the Tefilos, we cannot bring a proof from there as to what the halacha is. One of the proofs is from our Gemora which stated that the version which was said over in front of Rava was half like the רבנן and half like רבי יהודה. I'm not sure of the proof, because that was precisely the Gemora's קשיא and the Gemora was forced to change due to that, so if anything it is a proof the other way?

Monday, July 31, 2006

Daf Yomi - Yoma 55 - Twentyone or 'One and Twenty?'

The Gemora states that in some cities they count by mentioning the single digit before the ten's digit - one and twenty and in other cities the custom was in reverse - twenty and then one. This is what caused the difference in the counting by the sprinkling of the blood. It is ruled in Shulchan Aruch (in relevance to contracts) that regarding days of the month, it should be written 'one and twenty' and the reverse regarding the years. Why? I'm not sure. (It does say that if it is reversed, it nevertheless is kosher.)

Tosfos Yeshanim writes that in the Torah we find both ways. What is the explanation of that?

Daf Yomi - Yoma 55 - Kapores.... Thick or High?

Reb Dovid Meyers in his Sefer מלאכת המשכן וכליו poses a shaila if the kapores was one tefach high, but was not solid or was a solid tefach thick. He attempts to bring a proof from our Gemora which states that the kohen gadol would not sprinkle on the kapores, rather כנגד עוביה של כפרת and the word עוביה generally denotes a thickness and not just a height. However, he quotes Rabbeinu Chananel who had a version in our Gemora כנגד טפחא של כפרת.The interested scholar should analyze his sefer on page 74.

Daf Yomi - 54 - The Badim

The Gemara states that although the בדים did not show on the outside, they stuck out and protruded into the curtain. The Gemara quotes the passuk in Shir HaShirim that states צרור המור דודי לי בין שדי ילין. It is noteworthy that the Aron was carried by the בדים, which represents תלמידי חכמים, and another passuk in Shir HaShirim states שני שדיך כשני עפרים תאומי צביה, and the Medrash interprets this to be referring to Moshe and Aharon, the two leaders of בני ישראל. It is also worth noting that according to one opinion in Chazal, Korcah was from those who carried the Aron itself. Korach wished to unseat Moshe and Aharon who were the "carriers" of the Torah.

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Daf Yomi - Yoma 54 - Impure thoughts in the Beis Hamikdosh

The Gemora states that the keruvim embraced each other like a זכר ונקבה. The Sheorim Metzuyanim B'halacha brings down from the Minchas Elozar and others that in the Beis Hamikdosh, they were not concerned about הרהור - impure thoughts.

My assumption is that Reb Yochanan ben Zakkai instituted a balcony to separate the men and women because of intermingling and not because of thought.

Daf Yomi - Keruvim Embracing at the time of the Churban

Why were the keruvim facing each other at the time of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh if the Gemora in Bava Basra taught us that when Klal Yisroel were not doing the will of Hashem, the keruvim turned away from each other?

Please see Daf Notes Discussion for five answers.

http://

Daf Yomi - Yoma 53 - Stone, not the Aron

Would the kohen gadol be required to walk backwards in the times of the second Beis Hamikdosh, when there was only the stone there and not the Aron?

Daf Yomi - Yoma 53 - Walking Backwards when the Rebbe is Blind

Rashi states that Rav Yosef was blind. The Sfas Emes comments that it would seem from here that there is an obligation to walk backwards away from your Rebbe even if he cannot see you. He points out that from a Gemora previously, it is evident that this would not be the case. The Gemora states that one should walk backwards until the Rebbe can't see him anymore. This proves that if the Rebbe is blind, one doesn't have to walk backwards at all.

It would seem to me that there can be a distinction. There is always an obligation to walk backwards as the student must respect his Rebbe and that is regardless if the Rebbe can see him or not. However, the requirement is only until you are out of sight. If the Rebbe is blind, the talmid should walk backwards for a moment to fulfill his obligation and then he can walk regularly. (This is just a sevara, not halacha.)

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