1)

(a)Rebbi Ami qualifies Rebbi Meir's statement, that the River Yarden is considered a division regarding Ma'aser Beheimah - by confining it to where there is no bridge.

(b)We can extrapolate from Rebbi Ami that Rebbi Meir's reason - is because it prevents access from one to the other.

(c)We reject Rebbi Ami's reasoning however, from a Beraisa, which, after stating Rebbi Meir's Din (that a river or the fact that the lambs are in two different provinces divides the two flocks) adds - 'and how much more so if the two flocks are situated one in Chutz la'Aretz and the other in Eretz Yisrael!' ...

(d)... even though Chutz la'Aretz and Eretz Yisrael are accessible to each other as if there was a bridge that joined them.

2)

(a)When Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Yochanan answers the Kashya by citing the Pasuk in Yehoshua "ve'ha'Yarden Yigbol oso li'Fe'as Keidmah ... ", he means that - it is different there, since the Pasuk declared the Yarden an independent border (with regard to Ma'aser).

(b)We query that however, from the Pesukim in Yehoshua "ve'Sa'ar ha'Gevul" ... "ve'Alah ha'Gevul" - which similarly implies that each tribe is a border?

(c)The Pasuk in Mas'ei "Zos Tih'yeh lachem ha'Aretz li'Gevulosehah Saviv" however answers the Kashya - inasmuch as it informs us that the whole of Eretz Yisrael is the border and not the borders between the tribes.

(d)This prompts us to query Rebbi Chiya bar Aba's previous answer however - in that we ought also to apply the same Pasuk in Mas'ei with regard to the Yarden too, and to say that the land is the border and not the Yarden.

3)

(a)This Kashya is answered according to Rebbi Chiya bar Aba - since the Tana says 'Yaarden' ...

(b)... whereas according to Rebbi Ami - he ought to have said 'le'Kulhu Naharos'.

(c)The conclusion is Kashya?

4)

(a)The Beraisa cites a Machlokes Tana'im in connection with the Pasuk in Mas'ei " ... ki Atem Ovrim es ha'Yarden el Eretz Cana'an ... ". Rebbi ...

1. ... Yehudah ben Beseira extrapolates from the words "el Eretz Cana'an" that - the River Yarden is not part of Eretz Cana'an. Whereas ...

2. ... Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai extrapolates from the phrase there "me'Eiver le'Yarden Yericho Keidmah Mizrachah" that - just as Yericho is part of Cana'an, so is the River Yarden.

(b)This poses a Kashya - on Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Yochanan who states categorically that the River Yarden is not part of Eretz Cana'an, without referring to a Machlokes Tana'im.

5)

(a)Rabah bar bar Chanah Amar Rebbi Yochanan says that the River Yarden only begins from Yericho - because, due to the fact that prior to that, its waters mix with those of various seas (as we will see shortly, it loses its significance [See Tosfos]).

(b)We suggest that the ramifications of this statement are with regard to a Neder, meaning that - if someone declares a Neder forbidding himself any benefit from the water of the Yarden, his Neder will not extend to water north of Yericho.

(c)We reject this suggestion however - due to the principle that Nedarim follow the vernacular (whatever people refer to as the Yarden), and not to fixed boundaries.

(d)The ramifications of Rabah bar bar Chanah's statement are - with regard to Ma'aser Beheiomah, which only applies to animals inside Eretz Yisrael.

6)

(a)We know that our interpretation of Rabah bar bar Chanah's statement is correct - since it has the support of a Beraisa.

(b)The Beraisa also states that - the River Yarden begins to flow from the Cave of Pamayas (which we know as the Bani'as), and that ...

(c)... the three seas through which it flows are that of Sivchi, of Teverya and of S'dom (the Yam ha'Melach).

(d)It finally flows - into the Mediterranean Sea (though it is not clear how).

7)

(a)According to Rabah bar bar Chanah Amar Rebbi Yochanan 'Yarden' is the acronym of - Yoreid mi'Dan (it flows down from Dan).

(b)Rebbi Aba told Rav Ashi that, if in Bavel they learned it from the name 'Yarden', in Eretz Yisrael they learned it from the Pasuk in Yehoshua " ... Vayikr'u le'Leshem Dan ke'Shem Dan Avihem", from the word "Leshem", based on a statement of Rebbi Yitzchak, who said that - "Leshem" is alias Pamayas.

(c)To complete the proof, he cited the Beraisa that - the Yarden emerges from the Cave of Pamayas'.

8)

(a)When Rav Kahana stated 'Zachrusa ...

