1)

(a)Shmuel permits unraveling and cutting ropes that tie doors of vessels, both on Yom-Tov and on Shabbos. He establishes the Beraisa which forbids it on Shabbos - like Rebbi Nechemyah, who forbids the use of vessels for anything other than what they are made for. Consequently, one is not permitted to use a knife for unraveling and cutting ropes, since it was made to cut food, and not for cutting ropes.

(b)This problem with that is - why the Tana then permit the unraveling and cutting of ropes that tie doors of vessels on Yom-Tov (since, according to Rebbi Nechemyah, there is no reason to differentiate between Shabbos and Yom-Tov.

(c)The author of the Beraisa ...

1. ... which permits lighting a fire with complete vessels but not with vessels which broke on Yom-Tov (which are Muktzeh) - is Rebbi Yehudah, who holds of Muktzeh.

2. ... which permits it even with vessels which broke on Yom-Tov - is Rebbi Shimon, who does not.

3. ... which forbids it even with complete vessels - is Rebbi Nechemyah (whose opinion we just discussed).

(d)We reconcile the earlier Beraisa, which quotes Rebbi Nechemyah as being more lenient on Yom-Tov than on Shabbos, with the latter case - by establishing a Machlokes Tana'im in Rebbi Nechemyah's opinion.

2)

(a)'Ein Pochsin es ha'Ner' means - to take a raw piece of potter's clay and punch a cavity in it, in order to fill it with oil and use it as a lamp. This is forbidden - because of Tikun Kli.

(b)One may not...

1. ... make coal (which is a Kli that is used by gold-smiths) on Yom-Tov - because of Tikun Kli.

2. ... cut a wick in two - for the same reason.

(c)According to Rebbi Yehudah - one can get round this prohibition by burning the wick in two instead of cutting it (as will be explained later).

3)

(a)According to Rebbi Meir, an earthenware vessel is subject to Tum'ah as soon as it is completed - which is as soon as the cavity to hold liquid has been punched in it.

(b)According to Rebbi Yehoshua (or Rebbi Yehudah), it only becomes subject to Tum'ah - when it has been fired in a kiln.

(c)Rav Yosef thought that the author of our Mishnah ('Ein Pochsin es ha'Ner') must be - Rebbi Meir, who does not require firing in a kiln to complete an earthenware vessel.

4)

(a)According to the second Lashon, Rav Yosef establishes our Mishnah like Rebbi Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok (of the Mishnah in Iduyos). The Tana Kama there differentiates between the frying-pans of towns-people and those of city-folk - due to the fact that the former are not particular about their vessels, and are prepared to use them even before they have been fired in the kiln and even before they have been punched.

(b)According to the Tana Kama, if these pans ...

1. ... are under the same roof as a corpse - they remain Tahor (since they have no cavity, and it is only earthenware vessels that are receptacles that are subject to Tum'as Mes.

2. ... are carried by a Zav - they become Tamei, because a Zav renders all vessels Tamei by moving them, even earthenware vessels that are not receptacles.

(c)According to Rebbi Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok - vessels that have not yet been completed remain Tahor, even if a Zav moves them.

(d)

1. Abaye queries Rav Yosef's contention (in both Leshonos) - on the grounds that both Rebbi Meir and Rebbi Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok only consider an earthenware vessel that is a receptacle complete, because it can be used for something useful (e.g. to hold fruit), but what use does a clay egg with a cavity have?!

2. We nevertheless substantiates Rav Yosef - on the grounds that they are fit to contain small coins.

5)

(a)The Tana Kama in the Beraisa forbids making the frying-pans of towns-people on Yom-Tov. Raban Shimon ben Gamliel - permits it (presumably because they are not proper vessels [like the Tana Kama of Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Tzadok], in which case making them is not considered Tikun Kli.

(b)Our Mishnah forbids making charcoal on Yom-Tov. Coal was used by the bath-attendants on Yom-Tov ...

(c)... (despite the fact that Chazal forbade bathing on Yom-Tov, as well as on Shabbos) - because they used them for Turkish- baths (before Chazal included Turkish baths in the Isur of bathing).

6)

(a)Rebbi Yehudah permits cutting a wick in two by burning it. The problem with that is - since making a wick constitutes Tikun Mana, what difference does it make whether one cuts it with a knife, or with a flame!?

(b)Rebbi Chiya citing a Beraisa, resolves it - by establishing Rebbi Yehudah in a case where one has one long wick for two lights, and where one places the two ends of the wick into the two lamp-holders and kindles the wick in the middle. This is permitted since, to the onlooker, it appears that one is just kindling the two lights simultaneously (and not that he intends to cut the wick in two).

7)

(a)When Rav Nasan bar Aba Amar Rav says 'Mochtin es ha'Pesilah b'Yom-Tov' - he means that one is permitted to remove the charcoal from the top of the wick on Yom-Tov.

(b)We have just learned about two of the six things that Bar Kapara's Beraisa says about a wick. Besides that, one is ...

