Mishnah 1
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1)

(a)The Mishnah exempts someone whose dead is lying before him from three Mitzvos specifically (see Tosfos Yom Tov). What does the Tana mean by 'someone whose dead is lying before him'?

(b)From which three Mitzvos does the Tana exempt him?

(c)Why is that?

1)

(a)The Mishnah exempts someone whose dead is lying before him - (i.e. one of the seven relatives whom he is obligated to mourn for and whom he now has to bury) from three things specifically (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

(b)The Tana exempts him - from Keri'as Sh'ma, Tefilah and Tefilin (see Tosfos Yom Tov, end of DH 'mi'Keri'as Sh'ma ... ') ...

(c)... because his mind is occupied with the Mitzvah of burying his dead.

2)

(a)Regarding the Levayah, which other two groups does the Mishnah mention besides those who are actually carrying the coffin?

(b)During the Levayah, on what condition does the Mishnah exempt from Mitzvos those of them who are ...

1. ... in front of the coffin?

2. ... behind the coffin?

(c)What does the Tana say about those who are not involved in carrying the deceased?

(d)For which two reasons might they be Patur from Tefilah, even though they are Chayav to recite the Sh'ma?

2)

(a)Regarding the Levayah, besides those who are actually carrying the coffin, the Mishnah mentions - those who will take over from them and those who will take over from the latter.

(b)During the Levayah, the Mishnah exempts from Mitzvos both those of them who are ...

1. ... in front of the coffin, and those who are ...

2. ... behind the coffin - as long as the coffin still needs them.

(c)The Tana rules that those who are not involved in carrying the deceased - are included in the P'tur from Tefilah ...

(d)... which a. is only mi'de'Rabbanan, and b. requires more Kavanah (as we learned earlier), but not from the Sh'ma (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

Mishnah 2
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3)

(a)After the deceased has been buried, on what condition are those who have not yet recited the Sh'ma obligated to begin reciting it?

(b)The Mishnah now discusses reciting the Sh'ma once they reach the Shurah. What is 'the Shurah'?

(c)What does the Tana say? Upon reaching the Shurah, who is Patur from reciting the Sh'ma and who is Chayav?

(d)What do 'inside' and 'outside' mean in this context?

3)

(a)After the deceased has been buried, those who have not yet recited the Sh'ma are obligated to begin reciting it - provided they are able to complete the paragraph (see Tosfos Yom Tov) before they reach the Shurah; otherwise, they are Patur (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

(b)The Mishnah now discusses reciting the Sh'ma once they reach the Shurah - (the rows that they form to comfort the mourner as they file past him).

(c)The Tana exempts those who are inside from reciting the Sh'ma, but obligates those who are outside.

(d)'Inside' in this context, means - those who are close enough to the mourner to see his face and 'outside', those who are not.

Mishnah 3
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4)

(a)From which Mitzvah does the Mishnah exempt women, Avadim and Ketanim, besides that of Keri'as Sh'ma?

(b)Seeing as the Mitzvah of Keri'as Sh'ma is time-bound, why does the Tana find it necessary to teach us that women are Patur? Why might we have thought otherwise?

(c)What makes the Mitzvah of Tefilin time-bound too?

(d)Then why does the Tana find it necessary to teach us that women are Patur?

4)

(a)The Mishnah exempts women, Avadim and Ketanim from the Mitzvah of Keri'as Sh'ma and - Tefilin.

(b)Despite the fact that the Mitzvah of Keri'as Sh'ma is time-bound, the Tana finds it necessary to teach us that women are Patur, because we would otherwise have thought - that they are Chayav, due to the important aspect of Kabalas Ol malchus Shamayim that it conmtains.

(c)What makes the Mitzvah of Tefilin time-bound too - is the fact that night-time (see Tosfos Yom Tov) and Shabbos are not subject to Tefilin.

