16 lines down after the two dots the gemara quotes a braisa regarding dates. Then asks a kasha from a braisa about grapes, olives, figs and dates. In answer to the kasha the gemara quotes the braisa that comes before the two dots. While the gemara seems to only be asking a kasha on the dates, the braisa mentioning the holidays could also be read as a kasha on the braisa preceding the two dots that mentions places rather than holidays as criteria for "biur". It seems to me that the two dots are printer's mistake and the braisos before and after the two dots should be read as one long braisa, and the kasha really is on the entire braisa, hence the answer that comes from the beginning of the braisa itself. What do you say?
Menachem Weiman, St. Louis, United States
Menachem, I think you are right. The first braisa seems to be one long braisa about grapes, olives, figs and dates, and there does not seem to be any reason to have the 2 dots in the middle.
Yasher Koach
Dovid Bloom
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Follow-up reply:
1) The Hebrew Metivta edition of Shas cites here the sefer Beis Shin ?"? ( I do not know if this is Birchos Shamayim ???? ???? or Binyan Shlomo) who writes that the two dots here are a mistake.
2) However it is worth pointing out that I found in Otzar Hachochmah that in the Venice Shas (which I believe is dated as 1520-1523) the two dots do appear.
Dovid Bloom