[13a - 48 lines; 13b - 50 lines]
1)[line 3]לא מסיימיLO MESAIMEI- it is not clear who holds of which opinion
2)[line 9]לחדד בה התלמידיםL'CHADED BAH HA'TALMIDIM- [he praised it to] to sharpen his students [by inducing them to figure out why he praised it]
3)[line 15]קנקנתוםKANKANTUM- (O.F. adrement) vitriol, black ink used by shoemakers
4)[line 21]לבלרLAVLAR- a scribe
5)[line 28]"ומחה אל מי המרים""U'MACHAH [EL MEI HA'MARIM]"- "and he erased it [in the bitter water]" (Bamidbar 5:23)
6)[line 31]מיחש לזבובMEICHASH L'ZEVUV- to suspect that a fly [will land on the wet ink]
7)[line 32]אתגיה דדל''תA'TAGEI D'DALES- on the upper-right corner of the letter Dales
8)[line 34]שאני מטיל לתוך הדיוSHE'ANI MATIL L'SOCH HA'DYO- that I place in to the ink [since it acts as a fly-repellent) (TOSFOS YESHANIM)
9)[line 36]למיקם אליביהL'MEIKAM A'LIBEI- to understand his intentions
10)[line 37]גמר גמראGAMAR GEMARA- he memorized the Mishnayos
11)[line 37]סבר סבראSAVAR SEVARA- he learned Talmudic methodology and how to analyze Mishnayos
12)[line 39]פרשת סוטהPARSHAS SOTAH
(a)A Sotah is a woman who is suspected of committing adultery because she was warned by her husband not to seclude herself with a certain man and she violated the warning. The process of warning her in front of witnesses is called Kinuy. The witnesses who see her seclude herself with the suspected adulterer are called Eidei Stirah. The time of seclusion must be at least the time that it takes to roast an egg and swallow it. The woman is forbidden to her husband and the alleged adulterer until she drinks Mei Sotah (see (d), below). If she committed adultery after not heeding the warning of two witnesses, she is put to death by Chenek (choking), as it states in the Torah (Devarim 22:22). One witness to adultery ("Ed Tum'ah) prevents her from drinking the Mei Sotah.
(b)After Kinuy and Stirah, the husband must bring his wife to the Beis ha'Mikdash to perform the procedure of the Mei Sotah. On the way there, Beis Din appoints two Torah scholars to accompany them to make sure that they do not engage in marital relations, which are forbidden to them. Moreover, if the couple does have marital relations at this point, the Mei Sotah will not work, since the husband must be "Menukeh me'Avon," clear (lit. cleaned) of sin for the ceremony to work. The Gemara (Sotah 47b) explains that this means that he did not have relations with his wife from the time that she became prohibited to him, or with any other woman (ever) who was prohibited to him (RASHI to Sotah ibid.)
(c)The husband brings a sacrifice consisting of 1/10 of an Eifah (approximately 2.16, 2.49 or 4.32 liters, depending upon the differing Halachic opinions) of barley flour as a Minchah offering. Oil and Levonah are not added (Bamidbar 5:15), and Hagashah, Kemitzah and Haktarah are performed (see Background to Menachos 72:25a:c). The Sheyarei ha'Minchah are eaten by the Kohanim. In the Azarah of the Beis ha'Mikdash, a Kohen reads Parshas Sotah, the portion of the Torah describing the curses with which a Sotah is cursed, out loud (in any language that the Sotah understands) and makes the Sotah swear that she has been faithful to her husband.
(d)An earthenware jug is then filled with half a Log of water from the Kiyor, and dirt from the floor of the Azarah is placed on top of the water. Parshas Sotah (that contains numerous appearances of HaSh-m's name) is written on parchment and then immersed in the water, which causes the ink to dissolve, erasing the Holy Names. The Sotah afterwards drinks from the water. If she was unfaithful to her husband and allowed herself to become defiled, the water would enter her body and poison her, causing her belly to swell out and her thigh to rupture. If she was faithful to her husband, she remained unharmed and would be blessed that she would become pregnant (Bamidbar 5:11-31). In times when there is no Mei Sotah such as in the present day, a Sotah must be divorced and does not receive her Kesuvah.
