Dear Rabbi Shaw,
(a) I don't want to be a "nudnick", but from the translation alone, I don't fully understand the significance of the story of 'Pilegesh B'Giv'ah', Gittin, 6b. I don't understand the significance of a hair "in the place of relations" and what dangers are inherent in it, nor do I understand fully why the husband was upset.
(b) At this point I want to ask a question of policy. Is the "point by point summary" meant to render 'pshat' in English, or is it meant to be a 'hint', an allusion to the Gemara, with the reader's expected knowledge of the original text accompanying meforshim?
If the answer is the second one , mainly a hint, then I have no qualms with Rav Feldman. However, if it is meant to be 'pshat' in English, then in the case mentioned above a fuller explanation is expected including an explanation of the customs of women at that time.
(c) Also why is R' Hisda's 'memra' put on daf 7a, when in the text it is on daf 6b?
Very truly yours,
Avraham Greenhaus
(a) Regarding the cause of the tragedy of Pilegesh b'Giv'ah, Rashi explains the custom of women at that time. Rashi also mentions the danger inherent in a hair being present, although he does not describe it in detail. In lieu of a detailed description, men were strict that there be no hair present during marital relations, lest the hair get entangled or stuck in the urethral orifice (see Rashi and Radak to Shmuel II 13:15), causing physical damage to the membrum, with its undesirable symptomatic and Halachic consequences (see Devarim 23:2).
(b) Regarding your question of the purpose of the Daf-Outlines, the Outlines are not meant to provide any more information than the words of the Gemara provide, other than to translate them into a readable English style, and to show the flow of the Gemara in an outline form. The latter purpose -- showing the Gemara in a visible outline format -- was requested by many of our readers several years ago, and it was in response to that request that we began writing the Daf-Outlines. It is an excellent tool for Chazarah, which was its original purpose, but many people have told us that they find it most useful when learning the Gemara for the first time. Granted, since its purpose is not to relate the Peshat of the Gemara (since doing so would make the Outline extremely cumbersome to read, while the goal is to keep it as concise as possible), occasionally (but in my opinion, not that often), a reader who is grappling for the Peshat will not find it in the Outline.
For a more Peshat-oriented resource material, I would recommend the other Daf materials, such as the Daf-Review (Answer section). The Daf-Background is also helpful. Also, you can always take advantage of the daf@dafyomi.co.il service to send in your questions on Peshat.
(c) Rav Chisda's statement was placed on 7a because we try to avoid stopping a Daf in middle of a subject.
All the best,
Yisroel Shaw