1)

(a)The Tana Kama of our Mishnah does not obligate a man on whom blemishes grew to divorce his wife - Raban Shimon ben Gamliel does.

(b)Rav Yehudah reads our Mishnah the way it is written ('a man who grows a blemish') - Chiya bar Rav reads it a as 'a man who had blemishes (before he married)'.

(c)Chiya bar Rav disagrees with Rav Yehudah - because it is only if the blemishes were there before, that she cannot claim a false sale, seeing as she knew about it and accepted it, but how can we say that about blemishes that only grew later?

(d)Chiya bar Rav explains that Raban Shimon ben Gamliel in our Mishnah differentiates between small blemishes and large ones, even though she saw them both and accepted them - because in the case of large blemishes, she can claim that before she married her husband, she thought she could tolerate them, but after the marriage, she realized that she could not.

2)

(a)Raban Shimon ben Gamliel in our Mishnah, describes a large blemish as a - blindness or missing an arm or a leg.

(b)Rebbi Aba bar Yakov Amar Rebbi Yochanan rules like Raban Shimon ben Gamliel (in our Mishnah) - Rava Amar Rav Nachman, like the Chachamim.

(c)Rebbi Yochanan here (quoted by Rebbi Aba bar Yakov) with Rebbi Yochanan (quoted by Rabah bar bar Chanah), who rules that the Halachah is always like Raban Shimon ben Gamliel in a Mishnah - by establishing it as a Machlokes Amora'im as to what Rebbi Yochanan said.

(d)Rabah bar bar Chanah lists - three exceptions in his principle (Areiv, Tzidon & Re'ayah Acharonah).

3)

(a)Our Mishnah rules that we force a Mukeh Shechin (a leper), a Ba'al Pulipus, a Mekametz, a Metzaref Nechoshes or a Bursi (which will all be explained in the Sugya) - to divorce his wife - because they all exude a foul odor ...

(b)... even if she married him knowing that any of these cases applied.

(c)Rebbi Meir adds - that the same ruling applies, even the woman specifically accepted any of these blemishes (because she can say that although she initially thought that she could live with the smell, she now realizes that she can't).

(d)The Chachamim disagree with Rebbi Meir in two of the cases. They concede however - in the case of a leper, because he can object that she squashes his flesh, causing it to disintegrate.

(e)The Chachamim ruled in a case that occurred in Tzidon, where a tanner died, and the Yavam to whom his wife fell was a tanner too - that she can force him to do Chalitzah based on the argument that although she was able to tolerate living with his brother, she cannot tolerate living with him.

4)

(a)According to ...

1. ... Rav Yehudah Amar Shmuel, a 'Ba'al Pulipus' is someone who emits a foul smell from his nose. The Tana of the Beraisa defines it as - someone who emits a foul smell from his mouth.

2. ... Rav Yehudah, a Mekametz is someone who collects dog's manure. The Tana of the Beraisa defines it as - a tanner.

3. ... Rav Ashi, a Metzaref Nechoshes is someone who beats copper into plates to make copper pots. Rabah bar bar Chanah defines it as - someone who mines copper.

(b)We learned in our Mishnah that all of the above are compelled to divorce their wives - and to pay their Kesubah (see Tosfos DH 'Kofin').

(c)The Tana of the Beraisa, who describes 'Mekametz' in our Mishnah as a tanner, explains that, when our Mishnah mentions both Mekametz and Bursi - one of them refers to a big tanner (with a lucrative tannery), and the other, to a small tanner (to teach us that according to Rebbi Meir, one forces even a small tanner to divorce his wife, and according to the Chachamim, one does not even force a big tanner to do so).

(d)We learned earlier that according to Rav Ashi, a Metzaref Nechoshes is someone who beats copper into plates to make copper pots, whereas Rabah bar bar Chanah defines it as someone who mines copper. The Beraisa - corroborates the latter opinion.

5)

(a)Shmuel rejected Rav's statement that when a man says 'Eini Zan v'Eini Mefarnes, Yotzi v'Yiten Kesubah' - in that, rather than force him to divorce his wife, they ought to force him to sustain her!