1. ... de'Yard'na Me'aras Pamayas', he meant that - the main part of the River Yarden (its source) is in the Cave of Pamayas.

2. ... de'Dama Kavda', he meant that - the liver consists mainly of blood.

3. ... de'Maya Pras' he meant that - all the seas in the world stem from the River P'ras.

(b)The Halachic ramifications of the statement Zachrusa ...

1. ... de'Yard'na Me'aras Pamayas are that - someone who declares a Neder not to drink water from Me'aras Pamayas is forbidden to drink water from the entire Yarden River.

2. ... de'Dama Kavda are that - the liver of a corpse that has melted is Metamei be'Ohel, as stated by Rebbi Yitzchak.

3. ... de'Maya Pras are that - someone who declares a Neder not to drink from the water of the River P'ras, is forbidden to drink from all the water in the world, as stated by Rav Yehudah Amar Rav.

(c)The current ruling cannot be speaking where the Noder declared that he will not drink from the water of P'ras - since due to the principle that we also follw the Lashon of the Noder, he would only be forbidden to benefit from the actual water of P'ras.

(d)It must therefore be speaking - where he specifically declared that he will not drink any water that comes from the River P'ras.

9)

(a)This ruling is based on another statement of Rav Yehudah Amar Rav, who said that all the rivers are below the three rivers - Chidekel, Pishon and Gichon.

(b)He then aded that - the rivers are lower than the River P'ras.

(c)We query this from Insa (the fountains) de'Midalya - which flow in the tall mountains, which tower above the River P'ras.

(d)Rav Mesharshaya answers that - those fountains are in fact, the ladders of P'ras, which flow underground to the mountain-tops, before cascading down the mountains.

(e)And to explain the Pasuk in Bereishis "ve'ha'Nahar ha'Revi'i Hu Pras" (which seems to place the River P'ras on a par with the other three rivers) - Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak (or Rav Acha bar Ya'akov) points to the word "Hu", which implies that P'ras is the is the original river that flowed out from Eden, which then branched out into four rivers.

10)

(a)Rebbi Meir (in connection with the River P'ras) learns from the Pasuk in Yirmiyah "Vehayah ke'Eitz Shasul al Mayim, ve'al Yuval Yeshalach Sharashav" that - the real name of the P'ras is Yuval, and ...

(b)It is only called Pras - because its waters are self-generating (from the Lashon Pru u'Revu).

(c)This supports Shmuel, who said that - the River P'ras is blessed from (within) its own banks (and not through the rain or through fountains).

11)

(a)Rav Ami in the name of Rav disagrees with Shmuel. When he said 'Mitra be'Ma'arava Sahada Rabah li'P'ras', he meant that - the rain in Eretz Yisrael causes the River P'ras (which flows from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel) to rise.

(b)Shmuel's father - prepared a Mikvah for his daughters in the days of Nisan (like the opinion of Rav).

(c)He ...

1. ... did that in case the rain-water from the recent rain season would exceed the natural flowing water of the River itself, which would be valid for Tevilah (Rashi in Shabbos).

2. ... made mats to place in the River during Tishrei - because, as the water in the River diminishes due to the Summer heat, mud accumulates on the River-bed, and mud on the feet is a Chatzitzah (interruption) between the water and the flesh.

12)

(a)Shmuel's earlier ruling contradicts another ruling that he issued, where he ...

1. ... forbade Toveling in a flowing river, but permitted it in ...

2. ... the river P'ras (but only) in the month of Tishri.

(b)The reason for ...

1. ... the former ruling is - on account of water that flows into it which forms the majority of the water in the river.

2. ... the latter ruling is - due to a seasonal increase of water from the under-water springs and because of the decreasing water supply over the summer months.

(c)... whereas in his earlier ruling - he contended that the waters of P'ras are always self-generating, and are therefore Kasher for Tevilah.

(d)Alternatively, it is Shmuel's father who prepared a Mikvah for his daughters specifically in the days of Nisan - who disagrees with Shmuel's latter statement, according to which one would require Mikva'os all the year round, except for the River P'ras in Tishri.

13)

(a)Our Mishnah rules that animals that are purchased or received as a gift - are Patur from Ma'aser Beheimah.

(b)We learn this - from the Hekesh (in the Pasuk in Mishpatim) "B'chor Banecha Titen Li; Kein Ta'aseh le'Shorcha le'Tzonecha" which teaches us that just as one cannot buy a B'chor Adam as a gift or receive one as a gift, so too, can Ma'aser Behemah not be brought from a purchased animal or from one received as a gift.