1)

(a)Some hold that there are three Mishmaros of angels every night; others say - four.

(b)The problem with Rebbi Eliezer in our Mishnah, who gives the final time for the Sh'ma as 'until the end of the first watch' is - why he did not specify, till the end either of the fourth hour or of the third (depending on with which of the two opinions he concurs)?

(c)We answer that he holds that there are three Mashmaros, and the reason that he refers to the end of the first watch rather than state specifically 'until four hours' is - to teach us that, just like there are four Mishmaros in Heaven, so too are there four Mishmaros (meaning specific discernible periods) on earth.

(d)The Pasuk in Yirmiyah "Hash-m mi'Marom Yish'ag" ('Hashem roars like a lion') is written - in reference to the beginning of each watch, which He does out of sadness (Kevayachol) because of His (destroyed) dwelling - the Beis Hamikdash.

2)

(a)One can recognize the first watch by the donkeys braying the dogs barking (respectively) whereas at the third watch - the babies begin to suckle and the women begin to speak with their husbands.

(b)The beginning of the first watch is the advent of night and the end of the third, the advent of day (neither of which require a sign), and when Rebbi Eliezer gives a sign - he is referring to the end of the first watch, the beginning of the third, and the middle of the second.

(c)Alternatively, he is referring to the end of the watches, and the sign at the end of the third watch is - for the benefit of someone who is sleeping in a dark house, and who cannot see when day arrives.

(d)Hash-m says by each Mishmar, "Woe unto My sons, due to their sins, I destroyed My house, burned My sanctuary, and I exiled them among the nations of the world."

3)

(a)Rebbi Yossi once entered one of the ruins of Yerushalayim to Daven, and Eliyahu waited for him at the entrance until he concluded his Tefilah. When Eliyahu greeted him with the words 'Shalom alecha, Rebbi', he replied - 'Shalom alecha, Rebbi u'Mori'

(b)In connection with the fact that Rebbi Yossi had Davened in a ruin, Eliyahu remarked ...

1. ... that he should rather have Davened on the road than in a ruin, to which Rebbi Yossi replied ...

2. ... that he was afraid to Daven on the road, in case he would be disturbed by passers-by.

(c)Eliyahu countered that with 'You should have Davened a Tefilah Ketzarah'.

(d)Rebbi Yossi learnt from this episode that - a. it is forbidden to enter a ruin, b. one may Daven whilst traveling, and c. that someone who Davens whilst traveling, Davens a short Tefilah.

4)

(a)In answer to Eliyahu's query, Rebbi Yossi informed him that he heard a Bas Kol (a Heavenly Voice) cooing like a dove - 'Woe to My children, in that I destroyed My House, burned My Temple and exiled them among the nations!'

(b)Eliyahu commented on that- that what Rebbi Yossi heard was not a once-off statement, but that Hash-m makes this declaration three times a day.

(c)And he told him further that when Yisrael enter the Batei Keneisi'os and the Batei Medrashos, and loudly proclaim "Amein, Yehei Shemei ha'Gadol Mevorach ... " - Hash-m nods His head and says "How fortunate is the King whom they praise in His house in such a way! Woe to the Father who exiled His children, and woe to the children who have been exiled from their father's table!'

5)

(a)The three reasons given by the Beraisa why one should enter a ruin are because of suspicion, danger and - demons.

(b)When the Tana says ...

1. ... suspicion, he means - that people will suspect him of meeting a prostitute there.

2. ... danger, he means - the possibility of the ruin collapsing whilst he is inside it.

(c)To answer the Kashya that seeing as there is the reason of danger, why does the Tana need to add the reason of suspicion, we explain that the reason of suspicion is needed with regard to a ruin that is relatively new, and where there is no danger of collapsing.

6)

(a)In answer to the Kashya why we need the reason of suspicion, since we have the reason of demons - we establish the need to do so where there are two people (whom demons generally leave alone).

(b)And to counter the Kashya that if that is so, the reason of suspicion does not apply either - we establish it by two Perutzim (people who are immoral by nature, where the reason of suspicion nevertheless applies).

(c)In the same vein, we need he reason of ...

1. ... collapse where there are two decent people, so that neither the reasons of demons nor of suspicion applies.

2. ... demons where it is two decent people who enter the ruin of a recently-built building which is situated in one of the demons' haunts, where they will attack even two people.

(d)Alternatively, it might even be speaking when there is only one person, yet the reason of suspicion does not apply - in a case where the ruin is far away from the town, where women do not normally go (eliminating the reason of suspicion).

7)

(a)According to Rebbi in a Beraisa, the night comprises four Mishmaros, according to Rebbi Nasan -it comprises three.

(b)Rebbi Nasan learns this from the Pasuk in Shoftim, which, in connection with the story of Gideon, refers to 'the middle watch' - implying that there is one before and one after it.

(c)Rebbi ...

1. ... counters that the Pasuk mean - one of the middle watches ...

2. ... which Rebbi Nasan refutes, on the grounds that had the Pasuk wanted to say one of the middle watches, then it ought to have written 'Tichonah she'be'Tichonos'.

