1)

(a)Rebbi Yehudah Ish Kefar Giboraya or Ish Kefar Gibor Chayil learns from the Pasuk in Shmuel "va'Takam Chanah Acharei Ochloh v'Acharei Shasoh" that a woman should not drink wine - implying that only Elkanah [her husband] drank).

(b)We cannot, by the same token, extrapolate from "Acharei Achlah" that Elkanah (her husband) did not eat - because the above proof is not from the wording alone, but from the fact that Pasuk, which is initially talking about Chanah, switches in the middle to the masculine.

(c)A woman who is used to drinking may indeed drink wine. Abaye explains Rav Chinena bar Kahana Amar Shmuel, who said 'Regilah, Nosnin Lah Kos Echad, she'Einah Regilah, Nosnin Lah Shnei Kosos' to mean - that if a woman is used to drinking two cups in front of her husband, we give her one cup when he is not there; whereas if she is used to drinking one cup, we do not give her any wine at all.

(d)In that case, Rebbi Elazar who, at the foot of the previous Amud, forbade fixing any wine at all for a woman who is not eating with her husband - must be speaking about a woman who was only used to drinking one cup in his presence.

2)

(a)Alternatively, for a woman who was used to drinking wine they would fix wine to add to her cooked dish (but not to drink on its own). Rebbi Avahu Amar Rebbi Yochanan told - how the Beis-Din fixed two Sa'ah of wine (an exceptionally large quantity) for the daughter-in-law of Nakdimon ben Gurion to add to her cooked dish, for which she blessed them with the words 'Kach Tifseku li'Venoseichem'! (so may you fix for your own daughters).

(b)They did not answer 'Amen' - because she was a Shomeres Yavam (in which case the blessing incorporated a curse). See Agados Maharsha.

3)

(a)According to the Tana of the Beraisa, one cup of wine is good for a woman ...

1. ... two cups - is disgusting.

2. ... three - will cause her to accost any man that she meets.

3. ... four - she will not even be ashamed to accost a donkey in the street.

(b)The Tana confines this to a woman on her own, but in front of her husband, it doesn't matter. Chanah, who refrained from drinking wine even in the presence of her husband - was not at home, and guests are forbidden to perform Tashmish in the house of their host.

(c)Rav Huna infers from the Pasuk "va'Yashkimu ba'Boker ... va'Yashuvu va'Yavo'u el Beisam ha'Ramasah, va'Yeida Elkanah es Chanah Ishto ... " - that guests are not permitted to perform Tashmish, as we just explained.

4)

(a)Rava initially declined to fix wine for Chomah (Abaye's widow) when she came to Beis-Din to claim Mezonos - because he maintained, Abaye was not accustomed to drinking wine.

(b)Chomah replied - that to be sure, he used to drink wine in long goblets (see Agados Maharsha).

(c)When she demonstrated the long goblets that Abaye used to drink from - her arm became uncovered and caused the entire Beis-Din to light up (her beauty attracted everyone's attention). Rava promptly went home and accosted his wife.

(d)When Rava's wife discovered who was responsible for Rava's mood, she was not impressed with Chomah - on the grounds that she had killed three husbands and now wanted to kill a fourth (whom she was forbidden to marry) by flaunting her beauty. So she set about her with the bolt of a box, until she chased her out of Mechoza.

5)

(a)Rav Nechemyah brei d'Rav Yosef fixed wine for the widow of Rav Yosef brei d'Rava - on the grounds that the residents of Mechoza were known to drink wine.

(b)Rav Yosef fixed Mezonos and wine for the widow of Rav Yosef brei d'Rav Menashyah mi'Davil. When he asked her why she wanted fine woolen garments as well, she replied 'Lach ul'Chavrech ul'Chavrusech' - meaning that she did not want her self-esteem to be lowered in the eyes of the Chachamim, such as Rav Yosef and his colleagues (by lowering her standard of dress).

6)

(a)we query the ruling in our Mishnah, which requires a woman to receive both a mat and a blanket - in that seeing as most beds in those days had a leather base affixed to a frame (on which one slept), what was the point of the mat, which is less comfortable than the leather base?

(b)Rav Papa's answers - by establishing the Mishnah in a place where they would fill in the frame of the bed with ropes, which were painful to sleep on.

7)

(a)According to the Tana Kama in the Beraisa, the woman does not receive a cushion and a cover. According to Rebbi Nasan, she does.

(b)If it was ...

1. ... the way of her family to sleep with them - then even the Tana Kama will agree that she would receive the cushion and the cover.

