1)

(a)Rav Papa asked why it was that earlier generations were accustomed to witnessing more miracles than his own. What prompted him to ask this question was the fact that - when there was no rain, their lengthy T'filos drew no response, whereas all Rav Yehudah had to do was to remove one shoe (as a sign of pain) and it would begin to rain.

(b)The reason could not have been due to the fact that the earlier generations were more learned than they were - seeing as in days of Rav Yehudah, their learning was mainly restricted to Seider Nezikin, whereas in his times they would study all six Sedarim.

2)

(a)They also had problems with the Mishnah in Uktzin which rules that if 'A woman pickles vegetables in a pot' (or 'Olives that are pickled) together with their leaves' - remain Tahor.

(b)The leaves (which generally serve as a handle for the vegetables) not transmit Tum'ah to the vegetables - because, one they are pickled together, they come loose and no longer serve their purpose as handles.

(c)When Rav Yehudah arrived at that Mishnah, he commented - that he saw there the tough Sugyos of Rav and Shmuel ...

(d)... whilst in Rav Papa's generation - there were thirteen Yeshivos that were studying Uktzin.

3)

(a)Abaye answered that Rav Yehudah's generation were more worthy of miracles than theirs - because they indulged in acts of Mesirus Nefesh (self-sacrifice).

(b)The example he gave involved Rav Ada bar Ahavah - who once tore off a red, flashy cloak from the back of a woman, because it was immodest, whom he took to be a Yisre'elis.

(c)His mistake was - that she was actually a Kutis (i.e. a Nochris).

4)

(a)Beis-Din penalized him - to the tune of four hundred Zuz (that he had to pay for embarrassing her) ...

(b)The name of the Kutis was 'Masun'.

(c)Rav Ada bar Ahavah then declared ruefully 'Masun Masun' ...

(d)... which sounds like the Arama'ic word for 'two hundred plus two hundred' (Zuz - the amount he now had to pay her).

(e)The connection between this episode and the previous Sugya - in that there too, we referred to someone taking off his clothes in the street as an act of Kidush Hash-m.

5)

(a)Rav Gidal sat by the gates leading to the location where the women used to Tovel - in order to instruct them how to Tovel properly.

(b)When the Rabbanan asked him whether he was not afraid of the Yeitzer-ha'Ra, he replied - that he saw them as white geese.

6)

(a)Rebbi Yochanan did the same thing - only he did it in order that the women should see him as they came up from the water and bear children as good-looking as him.

(b)When they asked him whether he was not afraid of 'Ayin ha'Ra' - he replied that as a descendent of Yosef, he was not subject to the Ayin ha'Ra.

(c)One of the sources for this lies in the Pasuk in Vay'chi (in connection with Ya'akov's B'rachah to Yosef) "Ben Poras Yosef, Ben Poras Alei Ayin", which Rebbi Avahu Darshened as if it was written "Olei Ayin" (above the Ayin ha'Ra).

(d)Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Chanina learned it from the Pasuk there (in connection with Ya'akov's B'rachah to Yosef's sons) "Veyidgu la'Rov be'Kerev ha'Aretz"- which he explained to mean that 'they will increase like fish ... '.

(e)Yet others explain that Yosef's descendents are not subject to Ayin ha'Ra - because 'No eye will have control over the one who did not derive pleasure from what was not his!'

7)

(a)The Mishnah rules that Nashim, Avadim and Ketanim are ...

1. ... Patur from Keri'as Sh'ma and Tefilin, but ...

2. ... Chayav Tefilah and Mezuzah.

(b)The Mishnah adds to the latter list - the Mitzvah of Birchas ha'Mazon.

(c)Ketanim are Patur from Tefilin (even mi'de'Rabbanan) - because they do not know how to be careful about no0t emitting a smell whilst wearing them.

(d)Even though Tefilah is a time-related Mitzvah, women are Chayav - because they too, need Divine mercy.

(e)The Gemara will discuss women vis-a-vis Birchas ha'Mazon shortly. They are Chayav Mezuzah - because it is a Mitzvas Asei she'Ein ha'Zeman Geramah'.

8)

(a)We might have otherwise thought that women are ...

1. ... Patur from Tefilah - because the Pasuk in Tehilim writes with regard to it "edrev va'Voker ve'Tzaharim ... ", conveying the impression that Tefilah is a time-bound Mitzvah.

2. ... are Patur from Mezuzah - because, in the second Parshah of the Sh'ma, it is compared to Talmud-Torah (from which we know they are Patur).

(b)Based on the Pasuk in Beshalach (in connection with the Manna) "be'Seis Hash-m lachem ba'Erev Basar Le'echol ve'lechem ba'Boker Li'sbo'a", we might have thought that women are Patur from Birchas ha'Mazon - since the Pasuk conveys the impression that eating (and consequently Birchas ha'Mazon) is time-bound.

9)

(a)The problem with Rav Ada bar Ahavah, who says that women are Chayav to make Kidush on Shabbos min ha'Torah is - that seeing as Kidush is a time-bound Mitzvah, she ought to be Patur.

(b)Besides the fact that if Rav Ada bar Ahavah had meant 'mi'de'Rabbanan, why did he say min ha'Torah, Rava also objects to Abaye's answer that Rav Ada bar Ahavah really meant that they are Chayav mi'de'Rabbanan in that - why did the Rabbanan not also obligate women in all Mitzvos Asei she'ha'Zeman Geraman?