1. ... not permitted to twist a wick or singe it.

2. ... but permitted to soften it with one's hands or soak it in oil ...

(c)... because that is not the way that one normally softens it (and which Chazal therefore permitted).

8)

(a)When Shabsa'i bar Merinus arrived in Bavel and asked for assistance in business - they refused him; then, when he asked for food, they refused him that too.

(b)Based on the Pasuk in Re'eh "v'Nasan Lecha Rachamim v'Richamcha", Shabsa'i bar Merinus said that the wealthy men of Bavel, who are devoid of the quality of mercy, must be descended from the Erev Rav, and not from Avraham Avinu.

(c)The above story is told to illustrate a statement of Rav Nasan bar Aba Amar Rav, who said - that the wealthy men of Bavel are destined to go to Gehinom (Hell).

9)

(a)Rav Nasan bar Aba Amar Rav also said about anyone who relies on others for their food 'Olam Choshech Ba'ado' (everything is black for him), to which Rav Chisda added - that 'his life is not worth living'.

(b)The Beraisa makes the same statement - about someone whose wife controls him, and someone whose body is racked by suffering.

(c)A person who possesses only one cloak might be added to the list - because such a garment will become lice-infested, and he will inevitably become covered with lice.

(d)The Tana Kama does not include him in the list - because it is possible to avoid that fate by delousing his clothes.

10)

(a)The Tana of our Mishnah forbids breaking a piece of clay or cutting paper on Yom-Tov - which one would then cut to the required size, and place them underneath the fish as it roasted on the grill (the paper soaked in water - or oil).

(b)Nor may one clear out the pieces of cement (with which one has cemented the oven door shut) from the oven. If they are heaped up on the oven floor and threaten to burn the bread that is stuck to the oven walls to bake - one may arrange them flat on the oven floor.

(c)'Ein Makifin Shtei Chaviyos' means - that one is forbidden to place two barrels close to each other, to place a pot on top of them to cook over the fire that is burning in between them. It is forbidden - because it resembles making an Ohel.

(d)The Tana forbids supporting a pot with a block of wood - because blocks of wood are generally designated for making fires, and not for anything else.

11)

(a)The Tana Kama also forbids using a stick when leading an animal through the street, which initially, we think is forbidden - because it is Muktzeh.

(b)Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Shimon - permits it.

(c)In a casewhere the pile of rubble in the oven (which our Tana forbids to remove) renders cooking impossible - the Beraisa cited by Rebbi Chiya bar Yosef in front of Rav Nachman permits removing it ...

(d)... like Rebbi Yehudah, who permits, wherever necessary, Machshirei Ochel Nefesh that one could not perform before Yom-Tov.

(e)When a half-brick fell into the oven on Yom-Tov - Rebbi Chiya told his wife that he wanted to eat good-quality bread (intimating that she should clear out the oven before baking).

12)

(a)The problem that Ravina had with the information that Rav Ashi's servants used to cement the oven shut to prevent the heat from escaping was - that the cement would require mixing with water, which is forbidden because it is a Toldah of Lishah (though it is unclear why Lishah should be forbidden on Yom-Tov, seeing as it was for the needs of Ochel Nefesh, and could not be performed before Yom-Tov).

(b)Rav Ashi alleviated his fears - by pointing out that he used the clay from the banks of the River Euphrates, which did not require mixing.

(c)This was only valid however - if that clay was designated to be used on Yom-Tov and moved to one side on Erev Yom-Tov.

(d)One may use ashes (mixed with water) to cement the oven shut - because they do not mix properly (see Tosfos DH 've'Kitma').

13)

(a)Rav Nachman permitted the placing of large stones in a field to form a make-shift toilet, which (unlike the placing of two barrels close to one another as a base for a pot, which our Mishnah forbids) does not resemble making an Ohel (because it does not have a roof). (Note: It appears from here, that a human being - who forms the roof as he sits on the seat - is not considered a roof).

(b)Constructing a make-shift seat on the basis that it has no roof is Asur mid'Rabanan. Nevertheless - Chazal permitted it by a toilet-seat because of Kavod ha'Beriy'os (human dignity).

(c)'Madurta' - is a large fire (that was usually lit for important dignitaries), where the wood is arranged in the form of four walls and a roof.

(d)A Madurta is permitted on Yom-Tov - provided one starts from the top (one arranges the sticks on top first).

14)

(a)Bei'asa, Kedeira, Purya and Chavita are permitted - provided one starts from the top (just like Madurta).

1. 'Bei'asa' - constitutes large eggs that are stood in a holed vessel (such as a grill). The eggs must be placed in the grill before one sets it on the coals, to avoid making an Ohel.

2. 'Purya' - refers to a framed bed on top of which one spreads a large piece of leather (on which one lies). In order to set it up, the piece of leather must be held in place first, and the frame moved into place afterwards.

3. 'Chavita' - refers to rows of barrels stacked one on top of the other. For the same reason, this too is permitted only if one begins with the barrels on top.