2. ... neither the way of her family nor of his to sleep with them - then even Rebbi Nasan will agree that she would not receive them.

(c)We establish the Machlokes when it was his way but not hers to sleep with a cushion and with a cover. Nevertheless, the Tana Kama does not require the husband to arrange for his wife to receive them - because the husband can say that when he leaves home, he wants to take them with him (in which case the principle of 'Olah Imo' will not apply), but when he returns he will bring them with him (to enable her to 'rise with him').

(d)Rebbi Nasan counters this argument - by expressing the fear that he may arrive on Erev Shabbos just before nightfall, and not manage to bring them with him. Not having brought his, he will take her mat (forcing her to sleep on the floor) or her cushion and cover (assuming that she purchased her own), so she demands a spare set as a safeguard.

8)

(a)The Tana expects a man to arrange for his wife to receive three pairs of shoes annually but only one set of clothes - if he lives in mountainous country, where shoes wear out quickly.

(b)The reason that the Tana prescribes for the shoes to be purchased specifically on Yom Tov - is so that his wife should have additional Simchah on Yom Tov.

(c)Abaye knew that when the Tana speaks of clothes to the value of fifty Zuz he means 'fifty Zuz Medinah' (one eighth of a Zuz Tzuri) - because he specifies this sum for a poor man, and which poor man has fifty Zuz to his name (let alone to spend on clothes for his wife)?

9)

(a)We have already learned that the worn-out clothes belong to the woman. She uses them - to wear when she is a Nidah, to prevent her husband from becoming disgusted when he sees her wearing the same clothes when she is Tahor as during her period of Nidus.

(b)The leftovers of Mezonos (in the case of a woman who does not eat much, so that the food she receives is in excess of her needs) go to her husband.

(c)The worn-out clothes of an Almanah (who is fed and clothed by the heirs in the same way as she was by her husband) - go to the heirs, since the argument that her husband should not be disgusted, no longer applies. On the contrary, we do not want her to beautify herself excessively.

10)

(a)Our Mishnah says 'Ocheles Imo mi'Leilei Shabbos l'Leilei Shabbos'. According to Rav Nachman, 'Ocheles' means literally eats - Rav Ashi interprets it as a more refined expression of intimacy (in the same way as Yosef referred to Potifera's wife as "ha'Lechem Asher Hu Ochel").

(b)He proves this from the Pasuk "Achlah u'Machsah Piyhah v'Amrah Lo Pa'alti Avon" - where "Achlah" means Tashmish.

(c)Rav Huna refers to Yisrael as 'Kedoshim' - because they do not perform Tashmish in the daytime.

(d)Rav Ashi nevertheless explains the Beraisa, 'Raban Shimon ben Gamliel Omer, Ocheles b'Leilei Shabbos v'Shabbos to mean Tashmish - because, as Rava has taught us, Tashmish is permitted by day in a dark room.

11)

(a)In spite of Chazal's ruling, that one is not obligated to sustain one's children - Rebbi Ula Rabah nevertheless maintains that a father must do so until the age of six.

(b)This is based on the ruling of Rav Asi, that a child of six follows the Eruv of his mother, from which we see that up to the age of six a child needs his mother. Consequently, when his father feeds his mother, he feeds him too.

(c)We refute the proof from our Mishnah which rules that, if a woman is feeding, her husband must arrange more Mezonos. This might not be ...

1. ... because of the baby - but because his wife is feeling sick.

2. ... because of the baby, despite the fact that the Tana says 'because she is feeding', and not 'because she is sick' - to teach us that every feeding woman is considered sick in this respect.

(d)We learned in our Mishnah that a man must arrange extra Mezonos for his wife when she is feeding - which Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi explains to mean extra wine, because wine is good for the milk.

12)

(a)What a woman finds and the work of her hands goes to her husband. Whatever she inherits - the husband eats the Peiros.

(b)According to the Tana Kama, the shame and depreciation that she sustains if somebody wounds her, belongs to her. According to Rebbi Yehudah ben Beseirah, if she sustained ...

1. ... wounds that are not covered - she receives two thirds and her husband, one third.

2. ... wounds that are covered - she receives one third, and her husband, two.

13)

(a)Despite the fact that the Tana already discussed the obligations of a woman towards her husband in Perek Na'arah she'Nispatsah, he nevertheless found it necessary to repeat them in our Mishnah - to inform us of the Machlokes between the Tana Kama and Rebbi Yochanan ben Berokah (regarding the shame and depreciation of the wounds that she sustains).