(c)Rava therefore answered the question by citing the Hekesh of "Zachor" to "Shamor" - inasmuch as whoever is Chayav the Mitzvos Lo Sa'aseh of "Shamor" is also Chayav the Mitzvas Asei of "Zachor".

10)

(a)Ravina asked Rava - whether women are Chayav Birchas ha'Mazon min ha'Torah or mi'de'Rabbanan.

(b)The ramifications of the She'eilah are - whether a woman can be Motzi a man (who is Chayav mi'd'Oraysa) or not.

(c)Even though Benching is not a time-bound Mitzvah, women might nevertheless be Patur min ha'Torah - since the Torah writes (in connection with Birchas ha'Mazon) "al ha'Aretz ha'Tovah asher Nasan Lach", and women did not receive a portion in Eretz Yisrael (See Tosfos).

(d)Granted, the daughters of Tz'lofchad did receive a portion in Eretz Yisrael - but that was their father's portion, not their own.

11)

(a)Rava tried to resolve the She'eilah from a Beraisa which discusses various people being Motzi others Birchas ha'Mazon. The Tana rules that ...

1. ... a son can be Motzi his father ...

2. ... an Eved, his master and

3. ... a woman, her husband.

(b)What does the Tana states however - that a man who needs his wife and children to be Motzi him with Birchas ha'Mazon (because he never learned how to Bench) deserves to be cursed.

(c)Ravina refutes Rava's proof from the last case, that a woman must be Chayav min ha'Torah; otherwise how could she be Motzi her husband - because how will he then explain the fact that a small son (who is certainly not Chayav to Bench min ha'Torah), be Motzi his father?

(d)All three cases must therefore be speaking - where the one who is being Motzi ate enough to be satisfied (which is the Shi'ur for benching min ha'Torah), whereas the one who is being Yotze ate only a Shi'ur de'Rabbanan ...

(e)The Shiur de'Rabbanan is ...

1. ... a k'Zayis according to Rebbi Meir.

2. ... a k'Beitzah, according to Rebbi Yehudah.

12)

(a)Rav Avira sometimes in the name of Rebbi Ami, sometimes in the name of Rebbi Asi, cited the angels. The problem the angels had with the Pasuk in Eikev "asher Lo Yisa Panim ve'Lo Yikach Shochad" (which teaches that Hash-m has no favorites) was - that the Pasuk in Naso "Yisa Hash-m Panav Eilecha" (suggesting that Hash-m favors Yisrael) clashes with it.

(b)Hash-m reconciled the two Pesukim - by pointing out that He only favors Yisrael because they favor Him (in that they go beyond the letter of the law).

(c)Yisrael undertook to say Birkas Hamazon not only when satiated, but even after eating as little as a k'Zayis and a k'Beitzah.

13)

(a)A Ba'al Keri is obligated to think the Sh'ma in his heart and not say it out loud - following Takanas Ezra (the Takanah that Ezra initiated forbidding a Ba'al Keri to learn Torah before having Toveled).

(b)Regarding the B'rachos both before and after the Sh'ma however - he is Patur ...

(c)... since they are only mi'de'Rabbanan.

14)

(a)The Mishnah - obligates a Ba'al Keri to think the B'rachos after eating (Birchas ha'Mazon), but not the B'rachos before ...

(b)... because whereas the former are d'Oraysa, the latter are only mi'de'Rabbanan.

(c)Rebbi Yehudah rules - that one recites a B'rachah both before and after (and his opinion will be discussed in the Gemara).

15)

(a)Ravina extrapolates from the fact that one is Yotzei the Sh'ma with Hirhur alone - that 'Hirhur ke'Dibur' (thinking is as effective as speaking).

(b)And the reason that one does not recite it loud is - in order to differentiate from Sinai (where the Aseres ha'Dibros were said out loud).

(c)Rav Chisda extrapolates from the fact that one does not recite the Sh'ma loud - that Hirhur La'v ke'Dibur' ...

(d)... and Rebbi Elazar explains that one nevertheless needs to think - in order that the Ba'al Keri should not sit idle whilst the community are reciting the Sh'ma.

(e)Rav Ada bar Ahavah explains that it will not suffice simply to study another topic (See Hagahos ha'Bach) - because it is essential that he busies himself with the same topic as the community.

16)

(a)We query this from the next Mishnah, which discusses someone who remembers that he is a Ba'al Keri in the middle of the Amidah - who continues, but cuts the B'rachos short.

(b)From the fact that the Mishnah speaks specifically about a person who has already begun the Amidah, we extrapolate - that if has not yet begun the Amidah he should not do so.

(c)Initially, we answer that the Chachamim more stringent by the Sh'ma than by the Amidah - because unlike the former, the latter does not contain Malchus Shamayim.

(d)We query this answer from Birchas ha'Mazon in our Mishnah however - inasmuch as it too, does not contain Malchus Shamayim, yet one is Chayav to think it.

(e)To explain the difference between the Sh'ma and Birchas ha'Mazon on the one hand and the Amidah on the other, we finally answer - that whereas the former are d'Oraysa, the latter is only de'Rabbanan.