8)

(a)Rebbi now proves that there are four Mishmaros from two Pesukim in Tehilim: "Chatzos Layla Akum... " . and "Kidmu Eynai Ashmuros" - implying that there are two Mishmaros before midnight and two, after midnight.

(b)Rebbi Nasan initially explains those Pesukim, based on Rebbi Yehoshua in the Mishnah later, who explains that it was the way of kings to arise in the third hour - in which case the six hours of night following midnight plus the two in the morning is equivalent to two Mishmaros.

(c)Rav Ashi answers 'Mashmarah u'Palga Nami Mishmaros Kari l'hu', meaning - that David might well call one and a half Mishmaros 'Mishmaros', as if it were two (since it is more than one Mishmar).

9)

(a)Rebbi Z'rika ... Amar Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi permits one to say in front of a dead person only things about him.

(b)According to one Lashon, Rebbi Aba bar Kahana explains that this is only meant to exclude Divrei Torah, which is prohibited - because it is 'Lo'eg la'Rosh' (mocking the unfortunate person, who is no longer able to perform the Mitzvah).

(c)Others explain in his name - that even Divrei Torah are forbidden, how much more so other topics that do not concern the deceased.

(d)The reason that this statement is brought here (even though it has no direct connection to the Sugya) is - because, like the previous statement, it was said by Rebbi Z'rika ... Amar Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi.

10)

(a)We query the earlier statement that David used to rise at midnight from the Pasuk in Tehilim "Kidamti ba'Neshef Va'ashave'ah". Based on the Pasuk in Mishlei "be'Neshef be'Erev Yom... ", he used to get up at - at the beginning of the night.

(b)To answer the Kashya, Rav Oshaya Amar Rav Acha interprets "Chatzos Laylah Akum ... " by combining it with "Kidamti ba'Neshef, to mean - that he never ever slept past midnight.

(c)According to Rebbi Zeira, David would doze like a horse till midnight and strengthen himself like a lion from midnight and onwards; whereas Rav Ashi answers the Kashya by dividing the night into two parts - in that David would study Torah before midnight, after which he would sing songs of praise to Hash-m.

11)

(a)We also query the earlier translation of Neshef as nighttime from the Pasuk in Shmuel "Vayakem David me'ha'Neshef ad ha'Erev ... ", which we initially translate as - from the morning until the evening.

(b)Even though, as we suggest "Neshef" in the latter Pasuk also means nighttime, the Pasuk says "me'ha'Neshef ad ha'Erev ... ", and not "me'ha'Neshef ad ha'Neshef" - since the Neshef there means the time of night prior to day.

12)

(a)We ask that, if Moshe could not discern the exact moment when midnight was, how could David ha'Melech have known it? Based on the premise that "ka'Chatzos" means 'at around midnight', we think that ...

1. ... Hash-m could not possibly have told Moshe 'ka'Chatzos' - because there is no such thing as a doubt before Hash-m.

2. ... Moshe did not know when midnight -because if Hash-m said "ba'Chatzos" (at exactly midnight) why did Moshe otherwise change it to "ka'Chatzos Laylah"?

(b)We initially answer that David ha'Melech, like Moshe Rabeinu, could not possibly have known on his own the exact moment of midnight. And that his knowledge was based on a statement of Rav Chana bar Bizna Amar Rebbi Shimon Chasida - that he had the advantage of a harp which was suspended above his bed. Every night, at exactly midnight, the North-wind would blow across it and play, and at its sound, he would awaken and spring out of bed.

(c)At dawn-break, the Chachamim would enter and inform David that the people needed Parnasah. He would reply - that they should sustain each other (through acts of Tzedakah and Chesed).

(d)The Chachamim would respond with 'Ein ha'Komeitz Masbi'a es ha'Ari - ve'Ein bor Mismalei me'Chulyaso!''.

(e)The statement means - 'One fistful (or one locust) will not satisfy the lion, and a clod of earth taken out of a previously dug pit will not fill the pit, if one puts it back'.

13)

(a)David would then instruct them - to go to war and to use the war spoils to sustain the people.

(b)There followed four stages, all contained in the Pasuk in Divrei ha'Yamim "ve'Acharei Achitofel, Benayahu ben Yehoyada, ve'Evyasar, ve'Sar Tzeva la'Melech Yo'av". As Rav Yosef explains, Achitofel represented the war-ministry, and Benayahu ben Yehoyada, the Sanhedrin - Evyasar was the Kohen Gadol, who would then consult the Urim ve'Tumim, and Yo'av the commander-in-chief, who would then mobilize the troops and lead them to war.

(c)The 'Urim ve Tumim' is also called the 'K'reisi u'Peleisi', because its words were clear-cut (leaving no room to add or to subtract anything from their message), and miraculous.

(d)Rebbi Yitzchak bar Ada (or ... b'reih de'Rav Idi) learns about David's harp from the Pasuk in Tehilim "Urah Ch'vodi Urah ha'Neivel ve'Chinor, A'irah Shachar".