13)[line 44]אינתיקINTIK- it has been designated
14)[line 47]להתלמד כתיבאLEHISLAMED KESIVA- it is written to learn from
13b----------------------------------------13b
15)[line 3]לשמהLISHMAH - For Her Sake
(a)The Torah states (Devarim 24:1) that if a man wants to divorce his wife must write a Sefer Kerisus (a document that cuts [the bond between them]) and hand it to her in front of two witnesses. In the language of Chazal, this document of divorce is called a Get (pl. - Gitin.)
(b)A Get must contain the full names of the pair involved in the divorce, the places where they are to be found at the time of the writing (or where they live, or where they were born, according to some), and the date and place where the Get is written. If any of these items is missing or mistaken ("Shinah Shemo u'Shemah" - Gitin 34b, Yevamos 91b), the Get is invalid.
(c)A Get must be written Lishmah (for the sake of the woman who is to be divorced), as is learned from the verse in the Torah, "v'Chasav Lah Sefer Kerisus" - "and he must write for her a bill of divorce" (Devarim 24:1). The scribe must therefore write at least: 1. the name of the wife; 2. the name of the husband; 3. the place; and 4. the words "Harei At Muteres l'Chol Adam" - "You are hereby free to marry whomever you wish" - with the intention that this Get will be used to divorce this specific woman (see RAMBAM Hilchos Gerushin 3:7).
(d)The Tana'im argue as to whether Parshas Sotah (see above, #11) must be written Lishmah (for the sake of the woman who will drink the water). Rebbi Achai bar Yoshi'ah rules that it does not have to be written Lishmah. The verse in Bamidbar (5:30) only requires "Asi'ah" ("doing" = erasing the Parshas Sotah) Lishmah, and not Kesivah (writing) Lishmah. The RAMBAM (Hilchos Sotah 3:8) rules like Tana Kama, that Parshas Sotah must be written Lishmah.
16)[line 17]מחדדנאMECHADADNA- I am sharper of mind
17)[line 25]תלמיד ותיקTALMID VASIK- (a) a diligent, humble student who cherishes the Mitzvos (RASHI Berachos 9b); (b) an outstanding scholar noted for deep analysis and sharp reasoning (TALMIDEI RABEINU YONAH Berachos 25b); (c) a student with good qualities (MUSAF HE'ARUCH in the Aruch)
18)[line 30]שלש שנים נחלקו בית שמאי ובית הללSHALOSH SHANIM NECHLEKU BEIS SHAMAI U'VEIS HILLEL- (This is mentioned here since we had brought up the fact that Rebbi Meir was so sharp, the Chachamim did not want to rule in accordance with his opinion (since they were never sure that they fully understood him). Similarly, the students of Beis Shamai were very sharp (Yevamos 14a), yet it was eventually decided by a Bas Kol not to rule in accordance with their opinion.)
19)[line 35]נוחין ועלובין היוNOCHIN V'ALUVIN HAYU- they were pleasant and submissive
20)[line 42]מחזרת אחריוMECHAZERES ACHARAV- pursues him
21)[line 43]כל הדוחק את השעהKOL HA'DOCHEK ES HA'SHA'AH- (lit. and whoever tries to force time) whoever tries to accomplish something before its time
22)[line 43]שעה דוחקתוSHA'AH DOCHKASO- (lit. time pushes him away) what he tries to achieve evades him
23a)[line 47]יפשפש במעשיוYEFASHFESH B'MA'ASAV- he should examine his past deeds (and do Teshuvah for his sins)
b)[line 47]ימשמש במעשיוYEMASHMESH B'MA'ASAV- he should evaluate the deeds that he is going to do
24)[line 48]אריחARI'ACH- a "half-brick," which is three Tefachim by one-and-a-half Tefachim
25)[line 48]לבנהLEVEINAH- a brick that is three Tefachim by three Tefachim