(b)When Rebbi Elazar quoted him this statement in the name of Rav -Shmuel reacted by ordering his servants to feed him barley (animal food - because that is what he deserved for quoting something so illogical).

(c)Rav disagreed with Shmuel however - on the grounds that one cannot live in the same basket as a snake (once a man does not want to sustain his wife, he will go on to make life miserable for her (despite the fact that officially, he is still feeding her).

(d)When Rebbi Zeira arrived in Eretz Yisrael and heard Rebbi Binyamin bar Yefes quoting Rav's statement in the name of Rebbi Yochanan - he commented that Rebbi Elazar was already made to eat barley for having said that.

6)

(a)Wen 'Rav Yehudah Amar Rav Asi (or Rav), says 'Ein Me'asin Ela li'Pesulos', he means - that one only forces a man to give his wife a Get in the case of a forbidden couple ...

(b)... which Shmuel interprets as Chayavei Lavin (Almanah l'Kohen Gadol, Gerushah va'Chalutzah l'Kohen Hedyot Mamzeres u'Nesinah l'Yisrael [and vice-versa]).

(c)And Rav Asi is coming to preclude - someone who has lived with his wife for ten years without having children.

(d)Rav Tachlifa bar Avimi however, quotes Shmuel as saying - that we even force someone who has lived with his wife for ten years without having any children to divorce his wife, too.

7)

(a)We query Rav Tachlifa bar Avimi from our Mishnah, which lists the cases where one forces the man to divorce his wife. There is no problem with Rav Asi, who will ascribe the Tana's omission of Pesulos from his list - to the fact that he is only concerned with those whom the Rabanan obligate to divorce (but not those who are obligated min ha'Torah to do so).

(b)The problem with Rav Tachlifa bar Avimi is - why the Mishnah omits from his list the case of someone who lived with his wife for ten years without having any children (which is also mid'Rabanan).

8)

(a)Rav Nachman answers the Kashya by differentiating between the different degrees of force that one employs (those in our Mishnah with sticks, that of Rav Tachlifa bar Avimi only with words). Based on the Pasuk in Mishlei "bi'Devarim Lo Yivaser Eved" - Rebbi Aba objects to Rav Nachman's distinction, because trying to force someone with words alone is futile.

(b)Rebbi Aba differentiates between the two cases, even though in both cases, one uses sticks - because in our Mishnah, the moment the woman expresses willingness to live with her husband, there is no reason to continue beating him, whereas in the case of Rav Tachlifa bar Avimi (where the Mitzvah of Piryah v'Rivyah is at stake), we nevertheless force him to issue a divorce.

(c)Rebbi Aba accounts for the insertion of a leper, whom we force to issue a divorce for his own sake (as we explained earlier), in which case, we will not permit them to live together even if his wife expresses willingness to accept him.

(d)The difference between this case and that of Rav Tachlifa bar Avimi is - that in the former, we will accept her word should she agree that witnesses constantly ensure that they do not sleep together, whereas in the latter, he will have to divorce her at all costs (in order to fulfill the Mitzvah of Piryah v'Rivyah, as we explained).

9)

(a)One of the elders of Yerushalayim told Rebbi Yosi in a Beraisa, that there are twenty-four types of lepers. The type known as 'Ba'alei-Ra'asan' however (who have an insect in their brain) - find if particularly difficult.

(b)We learn in another Beraisa that, if ...

1. ... one of the partners lets blood immediately prior to Tashmish - they will have a child who is weak.

2. ... both of them do so - they will have a child who is a Ba'al Ra'asan.

(c)It is safe to perform Tashmish after blood-letting - provided one eats first.

(d)There are four signs that identify a Ba'al Ra'asan: His eyes, nose and mouth all run - and there are flies constantly buzzing round him.

10)

(a)To cure the Ba'al Ra'asan, Abaye prescribes a plant called pennyroyal, wormwood, nutshells, hide scrapings. lilies and the red skin of young dates - which one boils before pouring three hundred cups-full onto his head, either in a marble house or in a house seven and a half bricks wide (to keep out the wind). Then when the crown of his head becomes soft, one splits it open until the insect is revealed.

