1)

(a)Our Mishnah rules that - the blood of a Sheretz and its flesh combine ...

(b)... to make up the Shi'ur of a k'Adashah.

(c)According to the K'lal of Rebbi Yehoshua - two things must be similar in both the degree of Tum'ah and the Shi'ur, in order to combine to make up a Shi'ur.

(d)Based on this principle, despite the fact that ...

1. ... Sheretz and Neveilah are both Metamei for only one day (Tum'as Erev), they do not combine - because their Shi'urim (a k'Adashah and a k'Zayis respectively) differ.

2. ... Meis and Neveilah both share the Shi'ur of a k'Zayis, they do not combine - because their degree of Tum'ah (seven days and one day, respectively) differ.

2)

(a)Rav Chanin Amar Rav qualifies the first ruling in our Mishnah - by confining it to where the two come from the same Sheretz (but not if they come from two different Sheratzim).

(b)Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Chanina queries Rav Chanin from a Beraisa, where the Tana permits the combination of Sheretz ve'Sheretz and Sheretz ve'Dam - whether it is from the same Sheretz or from a different one.

(c)He learns it - from the 'Hey' in the word "ha'Temei'im" (in the Pasuk in Shemini "Eileh ha'Temei'im lachem be'Chol ha'Sharetz") which is otherwise superfluous.

(d)Rav Yosef answers by differentiating between Kulo (the Beraisa) and Miktzaso (Rav Chanin) - the Beraisa is speaking where the blood and the flesh come from a complete Sheretz (which is Chashuv), whereas Rav Chanin is speaking where they come from a piece of Sheretz (which is not).

3)

(a)Rav Yosef learns his distinction from a Beraisa, which discusses someone who made an Ohel over blood of a Meis that spilled on to the floor and that is flowing down a slope, and which rules - 'Ihal al Miktzaso Tahor, Ihal al Kulo, Tamei'.

(b)We cannot explain Kulo to mean more than a Revi'is (and Miktzaso, less than a Revi'is), because of Rebbi Chanina Amar Rebbi, who rules - that someone who stirs a Revi'is of blood from a Meis is Tahor (even though he inevitably forms an Ohel over it in the process).

(c)By Miktzaso and 'Kulo the Tana must therefore mean - that it comes from a piece of Meis or from a complete Meis (respectively, as Rav Yosef explained).

(d)And Rebbi Chanina Amar Rebbi - is speaking where the blood came from a piece of Meis (and not from a whole Meis).

4)

(a)When Rebbi Masya ben Charash asked Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai for the source of Tum'as Dam Sheratzim - they were in Rome.

(b)Rebbi Shimon quoted him the Pasuk "ve'Zeh lachem ha'Tamei" - which is otherwise superfluous (since the Torah has already written "Eileh ha'Temei'im lachem").

(c)In reply to his Talmidim, who thought that Rebbi Shimon had worked out the answer by himself, Rebbi Masya ben Charash retorted that - he learned it from a D'rashah of Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Yossi (as we will see shortly) See also the Pesach Einayim.

(d)And he cited a Beraisa, which relates what happened following three decrees of the Romans, who forbade Shemiras Shabbos, B'ris Milah - and Tevilas Nidah.

5)

(a)To remain undetected as he sat with the Roman dignitaries, with the intention of nullifying their evil decrees, Rebbi Reuven bar Istrubli wore his hair like them, shaven above the forehead and long at the back.

(b)He convinced them to agree to nullify the decree negating ...

1. ... the Shabbos - by asking them whether they would not prefer their enemies (the Jews) to be poor (by working one day less).

2. ... the Mitzvah of B'ris Milah - by asking them whether they would not prefer their enemies to be weak.

3. ... the Mitzvah of Tevilas Nashim - by asking them whether they would not like to diminish their enemies' numbers.

(c)They reinstates the decrees however - when they discovered that Rebbi Reuven bar Istrubli was a Yisrael.

6)

(a)The Chachamim then picked Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai to try and have the decrees nullified, specifically Rebbi Shimon - because he was accustomed to miracles (during the thirteen years that he spent in the cave).

(b)When they chose his son Rebbi Elazar to accompany Rebbi Shimon to Rome, Rebbi Yossi complained that just as, if his father Aba Chalafta was alive, they would not dare hand him (Rebbi Yossi) over to be killed against his father's wishes, so too, could they not hand over his son Rebbi Elazar, to be killed against his (Rebbi Yossi's) wishes.

(c)Rebbi Yossi was actually afraid (not so much of what the Romans might do to him but) - that Rebbi Shimon (who was the incarnate of Midas ha'Din) would latch on to something that his son would say and cause his death.

7)

(a)Rebbi Shimon mimicked Rebbi Yossi's argument (to explain why he ought not to be forced to go either). So just as he had to go, in spite of the dangers involved, so too, did Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Yossi.

(b)Rebbi Yossi (who did not trust Rebbi Shimon's initial assurance that he would not cause his son any harm), volunteered to go instead of his son ...

(c)... and he relented when Rebbi Shimon solemnly undertook (under oath) not to harm Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Yossi.

8)

(a)When, on the way to Rome, somebody asked for the source of the Din that Dam ha'Sheretz is Tamei, Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Yossi - cited the Pasuk "ve'Zeh lachem ha'Tamei" (And it is from him that Rebbi Shimon, on the previous Amud, learned it [see 'Pesach Einayim']).

(b)The reason that he whispered it was - because he did not want Rebbi Shimon, who was his senior, to overhear him, since he would then accuse him of issuing a ruling in the presence of his Rebbe.

