1) You say in answer 7-a "If someone walks through a gentile market and makes
a point of smelling, he is a sinner, because of the spices of Avodah
Zarah, which one is forbidden to smell."
There is no reference in the gemara to how we might paskin. What are the
applicable laws today on walking through a gentile market (such as the Arab
Shuk in the Old City of Jerusalem) in order to enjoy the smells?
2) Regarding- Berachos 53b -differentiating sounds between 'Alef' and 'Ayin'
your answer 8-d
It seems from the Gemara that the people did not differentiate between the
sound of the "alef" and the sound of the "ayin", and needed the pesuk using
the word "Omemos" (with an 'ayin') to make the differentiation clear.
Don't we have a gemara that tells us that the people of Beit She'an were
not 'ro-ee- to be a 'shli'ach tzibur' because they didn't differentiate
between the 'alef' and the 'ayin'. If that's the case, who was qualified
to be 'shli'ach tzibur' among those discussed in our gemara?
3) Regarding making a b'racha on the havdala flame - the opinion of Rav Yehuda
daf 53b - your answer # 9-b
The gemara tells us that Rav Yehuda would make a b'racha on a flame that
came from the house of Ada Dayla, which was too far away for him to
benefit. It seems that Rav Yehuda would hold that just seeing the flame is
enough of a hana'a to make the b'racha. It also comes out l'halacha that
one must be close enough to the flame be able to see a shadow made by the
flame (our custom of holding up our hand to the flame in order to make a
shadow). Often, when havdala is made in shul, especially in a large shul,
one is standing in the back, and is not close enough to make a shadow from
the flame. May one rely on the opinion of Rav Yehuda and be yotze 'by the
sight of the flame', at least b'dieved?
1) Today most gentile spices we smell have not been used for Avodah Zarah. It is very rare to find actual offerings to Avodah Zarah, especially among the Arabs (whose religion is not classified as Avodah Zarah, according to most)
-Mordecai
2) I think that the Gemara means that although there certainly is a difference in pronunciation between the two, as you have proven, nevertheless a doubt arose as to the Mesorah of the Beraisa: which word did the Beraisa use? We find such uncertainties in other places in Shas.
-Mordecai3) Regarding your query on Daf 53b (regarding being too far away from the light to benefit from it): The Shulchan Aruch rules that one must be close enough to distinguish between two coins from two different countries.
Incidently, where do you see mention of a shadow? The Mishnah Berurah explains that we bend the fingers into the palm of the hand in order to ensure that we are able to distinguish between the fingernails and the skin of the palm (which is similar to distinguishing between the two coins)?
be'Virkas Kol Tuv
Eliezer Chrysler