1)

(a)Rebbi Alexandri, Rav Hamnuna, Rava and Marb'reih de'Ravina too, would add their own daily Tefilah at the end of the Amidah. According to the second version, Rebbi Alexandri stated that - as Hash-m knows full-well, we all want to perform the will of Hash-m. And when we don't, it is on account of 'the yeast in the dough' (the Yeitzer ha'Ra) and our enslavement to the nations that stands in our way.

(b)Rava would first declare that he was as worthless after birth as before and that he was dust even in his lifetime - how much more so after death.

(c)He concluded with a prayer that Hash-m should stop him from sinning again and that He should cleanse his sins - but not by means of suffering and painful illnesses.

(d)Rav Hamnuna said it - in the form of Viduy on Yom Kipur (and that is when we say it, at the end of the Amidah).

2)

(a)Of all the above-mentioned private Tefilos is that of Mar b'rei de'Ravina - 'Elokai, N'tzor Leshoni me'Ra' (which we say at the termination of every Amidah [See Tosfos DH 've'Nafshi ... ').

(b)However, he ...

1. ... inserted in that Tefilah - 'and save us from evil occurrences, from the evil inclination, from an evil woman and from all evil that transpires in the world', whereas we do not say that. On the other hand, he did ...

2. ... not say 'Do it for the sake of Your Name ... ', whereas we do.

(c)On a Ta'anis, Rav Sheishes would add a Tefilah to the effect - that when the Beis-ha'Mikdash stood, a person who sinned would bring a Korban, of which the fat (Cheilev) and blood would go on the Mizbe'ach and atone for his sin. May Hash-m accept his fast, which diminished his fat and blood, and likewise atone for his sins.

3)

(a)When Rebbi Yochanan finished the Book of Iyov, he recited a Tefilah which began 'Man is destined to die, and animals to be Shechted;in any event they are all going to die, one way or another', and which ended 'Praiseworthy is the man who grows up in Torah who toils in Torah and who satisfies his Creator, who grows up with a good name and who leaves this world with a good name'.

(b)Sh'lomoh ha'Melech said about this in Seifer Koheles - 'A good name is preferable to good oil, and the day of death to the day of birth'.

4)

(a)The Rabbanan of Yavneh would often refer to the difference between 'myself' and my 'friend' - by which they meant the Talmid-Chacham and the Am ha'Aretz.

(b)They would declare how both were 'creations of Hashem' (See Tosfos DH 'Ani Beryah ... ') and how the one worked in the field, whilst the other worked in town, neither taking upon themselves the work of the other. One might justify the Am-ha'Aretz not taking up the work of the Talmid-Chacham - because even if he did, he would never learn as much as the Talmid-Chacham does.

(c)This argument does not hold water however - since Hash-m does not reward for the quantity that one learns, but for the amount of 'L'shem Shamayim'.

5)

(a)Abaye would say that a person should act with cunning to attain the fear of Hash-m, and would quote the Pasuk in Mishlei "Ma'aheh Rach Meishiv Cheimah", which means that 'A soft-spoken word causes anger to dissipate'.

(b)He advised one to increase peace, with his brothers - with his relatives and with everyone, even with Nochrim ...

(c)... so that he should be 'loved beloved in Heaven and popular on earth'.

(d)And he concluded that one should be accepted by all people. They said that - nobody ever greeted Raban Yochanan ben Zakei first, even a Nochri in the street.

6)

(a)Rava used to say that the main objective of Chochmah - is Teshuvah and good deeds.

(b)He was otherwise worried about - that people would learn Chumash and Mishnah, and then go on to lash out at his father, his mother and his Rebbe and against all those who are greater then him in knowledge and more advanced in years.

(c)And he learns this from the Pasuk in Mishlei "Reishis Chochmah Yir'as Hash-m, Seichel Tov le'Chol Oseihem" - "Oseihem", 've'Lo Osim', implying those who learn li'Shemah ...

