[71a - 48 lines; 71b - 50 lines]

1)[line 2]"וישב מצרף ומטהר כסף וטיהר את בני לוי וזיקק אותם כזהב וככסף והיו לה' מגישי מנחה בצדקה""V'YASHAV METZAREF U'METAHER KESEF, V'TIHAR ES BENEI LEVI, V'ZIKAK OSAM KA'ZAHAV VECHA'KASEF; V'HAYU LA'SH-M MAGISHEI MINCHAH BI'TZDAKAH"- "He will sit, smelting and purifying silver, and He will purify the children of Levi and refine them like gold and like silver, and they will be to HaSh-m like those who present an offering in righteousness" (Malachi 3:3) - See Insights.

2)[line 8]שמשפחה שנטמעה נטמעהSHE'MISHPACHAH SHE'NITME'AH, NITME'AH- a family with a Pesul (such as Mamzerus) that became mixed (and unidentifiable) with the rest of the Jewish people will "remain mixed" and be considered part of the Jewish people

3)[line 12]קוצים אתם משימים לי בין עיניKOTZIM ATEM MESIMIM LI BEIN EINAI- (lit. are you trying to stick thorns into my eyes) are you trying to cause me anguish (since my ancestors moved from Bavel to Eretz Yisrael)

4)[line 13]יטפל עמכםYETAPEL IMACHEM- will attend to you (i.e. to your question)

5)[line 17]טלוני בעריסה ורוצוTELUNI B'ARISAH V'RUTZU!- place me in a sedan chair and run!

6)[line 18]אין שחיטה לעוף מן התורהEIN SHECHITAH L'OF MIN HA'TORAH

(a)The laws of Shechitah (proper ritual slaughter) that permit an animal to be eaten were handed down to us through a Halachah l'Moshe mi'Sinai (Chulin 28a, based on Devarim 12:21).

(b)There is a Machlokes as to whether these laws apply to birds as well. Those who maintain that the Torah (and the Halachah l'Moshe mi'Sinai) does not require that a bird be slaughtered learn this from the verse that states, "and he shall spill its blood" (Vayikra 17:13), which implies that spilling alone is sufficient (Chulin 27b). Even according to this opinion, a bird is permitted by the Torah only if it is killed by a person with a blow that severs the trachea or esophagus (RASHI, Chulin 27b DH Ein Shechitah).

7)[line 20]עד שהגיעו לסכנהAD SHE'HIGI'U L'SAKANAH- until they reached a life-threatening situation (when the families of various gangsters were about to be declared of impure lineage)

8)[line 20]ופירשוPIRSHU- they stopped (because of the danger)

9)[line 21]היכלא! בידינו היאHEICHALA! B'YADEINU HU- Indeed! (using "Heichala!" - "By the Holy Temple!" as an oath, for emphasis) It is in our hands [to reveal the families of impure lineage in Eretz Yisrael]

10)[line 23]בן ציוןBEN TZIYON- (a) the name of a gangster (RASHI); (b) according to the Girsa BENEI TZIYON - the people of Yerushalayim (early editions of the Mishnayos Eduyos 8:7)

11)[line 27]פעם אחת בשבועPA'AM ACHAS B'SHAVU'A- once in the seven-year Shemitah cycle

12a)[line 28]הריני נזיר אם לא אגלה משפחותHAREINI NAZIR IM LO AGALEH MISHPACHOS - If I do not reveal the families of impure lineage, I will become a Nazir (NAZIR)

(a)If a person makes a vow to become a Nazir without stipulating a time period, his or her Nezirus lasts for a period of thirty days. If the person stipulates a time period, his or her Nezirus lasts for whatever amount of time he stipulated. During this period, the Nazir is not allowed to:

1.cut his hair;

2.become Tamei by touching or being in the same room as a corpse;

3.consume any products of the grapevine (Bamidbar 6:1-21) (SEFER HA'CHINUCH #377).

(b)When a Nazir completes his period of Nezirus, he must offer three sacrifices: a male sheep as an Olah, a female sheep as a Chatas, and a ram as a Shelamim. Together with the Shelamim he brings 6 and 2/3 Esronos of Soles (fine flour), which are made into 20 loaves of Matzah, 10 Chalos (unleavened loaves of Matzah), and 10 Rekikin (flat Matzos). He then shaves off the hair of his head and burns it under the cauldron in which the Zero'a of the Shelamim is cooked (Bamidbar 6:18) (SEFER HA'CHINUCH #377).

(c)When a person states the above-mentioned formula, that he will become a Nazir if he does not reveal the families of impure lineage, the Halachah states that he must become a Nazir, and he may not reveal those families (TOSEFTA Nazir 1:2).

13)[line 30]שם בן ארבע אותיותSHEM BEN ARBA OSIYOS- (lit. the four-letter Name) [the pronunciation of] the Shem ha'Meforash (the Holy Name of HaSh-m); the Tetragrammaton

14a)[line 32]"... זה שמי לעלם וזה זכרי לדור דור""... ZEH SHEMI L'OLAM; V'ZEH ZICHRI L'DOR DOR"- "[And HaSh-m said moreover to Moshe: Thus shall you say to the people of Yisrael, 'The G-d of your fathers, the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yakov, has sent me to you;] this is My Name forever, and this is My Remembrance to all generations'" (Shemos 3:15).

b)[line 32]לעלם כתיבL'ALAM KESIV- it is written [without the letter Vav and hence may be read] "l'Alam" - "to hide [it]"