(b)The four leaves mentioned by Abaye - serve the purpose of placing the feet of the insect on them (failing which the insect will reflexively claw into the brain. Having removed the insect from the brain - one must take care to burn it, otherwise it will return.

(c)Following Rebbi Yochanan's advice to avoid the insects of the Ba'alei Ra'asan - Rebbi Zeira would not sit near a Ba'al Ra'asan in a way that the wind would on them both simultaneously; Rebbi Elazar would not enter his tent; Rebbi Ami and Rebbi Asi would not eats the eggs that were laid on that street.

(d)Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi had a different view. He Darshened from the Pasuk "Ayeles Ahavim v'Ya'alas Chen" - that if Torah fills those who study with grace, then it should certainly shield over them. So he would place the Ba'alei Ra'asan beside himself and study Torah (performing a great act of Chesed with them - see also 11d.).

11)

(a)For his kindness to the Ba'alei Ra'asan - Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi was rewarded by the Angel of Death, who offered him a last wish before he died. He chose to be shown his place in Gan Eden.

(b)He ask the Angel of Death for his knife - on the excuse that it frightened him.

(c)In spite of the Angel's efforts to force him to return, he managed to remain on the other side of the 'wall' that divides between this world and Gan Eden - by taking an oath that he would not return, and Hash-m granted him permission not to nullify his oath provided he had never in his life-time nullified an oath for whatever reason (which in fact, he had not).

(d)He returned the Angel's knife - because, due to the fact that the time had not yet arrived for the abolition of death (i.e. the realization of the Pasuk "Bila ha'Maves la'Netzach ... "), Hash-m ordered him to return it.

12)

(a)Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai (sitting on thirteen golden chairs) queried the angels, who announced 'Make way for bar Liva'i'! - on the grounds that, if, as Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi had told him, a rainbow had been seen in his days, he was not worthy of such an honor. In fact though, no rainbow had been seen, and Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi 'lied', because he declined to take credit for his righteousness.

(b)When Rebbi Chanina bar Papa was made the same offer as Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi - he first asked for thirty days grace, to revise his learning, in order to fulfill the dictum 'Ashrei Mi she'Ba l'Kan, v'Talmudo b'Yado'!

(c)When he too, after having asked to see his place in Gan Eden, requested that the Angel of Death hand him his knife - commented 'Once bitten, twice shy!' He did not jump across into Gan Eden like Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi did - because he did not have the Angel of Death's knife (which would have rendered him powerless to stop him) like Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi did (Agados Maharsha).

(d)When Rebbi Chanina bar Papa intimated that he was no worse than Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi - the Angel of Death asked him whether he too, had invited the lepers to join and continued to study Torah (to risk his life in order to honor the Torah [Rashi] - see also 9d.).

13)

(a)We know that Rebbi Chanina bar Papa was one of the greatest Tzadikim of his generation - because the pillar of fire that divided between him and the people after his death only appeared for one or two people in a generation (for someone who had kept every letter in the Torah).

(b)Rebbi Alexandri requested that the pillar of fire allow them access to Rebbi Chanina bar Papa. The pillar did not move when the former mentioned the honor of the Chachamim or when he mentioned the honor of his (Rebbi Chanina bar Papa's) father. It parted to allow them to approach the Tzadik - when he mentioned his own (Rebbi Chanina bar Papa's) merit, to allow them to eulogize him and to prepare him for burial.

(c)When Abaye explained that the Pillar of Fire was meant to divide between Rebbi Chanina bar Papa and all those who had not kept every letter of the Torah the way he had - Rav Ada bar Masna commented that it was to divide between Rebbi Chanina bar Papa and Abaye himself, who had not put up a Ma'akeh (a parapet) around the roof of his house.

(d)His comment was unjustified however - because Abaye had built a Ma'akeh, but the wind just happened to have blown it down at that time.

14)

(a)Rebbi Chanina ascribed the fact that there were no Ba'alei Ra'asan in Bavel to the fact that they used to eat beets ...

(b)... and drink beer containing hops (which grows on bushes).

(c)According to Rebbi Yochanan, eating beets and drinking beer in Bavel - achieved the fact that there were no Metzora'im to be found there ...

(d)... and what's more, they also used to bathe in the River Pras (the Euphrates).