ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS

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prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler of Kollel Iyun Hadaf

daf@dafyomi.co.il, www.dafyomi.co.il

Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld

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BERACHOS 34

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BERACHOS 34

12TH CYCLE:

(23 Adar II) - The material produced for this Daf has been dedicated in loving memory of Moshe Simcha ben David Z"L Rubner in honor of the day of his Yahrzeit. Sponsored by his parents, David and Zahava Rubner of Petach Tikva, Israel.

1) click for question

(a) Should a Chazen makes a mistake in the middle of Chazaras ha'Shatz, and one is asked to continue with Chazaras ha'Shatz, he should not refuse, since it is disrespectful to cause a break in the middle of the Amidah.

(b) The second Chazan resumes the Amidah at the beginning of the Berachah where the first Chazan erred.

(c) The Chazan should not answer 'Amen' at the end of each Pasuk of Birchas Kohanim, as well as at the end of the first Berachah (see next question).

(d) A Chazan who is a Kohen, is permitted to Duchen if he is sure that he will not become confused in his Tefilah (and this condition applies too, to the previous Halachah).

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(a) Someone who is asked to Daven before the Amud, should first refuse, then hesitate and finally, at the third request, he should go to the Amud.

(b) Someone who ...

1. ... does not refuse at all - is compared to a cooked dish without salt.

2. ... refuses excessively - to a dish which is over-salted.

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(a) Someone who errs in the first three Berachos, must begin the Amidah again; and in the last three, to 'Retzei'.

(b) According to Rav Asi, someone who makes a mistake in the middle Berachos, just begins that Berachah there and then (see Tosfos, DH 'Emtza'yos').

(c) When the Tana speaks of 'the beginning of the Berachah by which the first Chazan erred', he could well mean 'Ata Chonen' (if the mistake occurred in the middle Berachos), since all the middle Berachos are considered as one. Consequently, the Mishnah does not clash with Rav Huna (who says that one is obligated to go back to the beginning of 'Ata Chonen') at all.

(d) The first three Berachos are like someone who arranges the King's praises, and the last three, like someone who has just received his basic needs from the King, and is thanking him before taking his leave.

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(a) Moshe Rabeinu Davened a Tefilah for forty days and he Davened a Tefilah of five words. Who can Daven longer than forty days or shorter than five words? In that case, how can a Tefilah ever be too long or too short (on principle)?

(b) We also learn from "Keil Na, Refa Na Lah", that when one Davens on behalf of a person in the person's presence, he is not obligated to mention his name, but simply Davens on behalf of 'him' or 'her'.

(c) One may bow down during any Berachah in the Amidah, provided it is not at the beginning or at the end of the Berachah (other than at the two beginnings and the two ends fixed by Chazal).

(d)

1. The Kohen Gadol bows down at the beginning and at the end of every Berachah.

2. The King bows down once - at the commencement of the Amidah, and he remains in a bowing position until the conclusion of the Amidah.

34b----------------------------------------34b

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(a) 'Kidah' means bowing down on one's face; 'Keri'ah' means kneeling, and 'Hishtachavayah', bowing down with one's arms and legs outstretched and face to the ground.

(b) When Abaye and Rava bowed down, they did not stretch out their arms and legs, but turned on their sides. They did this, the Gemara explains in Megilah - because a great man should not bow down on his face, unless (like Yehoshua bin Nun) he is sure to be answered.

(c) The two Hoda'os during which the Beraisa prohibits kneeling - are the "Hodu la'Hashem Ki Tov" of Hallel, and the second Berachah of Bensching.

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(a) If a Chazan errs during Chazaras ha'Shatz, it is a bad sign for the community on whose behalf he is Davening, because 'the Sheli'ach of a person is like himself'.

(b) Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa knew that the sick person was destined to survive - if his (Rebbi Chanina's) Tefilah on his behalf came out fluently, and he knew that he would not survive - if it did not.

(d) Kavanah is imperative during the first Berachah.

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(a) The prophets directed their prophesies about the ultimate rewards towards someone who married off his daughter to a Talmid-Chacham, who did business with Talmid-Chachamim and who benefited Talmidei-Chachamim with their property.

(b) "Ayin Lo Ra'asah Elokim Zulasecha" refers to the Talmidei Chachamim themselves. Their reward is inconceivable.

(d) Shmuel maintains that nothing will change in the time of Mashi'ach, other than that the nations of the world will no longer have jurisdiction over us. He applies the Pasuk "Ki Lo Yechdal Evyon mi'Kerev ha'Aretz" - not even in the days of Mashi'ach.

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(a) If the Pasuk "Ayin Lo Ra'asah" etc., refers to complete Tzadikim, says Rebbi Yochanan, then the prophets must have been referring to Ba'alei Teshuvah.

(b) Rebbi Avahu learns from the Pasuk "Shalom Shalom la'Rachok" etc., that Hash-m first gives 'Shalom' to those who have come from far (the Ba'alei Teshuvah), and only then to those who were always near. So we see that Ba'alei Teshuvah are dearer to Hash-m than those who were 'Frum from birth'.

(c) According to Rebbi Yochanan, "Rachok" means those who were far from sin, and "Karov", those who were close to sin; in which case, those who were 'Frum from birth' are mentioned first.

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(a) Adam ha'Rishon lived in Gan Eden, not in Eden. The proof that these are two different locations lies in the Pasuk in Bereishis "ve'Nahar Yotzei mei'Eden, le'Hashkos es ha'Gan". Consequently, "Ayin, Lo Ra'asah" etc. can still refer to the pleasures of Olam ha'Ba.

(b) According to the first interpretation of the Pasuk "Ayin" etc. (in this context), 'the pleasures of Olam ha'Ba' refers to wine that has been preserved inside the grapes since the Creation, and which nobody has ever yet experienced.

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(a) Rebbi Chanina went up to the attic, and prayed on behalf of Rabban Gamliel's son, even before the Talmidei-Chachamim arrived to ask him to do so.

(b) When Rebbi Chanina informed the Talmidei-Chachamim that his fever had subsided, and that he knew about his improved condition only on account of the fluency of his prayers (insinuating that he had no hand in the actual healing), they recorded the exact time of his prayer, and went to check with Rabban Gamliel what time his son had recovered. They discovered that the time of the miraculous recovery tallied with the time that Rebbi Chanina Ben Dosa had prayed for his recovery (from which it was evident that it was on the merits of Rebbi Chanina's prayers that Rabban Gamliel's son was cured).

(c) Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai figured that if he were to place his head between his knees all day long (a sign of humility, and a strategy commonly used in prayer in those days), his prayers would not be answered.

(d) Nevertheless, it does not follow from there that Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa was greater than him in the eyes of Hash-m, because whereas he was like a minister before the King (who requires express permission to gain entry to the King's inner-chambers, Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa was like a servant, who is permitted entry to the King whenever he pleases. Does this mean that the servant is more important than the Prime-Minister?

11) click for question

(a) Rav Kahana considers it a Chutzpah to Daven in an open place, because the Fear of Hash-m (an important prerequisite to Tefilah) is more prone to develop when a person Davens in a discreet place, than in an open one.

(b) Rav Kahana also considers it a Chutzpah to tell others about his sins, as the Pasuk writes in Tehilim "Ashrei Nesuy Pesha, Kesuy Chata'ah".

Hadran Alach, 'Ein Omdin'

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