15a)[line 33]זה שמיZEH SHEMI- this is My Name

b)[line 34]זה זכריZEH ZICHRI- this is My Remembrance

16)[line 36]והצנועים שבכהונהHA'TZENU'IN SHEBI'CHEHUNAH- the modest (well-mannered) Kohanim [who are scrupulous, who stay away from any hint of sin]

17)[line 37]מבליעים אותו בנעימת אחיהם הכהניםMAVLI'IM OSO BI'NE'IMAS ACHEIHEM HA'KOHANIM - they conceal it during the melody of their brethren Kohanim (BIRKAS KOHANIM)

The Kohanim are required to bless the people with the three-fold blessing (Bamidbar 6:22-27). In the Beis ha'Mikdash the blessing was said with the Shem ha'Meforash (the Tetragrammaton). According to Tosfos to Sotah 38a DH Harei Hu Omer, this is only true when there is Giluy Shechinah in the Beis ha'Mikdash. Since there was no Giluy Shechinah after the passing of Shimon ha'Tzadik, the Kohanim stopped saying Birkas Kohanim with the Shem ha'Meforash.

18)[line 45]ארץ ישראל מוחזק לפסול פסול מוחזק לכשר כשרERETZ YISRAEL: MUCHZAK L'FASUL PASUL MUCHZAK L'CHASHER KASHER- with regard to the families of Eretz Yisrael, if they have a reputation of being of impure lineage...

71b----------------------------------------71b

19)[line 3]זעירי הוה קא מישתמיט מיניה דרבי יוחנןZE'IRI HAVAH KA MISHTAMIT MINEI D'REBBI YOCHANAN- Ze'iri was avoiding Rebbi Yochanan

20)[line 6]לעורקמא דמיאURKEMA D'MAYA- a pool of water (RASHI to Megilah 28b)

21)[line 7]אמר ליה 'אורייתן כשרה בנתין לא כשרן?'AMAR LEI 'ORYASAN KESHERAH, BENASIN LO CHASHRAN?'- he (Rebbi Yochanan) said to him, "Our Torah is acceptable (to you), but our daughters are not?"

22)[line 10]כי היכי דאישתיור מהני אישתיור נמי מהניKI HEICHI D'ISHTAYUR ME'HANEI, ISHTAYUR NAMI ME'HANEI- just as those (the majority of the Kohanim, Leviyim, and Yisraelim) were left in Bavel, so, too, the others (at least some of the people of impure lineage) were left there, i.e. "Do you think that the women in Bavel are of more pure lineage than those of Eretz Yisrael?"

23)[line 11]אישתמיטתיהISHTEMITSEI- it escaped him (he forgot)

24)[line 22]"השוכבים על מטות שן וסרוחים על ערסותם...""HA'SHOCHVIM AL MITOS SHEN, U'SERUCHIM AL ARSOSAM..."- "Who lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches..." (Amos 6:4) - The word that means to stretch themselves, "u'Seruchim," has a double meaning. The Sages take it to mean "and they cause to stink."

25)[line 25]ומגדף בהU'MEGADEF BAH- and he scoffed at it

26)[line 25]"לכן עתה יגלו בראש גולים [וסר מזרח סרוחים]""LACHEN, ATAH YIGLU B'ROSH GOLIM [V'SAR MIRZACH SERUCHIM]"- "Therefore now they shall go into exile at the head of the exiles, [and the revelry of those who stretched themselves (out on their beds - a reference to Amos 6:4) shall pass away]" (Amos 6:7).

27)[line 29]זיל בתר שתיקותאZIL BASAR SHETIKUSA- go after silence (i.e. find a family that is quiet)

28)[line 30]בני מערבאBENEI MA'ARAVA- (lit. the people of the west) the people of Eretz Yisrael

29)[line 30]כי מינצו בי תרי בהדי הדדיKI MINTZU BEI TREI BAHADEI HADADEI- when two people would argue with each other

30)[line 32]איקלע רבIKLA RAV- Rav traveled

31)[line 34]שמתגריםSHE'MISGARIM- that they were quarreling

32)[line 34]שמץ פסולSHEMETZ PESUL- some degree of impure lineage

33a)[line 37]בבל בריאהBAVEL BERI'AH- Babylonia is healthy (i.e. the Jews there are of pure lineage)

b)[line 37]מישון מיתהMEISHON MISAH- Meishon, or Meishan is dead (i.e. its residents are Mamzerim). Meishan, or Mesene, is the island formed by the Euphrates, the Tigris and the Royal Canal (connecting them).

34)[line 39]עד היכן היא בבל?AD HEICHAN HI BAVEL?- Until where is Bavel (how far east does it extend)?

35)[line 39]נהר עזקNEHAR AZAK- the Azak or Yazek (with a Yud instead of the Ayin - Girsa of the Yerushalmi Kidushin 4:1 (43a)) River or Canal

36)[line 40]נהר יואניNEHAR YU'ANAI- the Yu'anai or Vanai (without the Yud - Girsa of the Yerushalmi Yevamos 1:6 (8b) and Kidushin 4:1 (43a)) River or Canal

37)[line 40]בדיגלתDIGLAS- the Tigris River

38)[line 47]עד אקרא דתולבקניAD AKRA D'SULBAKNEI- until the region of Tulbaknei, on the southern bank of the Euphrates River (RASHI; for the translation of "Akra" as "region," see RASHI to Bava Metzia 73b DH li'Vnei and to Makos 10a DH Kegon Selikum)

39)[line 47]גישרא דבי פרתGISHRA D'VEI PERAS- the Euphrates Bridge (on the Euphrates, north of Akra d'Sulbaknei)

40)[line 48]לייטLAYIT- he cursed