1)

(a)The Beraisa rules that one may (and must) stop learning Torah in order to accompany a dead person and for the Mitzvah of Hachnasas Kalah. The latter constitutes - accompanying her from her father's house to the Chupah.

(b)One is not obligated (or even permitted) to stop learning in order to accompany a dead person - if he has the necessary quota of people needed, depending on the Kavod due to him (as will be explained shortly).

(c)One of the interpretations of 'Kol Tzorcho' offered by Rav Shmuel bar Inaya Amar Rav is if there are twelve thousand men plus six thousand Shofar blowers; the other - if there are twelve thousand people, of whom six thousand are Shofar-blowers.

(d)Ula defines it as sufficient people to fill the space from the gates of the town until the grave-side - Rav Sheshes, as six hundred thousand people (just as the Torah was given, so it is taken away).

2)

(a)The above applies to someone who only learned Torah (see Tosfos DH 'Hani Mili'). For someone who taught it - there is no minimum Shi'ur. Everyone is obligated to stop learning and to attend the Levayah.

(b)Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai learns from the Pasuk ...

1. ... in Shmuel 1 "ha'Nigloh Nigleisi l'Veis Avicha bi'Heyosam b'Mitzrayim" - that even when Yisrael were in Egypt, the Shechinah was with them.

2. ... in Yeshayah "Lema'ancha Shulachti Bavelah" - that the Shechinah went down with them to Bavel, too.

3. ... in Devarim "v'Shav Hash-m Elokecha es Shevuscha" - that when we ultimately leave Galus, the Shechinah will leave with us (since the Pasuk does not write "v'Heshiv ... es Shevuscha", which would mean that Hash-m will return us from captivity, but "v'Shav", implying that He will return with us).

(c)What the Shul in Hutzal (in Bavel) and the Shul of Shaf v'Yasiv in Neherda'a have in common - is that it was in both that the Shechinah would appear in Bavel, sometimes in one, sometimes in the other.

(d)King Yechonyah and his retinue built the latter, when they arrived in Galus from Eretz Yisrael - with stones that they brought with them.

3)

(a)Abaye would walk - as much as one Parsah (four Mil) in order to Daven in the Shul of Shaf v'Yasiv.

(b)Shmuel's father and Levi would leave the Shul when they heard the Shechinah about to enter. Rav Sheshes declined to do so - because he was blind.

(c)The Shechinah instructed the Angels to leave him be, after Rav Sheshes argued that surely, 'someone' who has all his faculties must give way to the unfortunate person who does not.

(d)According to Rebbi Yitzchak, the Pasuk in Yechezkel "va'Ehi Lahem l'Mikdash Me'at" refers to the Shuls and Batei Medrash of Bavel. According to Rebbi Elazar - it refers to the house of Rav in Bavel.

(e)Rava applied the Pasuk in Tehilim "Hash-m Ma'on Atah Hayisa Lanu" to the Shuls and the Batei Medrash in Bavel. The Pasuk "Hash-m Ahavti Me'on Beisecha" (also in Tehilim) affected Abaye - inasmuch as when he realized its implication (how much David loved a Shul), he took to learning in the Shul where he Davened, instead of in his own house (see Gilyon ha'Shas).

4)

(a)Rebbi Elazar ha'Kapar learned from Mount Tavor and Mount Karmel - that if those two mountains were fixed in Eretz Yisrael, because they came to Har Sinai (to learn Torah) when the Torah was being given on it, then the Shuls and the Batei Knesiyos, in which Torah is being disseminated all the time, will certainly be moved to Eretz Yisrael.

(b)Bar Kapara learns from the Pasuk in Tehilim "Lamah Teratzdun Harim Gavnunim" - that someone who is proud (like the mountains who claimed that the Torah should be given on them because they were taller than Har Sinai) is considered blemished (after the blemish in the eye that is called 'Giben').

(c)We learned in our Mishnah that one may not use a Shul as a Kapandriya (a short cut). 'Kapandriya' is the acronym of - 'a'd'Makifna Adri, Ei'al b'Ha' ('Instead of going round this row of houses, let me go through there').

(d)Someone who entered the Shul intending to retrace his steps, may subsequently leave by the other entrance (in the form of a short cut) should he change his mind. If however, he entered in order to Daven - then (even if he originally intended to exit through the other door), not only is he permitted to do so, but it is even a Mitzvah.

5)

(a)We learned in our Mishnah that one is forbidden to cut grass that is growing in the ruins of a Shul. In order to conform with a Beraisa - we amend that statement to read that one is forbidden to cut the grass to feed one's animals, but one is permitted to cut it and leave it there.

(b)The three things the Beraisa forbids in a Beis ha'Kevaros because of lightheadedness are - grazing one's animals, diverting a steam through it and cutting the grass that is growing there.

(c)In the event that someone did cut the grass there - it must be burned.

(d)The underlying reason for these prohibitions - is Kavod for the dead.

6)

(a)Our Mishnah now discusses the four Parshiyos. When Rosh Chodesh Adar falls ...

1. ... on Shabbos - one reads Parshas Shekalim on that day.

2. ... during the week - it is brought forward to the Shabbos before.

(b)On the second Shabbos we Lein Parshas Zachor, on the third Shabbos, Parshas Parah and on the fourth, Parshas ha'Chodesh. One would have expected the third and the fourth Parshiyos to be inverted - because Parshas ha'Chodesh refers to Rosh Chodesh Nisan, whereas the first Parah Adumah was only burned on the second of Nisan (in the following year).

(c)Parshas Parah nevertheless comes first - because it deals with the Taharah of Klal Yisrael (and someone who is Tamei is not permitted to bring the Korban Pesach).