(d)The Tana nevertheless finds it necessary to teach us that women are Patur - so as not to learn that they are Chayav from Mezuzah, to which Tefilin is compared (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

5)

(a)On what grounds are Avadim Patur from these two Mitzvos (see Tosfos Yom Tov)?

(b)On what grounds did Chazal exempt a boy who has reached the age of Chinuch from the Mitzvah of ...

1. ... Keri'as Sh'ma?

2. ... Tefilin?

(c)Why did they then obligate all three to observe the Mitzvah of Tefilah?

5)

(a)Avadim are Patur from these two Mitzvos - because they are compared to women (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

(b)Chazal exempted a boy who has reached the age of Chinuch from the Mitzvah of ...

1. ... Keri'as Sh'ma - because his father is not always available when the time of the Sh'ma arrives, to recite it with him.

2. ... Tefilin - because most young boys do not how to avoid emitting a smell whilst wearing them.

(c)They nevertheless obligated all three to observe the Mitzvah of Tefilah - since a. It is mi'de'Rabbanan, and b. everybody requires Divine mercy (so the Rabbanan saw fit to obligate them).

6)

(a)Which other two Mitzvos does the Mishnah obligate them to observe?

(b)Why might we have otherwise thought that they are Patur from Mezuzah, seeing as it not a time-bound Mitzvah?

(c)We are not sure whether a woman's obligation to recite Birchas ha'Mazon is d'Oraysa or mi'de'Rabbanan. Why might it be mi'd'Oraysa?

(d)Why might it not?

6)

(a)The Mishnah also obligates them to observe the Mitzvos of - Mezuzah and Birchas ha'Mazon.

(b)We might otherwise have thought that they are Patur from Mezuzah (in spite of the fact that it is not a time-bound Mitzvah) - because it is compared to Talmud-Torah (from which women are exempt [see Tosfos Yom Tov]).

(c)We are not sure whether a woman's obligation to recite Birchas ha'Mazon is d'Oraysa or mi'de'Rabbanan. It might be mi'd'Oraysa - since it applies whenever one eats, and is not therefore time-bound.

(d)On the other hand, it might not - because the Torah writes in Eikev (in connection with Birchas ha'Mazon) "al ha'Aretz ha'Tovah asher Nasan Lach", and the land was not given to women).

Mishnah 4
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7)

(a)On what basis does the Mishnah obligate a Ba'al Keri to think the Sh'ma without actually reciting it verbally? Who instituted it?

(b)Why can it not possibly be d'Oraysa?

(c)What was Ezra's reason for instituting it?

(d)What does the Tana say about the Berachos before and after the Sh'ma?

7)

(a)the Mishnah obligates a Ba'al Keri to think the Sh'ma without actually reciting it verbally - due to Takanas Ezra, who instituted the prohibition of a Ba'al Keri reciting the Sh'ma, of Davening or of reciting Berachos before he has Toveled in a Mikvah).

(b)It cannot possibly be d'Oraysa - since words of Torah (and of Tefilah) are not subject to Tum'ah.

(c)Ezra instituted it - so that Talmidei-Chachamim should not 'be with their wives like chickens.

(d)As for the Berachos before and after the Sh'ma - these one is even Patur from thinking (seeing as they only mi'de'Rabbanan in the first place).

8)

(a)What does the Tana say about reciting Berachos ...

1. ... after eating (see Tosfos Yom Tov)?

2. ... before eating?

(b)Why the difference?

(c)What does R. Yehudah say (see Tosfos Yom Tov)?

(d)On what grounds do we not practice this Mishnah?

8)

(a)On the one hand, the Tana ......

1. ... obligates thinking (see Tosfos Yom Tov) the Berachos after eating; on the other, he

2. ... exempts one from doing so before eating ...

(b)... seeing as the latter are only mi'de'Rabanan, whereas the former are min ha'Torah.