(d)... because whoever learns Torah she'Lo li'Shemah - it would have been better for him not to have been born (See Tosfos DH 'ha'Oseh ... ').

7)

(a)Rav would cite four mundane things and three character-traits that are done in this world but not in the Olam ha'Ba. Two of the ...

1. ... former are eating and drinking, the other two are - being intimate and doing business.

2. ... latter are jealousy and hatred; the third is - competition.

(b)Instead, one will find there - Tzadikim sitting, crowns atop their heads, deriving benefit from the Shechinah.

(c)We learn this from the Pasuk in Mishpatim "Va'yechezu es ha'Elokim Va'yochlu Va'yishtu", which was said in connection with - Nadav and Avihu and the seventy elders.

(d)The Pasuk means - that after benefiting from the glory of the Shechinah, they felt as if they had eaten.

8)

(a)We learn from the Pasuk in Yeshayah "Nashim Sha'ananos Komnah, Shema'anah Koli, B'nos Botchos ... " (both expressions that he did not mention in connection with men) - that what Hash-m promised the women is greater than what He promised the men.

9)

(a)One of the things that women (who are not commanded to study Torah) must do to earn for themselves reward in Olam ha'Ba is taking their children to study Torah. Chazal refer to the Torah that the children learn as 'bei K'nishta' - because they used to learn in Shul.

(b)The other two things are - sending their husbands away to learn Torah in another town (if necessary) and waiting up to welcome them upon their return.

10)

(a)When, upon leaving the Beis-ha'Medrash of Rebbi Ami (or Rebbi Chanina), the Rabbanan made a long declaration which began 'Olamcha Tir'eh be'Chayecha', thy meant that one should one should attain all one's needs in this world.

(b)They continued - that one should merit the World to Come.

(c)To said this - to one another.

(d)They said this as they took leave from the Yeshivah at the end of term, as each Talmid went home.

(e)And they concluded - with various B'rachos wishing each other success in his learning.

11)

(a)Likewise, when the Rabbanan would leave the Beis-ha'Medrah of Rav Chisda (or Rebbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni) they would quote the Pasuk in Tehilim "Alufeinu Mesubalim", which, simply translated, means - 'Our Rebbes are laden'.

(b)Rav and Shmuel (and some say Rebbi Yochanan and Rebbi Elazar) explained the Pasuk; one of them said "Alufeinu" in Torah and "Mesubalim" with Mitzvos'. The other one said - "Alufeinu in Torah and Mitzvos,and "Mesubalim" with suffering.

(c)They interpreted the continuation of the Pasuk ...

1. ... "Ein Peretz" (there should not be a breach)" - as a prayer that their company should not contain someone like Achitofel in the company of David (See Tosfos])

2. ... "ve'Ein Yotzeis" - that their company should not contain someone like Do'eg ha'Edomi in the company of Shaul (See Tosfos).

3. ... "ve'Ein Tzevachah" (cries) - that their group should not contain someone like Gechazi in the group of Elisha (See Tosfos).

(d)And they explained the final word in the Pasuk "bi'Rechovoseinu" - as a prayer that there should not be in their company a son or a Talmid who sins in public.

12)

(a)Rav and Shmuel (or Rebbi Yochanan and Rebbi Elazar) argue over the Pasuk in Yeshayah "Shim'u na Abirei Leiv ha'Rechokim mi'Tzedakah". According to them, the Pasuk refers - to Tzadikim

(b)When one of them explains that even though everybody else is sustained through Tzedakah, they are sustained 'by force', he means - by virtue of their of their good deeds.

(c)The other one explains - that although everybody else is fed on the merit of the good deeds of those Tzadikim, the Tzadikim themselves are not ...

(d)... by which he means that they make ends meet with difficulty.

(e)The latter explanation conforms with a statement of Rav Yehudah Amar Rav, who quoting a Bas-Kol, said - that the whole world was sustained on the merit of Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa, whilst Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa himself made do with a Kav of carobs from Erev Shabbos to Erev Shabbos.