(c)When Rebbi Shimon nevertheless realized what Rebbi Elazar had said (and that he was obviously a Talmid-Chacham) - he reacted strongly by issuing a statement that he would not return in peace to his father.

9)

(a)Rebbi Elazar became gravely ill, and would have died (see Rabeinu Gershom) - had Rebbi Shimon not remembered the oath that he made to Rebbi Yossi, and Davened for his recovery.

(b)When they arrived in Rome, ben Tamli'on - a small demon, offered to accompany them to the Emperor.

(c)Rebbi Shimon's reaction to that was - to burst into tears, since whereas the slave-girl of his grandfather Avraham (Hagar), enjoyed the assistance of three angels, he had to make do with a demon.

(d)When they arrived in Rome - ben Tamli'on entered the body of the Emperor's daughter and began to drive her crazy, and to scream for Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai.

(e)To win favor in the eyes of the Emperor - Rebbi Shimon then ordered ben Tamliyon to leave the princesses body, which he did.

10)

(a)Subsequently, as a reward - the Emperor offered to give them whatever they asked for, and had them escorted down to the treasury to help themselves to anything that they desired. There, they found the manuscripts containing the decree, and promptly took them, thereby nullifying the decree.

(b)Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Yossi subsequently claimed to have seen - the Paroches ha'Kodesh in the treasury in Rome, which contained many drops of blood ...

(c)... a proof that - the Kohen Gadol would actually sprinkle the blood of the bull and of the goat on Yom Kipur on to the Paroches, and not just in front of it.

11)

(a)Our Mishnah rules that ...

1. ... Pigul and Nosar - do not combine (because they are two different La'avin).

2. ... Sheretz and Neveilah or Neveilah and B'sar ha'Meis - do not combine either, even to make up the Shi'ur of the more lenient of the two.

(b)The Shi'ur of the Kal to which the Chamur would have to make up regarding...

1. ... Sheretz and Neveilah would be - less than a k'Adashah of the former combining with a little less than a k'Zayis of the latter to make up the Shi'ur.

2. ... Meis and Neveilah would be - less than a k'Zayis of the former (whose Tum'ah lasts for seven days) combined with less than a k'Zayis of the later (whose Tum'ah lasts for only one day) to make up a k'Zayis.

12)

(a)Rav Yehudah Amar Shmuel confines the Mishnah's ruling concerning Pigul and Nosar to Tum'as Yadayim - which is only mi'de'Rabbanan to begin with (as we learned in Pesachim), and to combine with regard to Tum'as Yadayim, which is also only mi'de'Rabbanan, would be a case of Gezeirah li'Gezeirah (which we do not say).

(b)But as far as combining them to make up the Shi'ur Achilah is concerned, Rav Yehudah rules that - they do combine.

(c)Rav Yehudah bases this ruling on a Beraisa, where Rebbi Eliezer learns from the Pasuk in Tetzaveh "Lo Yochal ki Kodesh hu" that - every P'sul Kodesh trangresses a La'av (even if it is a combination of two Isurim).

(d)And if someone eats half a k'Zayis of Pigul and half a k'Zayis of Nosar - he is Chayav one set of Malkos, even if they warned him not to eat Pigul or not to eat Nosar.

13)

(a)Our Mishnah rules that food that became Tum'ah through an Av ha'Tum'ah (and is a Rishon) combines together with food that became Tamei through a V'lad ha'Tum'ah (a Sheini) - to make up the lenient Shi'ur (a Sheini, which will then make a Shelishi).

(b)The Tana rules that all food combines to render the body Pasul (P'sul Gevi'ah) - if one eats half a P'ras, which is one and a half k'Beitzim (according to some, and two, according to others).

(c)The ramifications of this ruling are that - the Kohen is forbidden to eat Terumah, and that he renders Terumah Pasul by touching.

14)

(a)The Shi'ur that our Mishnah gives for all foods to combine ...

1. ... to make an Eiruv T'chumin (to be able to walk two thousand Amos from that spot in all directions) is - that of two meals, which is the equivalent of six k'Beitzim (according to some, eight k'Beitzim according to others).

2. ... to be Chayav for carrying on Shabbos is - a ki'Gerogeros (the volume of a dried fig [Halachah le'Moshe mi'Sinai]).

3. ... to render a person Chayav for eating on Yom Kipur is - a ke'Koseves (a large date, which is a little less than a k'Beitzah [because the Torah writes "ve'Inisem es Nafshoseichem", and not "Lo Sochlu")

(b)And the Shi'ur the Tana gives for all liquids to combine ...

1. ... to render the body Pasul is - a Revi'is.

2. ... to be Chayav for drinking on Yom Kipur is - a M'lo Lugmav (a cheek-full).

15)

(a)When Rebbi Shimon ascribes the Mishnah's ruling that a Rishon combines with a Sheini to make them a Sheini to the fact that a Sheini can become a Rishon, he is coming to explain how a Rishon and a Sheini can combine at all (not how, once they do, they combine to form a Shelishi [and not a Sheini] which is obvious).

(b)We object to that however, on the grounds that - a Sheini cannot even make a Sheini, so how can it become a Rishon?

(c)Rava therefore amends Rebbi Shimon to read that it combines with a Rishon, because it is created by it. Rav Ashi says - that it is because a Sheini and a Rishon come from the same source (a Sheini comes from a Rishon) that they combine ...

(d)... which is merely another way of saying what Rava said (and there is no basic difference between them).