(d)During the week, one breaks with the regular Leining on every occasion: on Rosh Chodesh, Chanukah, Purim, Ta'aniyos, Ma'amados and Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur - refers to Shabbos Minchah, when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbos.

7)

(a)We learned in a Mishnah in Shekalim that on the first of Adar, Beis-Din would issue an announcement with regards to both Shekalim and Kil'ayim. In the latter case - they would announce then (during the season of sowing) that whoever had Kil'ayim growing in his field, should remove the forbidden plants at once.

(b)They announced the Shekalim specifically then, because of what Rav Tavi, in the name Rebbi Yashiyah (based on the Pasuk in Pinchas "Zos Olas Chodesh b'Chodsho") said - namely, that Nisan was the time to begin purchasing the Korbenos Tzibur with the newly donated of money.

(c)This seems to suggest that the author of our Mishnah is the Rabanan of the Beraisa, who hold that one asks She'eilos and Darshens thirty days (from Rosh Chodesh Adar until Rosh Chodesh Nisan) before each Yom Tov. Raban Shimon ben Gamliel says - fourteen days.

(d)It is nevertheless possible to reconcile Raban Shimon ben Gamliel with our Mishnah - due to the fact that here too, it is fourteen days before the bankers set up centers throughout Eretz Yisrael (on the fifteenth of Adar) to exchange coins for the Machatzis ha'Shekel.

8)

(a)The bankers began setting up their centers in various spots throughout the land on the fifteenth of Adar. They set them up in the Beis Hamikdash however - on the twenty-fifth.

(b)The latter was a sign that the final time to bring one's half-Shekel was fast approaching, and that, from now on, Beis-Din would begin taking collateral from those people who were lax in paying their dues.

9)

(a)Rav maintains that Parshas Shekalim comprises the Parashah in Pinchas "Tzav es Bnei Yisrael"; according to Shmuel - it is the opening paragraph of Ki Sisa.

(b)The Parashah of Ki Sisa deals specifically with the half-Shekalim. "Tzav es Bnei Yisrael" is connected with the Shekalim - because of what Rav Tavi quoting Rebbi Yashiyah (who learns from this Pasuk that Nisan was the time to begin bringing Korbanos Tzibur that were purchased from the new batch of money - as we explained in 7b.).

(c)The Parashah in Ki Sisa may well deal with the half-Shekalim that they donated in the desert, but that particular money was melted down and used for the silver sockets that served as the base of the Mishkan (and not for the purchase of the Korbanos - which the annual donation currently under discussion was used for). Nevertheless - the Pasuk uses the word "Terumah" three times there, hinting at two other donations (besides that of the sockets): the donations of the raw materials for the Mishkan's construction, and the half-Shekalim that were used for the purchase of the Korbanos.

(d)According to Rav, we explain, this Rosh Chodesh Adar differs from every other Rosh Chodesh, on which one also reads the Parashah of "Tzav es Bnei Yisrael", inasmuch as now that constitutes the entire Leining, whereas on other Roshei Chodashim, it constitutes only Shevi'i. According to those who maintain that the four Parshiyos comprise only the Maftir, the difference between the two will be - that whereas on a regular Rosh Chodesh, they would call up six Aliyos in the Parashah of the week and only Shevi'i (Maftir) would Lein "Tzav ... "; on Rosh Chodesh Adar, three Aliyos Lein the Parashah of the week, and four, "Tzav ... ".

10)

(a)The Haftarah of Parshas Shekalim is the one which deals with Yehoyada ha'Kohen (in Melachim 2). The connection between that and the Parashah of "Tzav es Bnei Yisrael" (according to Rav) - is the statement of Rav Tavi (quoted above [that Nisan was the time to begin purchasing the Korbenos Tzibur from the new batch of money]).

(b)We learn in a Beraisa that if Parshas Shekalim falls the week before or the week after the Parashah in which it is written, then it is Leined twice consecutively. It is possible, according to Rav, for Parshas Pinchas (which contains "Tzav es Bnei Yisrael") to fall due in Adar - according to the Minhag of Eretz Yisrael (of that time) according to which they concluded the reading of the Torah only once every three years.

(c)We cite a Beraisa in support of Shmuel - which explicitly cites Ki Sisa as being Parshas Shekalim.

11)

(a)Rebbi Yitzchak Nafcha cites two occasions on which one takes out three Sifrei-Torah - Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh Adar, and Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh Teves.

(b)It would not have sufficed to state this just in the case of Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh Teves - because we might then have thought that with regard to Parshas Shekalim, Rebbi Yitzchak Nafcha holds like Rav, that Parshas Shekalim comprises "Tzav es Bnei Yisrael" (which, like the Leining of Rosh Chodesh, is in Pinchas). Consequently, it would not be necessary to take out three Sefarim on Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh Adar (seeing as we can Lein Parshas Shekalim in the same Sefer as the Parashah of Rosh Chodesh.

(c)In fact, Rebbi Yitzchak Nafcha said his Din only with regard to Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh Adar - and it is we who extrapolate that the same applies to Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh Teves.

12)

(a)According to Rebbi Yitzchak Nafcha, when Rosh Chodesh Teves falls during the week, one calls up three people for Rosh Chodesh and one for Chanukah - because Rosh Chodesh is more common than Chanukah, so we apply the principle 'Tadir v'she'Eino Tadir, Tadir Kodem'.

(b)Rav Dimi from Haifa argues with him (and holds the reverse) - because were it not for Rosh Chodesh, there would only be three Aliyos. Consequently, it stands to reason that Revi'i should be reserved for Rosh Chodesh.

(c)Rabah supports Rebbi Yitzchak Nafcha and Rav Yosef, Rav Dimi from Haifa. The final ruling is - like Rebbi Yitzchak Nafcha and Rabah (that Rosh Chodesh takes precedence) - see Tosfos DH 'v'Hilchesa'.