13)

(a)Rav Yehudah disagrees with the above explanations. According to him, "Abirei Leiv" refers to the Resha'im.

(b)More explicitly, he mentions 'Guvai Tipshai' - meaning the foolish Guvai (the name of a specific nation).

(c)According to the Gemara in Kidushin - it refers the Nesinim (alias the Giv'onim).

(d)Rav Yosef proves that they were fools - from the fact that not one of them converted.

(e)In similar vein, Rav Ashi commented - that the Nochrim of Masa Mechsaya hared-hearted, since, twice a year (before Pesach and before Succos), they saw the Kavod ha'Torah (when people gathered there for the Yarchei Kalah), yet not one of them converted.

14)

(a)According to the Tana Kama of the Mishnah in Pesachim, working on Tish'ah be'Av (afternoon) is a matter of Minhag. Talmidei-Chachamim, he adds - refrain from working wherever they are.

(b)Raban Shimon ben Gamliel says - that in this matter, everyone should behave like a Talmid-Chacham.

(c)The dual problem this creates with our Mishnah is - that Raban Shimon ben Gamliel and the Chachamim seem to contradict themselves (from Mishnah to Mishnah).

(d)Rebbi Yochanan solves the problem in two words - 'Muchlefes ha'Shitah' (though there is no indication as to which one).

15)

(a)Rav Shisha b'rei de'Rav Idi leaves the Beraisa intact.According to him, the Rabbanan permit taking on the mantle of a Talmid-Chacham regarding a Chasan reciting the Sh'ma - since he is merely joining with everyone else who is reciting it, but not regarding not working on Tish'ah be'Av - where he behaving differently to everybody else.

(b)And Raban Shimon ben Gamliel forbids a Chasan to recite the Sh'ma - since we know that he cannot possibly concentrate, but permits an ordinary person to refrain from working on Tish'ah-be'Av - since there are plenty of people idle people who do not work.

16)

(a)The Mishnah now discusses someone whose deceased relative is 'lying before him', better-known as - an 'Onein'.

(b)He is Patur from K'ri'as-Shma (from Tefilah) and from Tefilin - because (similar to the Chasan that we discussed earlier), his mind is taken up with the Mitzvah of burying his dead.

(c)In fact, he is Patur - from all Mitzvos that are said in the Torah (See Hagahos ha'Rav Renchberg).

17)

(a)They change the pall-bearers as the stretcher is being transported to its burial-site - because they all want to perform the Mitzvah.

(b)The Tana - exempts all those in front of the stretcher who are still needed from reciting the Sh'ma, but not those behind it ...

(c)...since they have already had a turn.

(d)Both groups however, are Patur from Tefilah - because it is only mi'de'Rabbanan.

(e)It is wrong to say that it is because there is still time to Daven - since that is not the implication of the word 'Patur' (used by the Mishnah).

18)

(a)Following the burial, one begins to recite the Sh'ma - provided one can finish (at least the first Pasuk) before one arrives at the 'Shurah' (the row where they would comfort the Aveilim).

(b)Once they reach the Shurah - those who are standing inside (the rows close to the mourners) are Patur, whereas those on the outside, are Chayav.

(c)We query the Lashon 'Mutal Lefanav' in the Mishnah from a Beraisa.

19)

(a)The Beraisa rules that somebody whose deceased is lying before him who wants to eat - must go to another room in order to do so.

(b)If he has no other room in which to eat - then he must eat by a neighbor.

(c)If there is ...

1. ... no neighbor by whom he is able to eat - then he must make a Mechitzah (a partition) behind which to eat.

2. ... nothing with which to form a partition - then he simply turns round and eats.

(d)An Onein is not permitted to eat - meat or to drink- wine.

(e)Whe the Tana says 've'Eino Meisav', he means - that he does not recline on a couch when eating, as people used to do in those days.