(c)According to R. Yehudah - one actually recites both sets of Berachos (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

(d)We do not practice this Mishnah practice - because Takanas Ezra, which was not widely accepted to begin with (Tiferres Yisrael), was later negated by a subsequent Beis-Din.

Mishnah 5
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9)

(a)What does the Mishnah instruct a person who is in the middle of the Amidah to do if he remembers that he is a Ba'al Keri?

(b)And what does the Tana say about Ba'al Keri who is about to Tovel at the time of Hanetz ha'Chamah? What is the ideal thing for him to do?

(c)What if he is unable to make it on time?

(d)On what condition will covering oneself with the water suffice?

9)

(a)The Mishnah instructs a person who is in the middle of the Amidah to do if he remembers that he is a Ba'al Keri - to curtail each Berachah (without actually omitting any of them [see Tosfos Yom Tov]).

(b)The Tana rules that a Ba'al Keri who is about to Tovel at the time of Hanetz ha'Chamah, should if possible - leave the water, get dressed and recite the Sh'ma before the sun rises.

(c)If he is unable to make it on time - then he should cover himself with the water and recite the Sh'ma whilst still in the water.

(d)Covering oneself with the water will suffice - only if is not clear (e.g. if it is muddy).

10)

(a)Like whom does this Mishnah go?

(b)The Tana forbids following the above procedure if the water is bad. What does 'bad' mean?

(c)What other water does he specify?

10)

(a)This Mishnah goes - like the Vasikin (who are particular to Daven with 'Netz').

(b)The Tana forbids following the above procedure if the water is bad - (i.e. smelly).

(c)He also specifies - water in which flax has been soaked. Note, that presumably, he mentions the latter to explain the former).

11)

(a)The Tana concludes that one is obligated to pour water into it. To what is he referring? What does one need to insert in the Mishnah?

(b)How much water must one pour into it?

(c)Failing that, how far must one one distance oneself from urine and excrement in order to recite the Sh'ma?

(d)On what condition will even that not help?

11)

(a)The Tana concludes that one is obligated to pour water into it - with reference to reciting the Sh'ma in the vicinity of urine (which is missing from the text).

(b)One must one pour into it - a Revi'is (six egg-volumes).

(c)Failing that, one must distance oneself from urine and excrement - four Amos, in order to recite the Sh'ma ...

(d)... and even that will not help - if they are in front of him (in which case he must ensure that it is out of his line of vision), only if they are behind him or at the side.

Mishnah 6
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12)

(a)What does the Mishnah say about a Zav who had an emission and who wants to learn Torah, and a Nidah who exuded semen and who wishes to Daven?

(b)What is the latter case? How long before the sighting did the woman perform Tashmish?

(c)Why is that?

(d)What is the third case listed by the Tana?

12)

(a)The Mishnah rules that a Zav who had an emission and who wants to learn Torah, and a Nidah who exuded Zera and who wishes to Daven - require Tevilah for the latter (even though they will remain Tamei due to the former).

(b)The latter case is - where she had performed Tashmish before sighting blood, but within three days of exuding the Zera ...

(c)... because Zera that a woman exudes is only Metamei within three days (after which it becomes impotent [see Tosfos Yom Tov]).

(d)The third case listed by the Tana is - a Meshameshes who has a sighting of blood (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

13)

(a)What does R. Yehudah say?

(b)Why might we have thought that R. Yehudah agrees with the Tana Kama in the last case?

(c)What is R. Yehudah's reason?

(d)What is the Halachah?

13)

(a)R. Yehudah - exempts all the above (even the last case) from Tevilah.

(b)We might have thought that R. Yehudah agrees with the Tana Kama in the last case - because the Chiyuv to Tovel because of Keri preceded that of Nidus.

(c)R. Yehudah's reason is - because, in his opinion, Ezra never made such a Takanah in the first place (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

(d)The Halachah is - that nowadays, Takanas Ezra no longer applies (as we explained earlier).

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