1)

(a)The more the hand of a woman examines herself, the more praiseworthy our Mishnah considers it to be. The Tana adds however - that the hand of a man who examines himself (to see whether he has had an emission) deserves to have it severed.

(b)The reason for the Tana's distinction is - because whereas a woman is not affected by touching herself, the Eiver Tashmish of a man becomes warm and causes him to emit Zera (which is a grave sin).

(c)What is strange about the Lashon 'Marbeh' - is the fact that, as far as a man is concerned, even once is forbidden.

(d)Nevertheless, the Tana mentions 'Marbeh' - to stress the Mitzvah pertaining to women.

2)

(a)A Beraisa qualifies the ruling of our Mishnah, conceding that a man has the same Din as a woman ...

1. ... if he is examining himself for Zivus.

2. ... even as regards Tum'as Keri - if he uses a clod of earth or a piece of earthenware.

(b)The difference between ...

1. ... Zov and Keri is - that the former runs like the water of barley yeast, whereas the latter is dense, like the white of an egg.

2. ... the manner in which Zov and Keri emerge is - that whereas the former emerges from a limp limb, the latter emerges from a live one.

(c)The purpose of examining oneself for Zivus is - to ascertain whether one had two citings to become Tamei, or three to bring a Korban, too.

(d)We reconcile the inference that one is not permitted to use a cloth with another Beraisa which permits it, by citing Abaye - who permits examining oneself using a thick cloth, as we shall now see.

3)

(a)Abaye made his statement with reference to the Mishnah in Yotzei Dofen, discussing a Kohen who is eating T'rumah when his limbs begin to quiver - because Zera has moved from his body to his Amah.

(b)The Tana rules that, in order to avoid being Metamei the T'rumah - which is what will happen once the Zera leaves his body, he should hold his Amah and swallow the T'rumah.

(c)We query that ruling however, from a statement by Rebbi Eliezer in a Beraisa - who compares someone who holds his Amah whilst urinating - to somebody who brings a flood on to the world ...

(d)... because the sin of the generation of the flood was masturbation.

4)

(a)To reconcile it with Rebbi Eliezer, Abaye establishes the Mishnah - by a thick cloth.

(b)Rava establishes the Mishnah even by a soft cloth. And he reconciles the two - by stating that once the Zera has emerged, there is nothing more to worry about, in which case one is permitted to use even a soft cloth.

(c)The basis of their Machlokes is - whether even when all the Zera seems to have been emitted, we still suspect that more will come out (Abaye) or not (Rava).

(d)We reconcile Rava with the Beraisa, which compares holding one's Amah to poking one's finger in one's eye, where tears stream out as long as the finger is in his eye - by confining the comparison to where the emission is caused by touching, where the Zera emerges bit by bit, but where it is sparked off by means of one's thoughts, it all emerges in one go.

5)

(a)They pointed out to Rebbi Eleizer in a Beraisa that, if someone urinates without holding his Amah - the drops are likely to splash from the ground on to his legs, leading people to believe that he is a K'rus-Shafchah (whose Amah remains limp, leaving him unable to have children), causing them in turn, to dub his children 'Mamzerim'.

(b)Rebbi Eliezer retorted - that it is better for that to happen than to be a Rasha in the eyes of Hash-m even for one moment.

(c)Rebbi Eliezer also suggested to the Chachamim - that it was possible to urinate on high ground or into soft earth (either of which will prevent splashing).

(d)The problem with the order in which we presented the two latter statements of Rebbi Eliezer is - that it is unconventional to state an Isur and its stringency if one already has the solution.

(e)The correct sequence therefore - is the reverse. After presenting the Chachamim with the advice, they asked him what the Halachah would be if no high ground or soft earth was available. And that was when he made his earlier statement.

6)

(a)Rebbi Eliezer's stringent approach is based on a (later) statement of Rebbi Yochanan, who states that someone who emits masturbates - is Chayav Misah (bi'Yedei Shamayim).

(b)The source for this - is the Pasuk in Vayeishev, where the Torah relates that Hash-m killed Onan (Yehudah's second son, because he did the same as his brother [i.e. masturbated]) see Maharatz Chayos.

(c)Based on the Pasuk in Yeshayah "ha'Nechamim ba'Eilim (who become hot under the trees) Tachas Kol Eitz Ra'anan Shochtei ha'Yeladim ... ", Rebbi Yitzchak and Rebbi Ami - say that it is compared to murder; and they read the words "Shochtei ha'Yeladim" - as if it was written "Sochtei ha'Yeladim" (with a 'Siyn Semalis'), which means 'who squeeze out the children'.

(d)Based on a 'Hekesh' between the above Pasuk "Tachas Kol Eitz Ra'anan" and the Pasuk in Re'ei "al he'Harim ha'Ramim ve'Sachas Kol Eitz Ra'anan" Rav Asi compares someone who masturbates - to someone who worships idols.

7)

(a)When Rav Yehudah mentioned to Shmuel that he needed to urinate - he was standing on the roof of the Shul in Shaf ve'Yasiv in Neherda'a (see also Mesores ha'Shas), and he wanted to know how to avoid urinating on the roof of a Shul.

(b)Shmuel advised 'the sharp one' to hold his Amah and urinate (so that he could direct the urine off the roof).

(c)Based on a Mishnah in Avodah-Zarah, which discusses a Boleshes that entered the city, we initially reconcile Shmuel with Rebbi Eliezer - by permitting holding one's Amah whilst one urinates when one is afraid (because fear prevents the Amah from becoming hot).

(d)A 'Boleshes' is - an army, that tends to search the houses and loot.

8)

(a)In peace-time, when a Boleshes has visited a city, all open barrels of wine are forbidden (because of Yayin Nesech). They are permitted in time of war however - because fear of the enemy prevents the soldiers from helping themselves to wine (even if the barrels are open.

(b)Besides the fact that it was night-time and they were standing on the roof (see Agados Maharsha), Rav Yehudah may also have been afraid - of his Rebbe Shmuel and of the Shechinah (which was present in the Shul of Shav ve'Yasiv [see Agados Maharsha]).

(c)And when we say 'Eimsa de'Mareih aleih', we mean - that Rav Yehudah possessed a great fear of Heaven, and would therefore have been permitted to urinate holding his Amah wherever he was. Indeed, Shmuel once said about him that he was not a human-being (but an angel).

(d)Based on a statement by Rav Nachman, who said - that a married man is permitted to hold his Amah whilst urinating, Rav Yehudah's married status may also have been instrumental in permitting him to urinate whilst holding his Amah.

9)

(a)Some say that Shmuel advised Rav Yehudah according to the ruling of the Beraisa cited by Aba b'rei de'Rebbi Binyamin bar Chiya, or like the ruling of Rebbi Avahu Amar Rebbi Yochanan. The former permitted supporting the Amah with one's Beitzim. The latter permitted holding - from the crown and downwards (i.e. the tip of the Amah) whilst urinating.

10)

(a)Rav says that if someone who makes himself stiff - Beis-Din (see Tosfos DH 'ha'Maksheh') are obligated to place him in Cherem.

(b)He does not just say that it is forbidden to do so - because someone who does it, arouses the Yeitzer-ha'Ra within him.

(c)Rebbi Ami calls him an 'Avaryan' (a transgressor) - adding that today the Yeitzer-ha'Ra tells him to do this, and tomorrow, that, until he ends up worshipping idols.

(d)Based on the Pasuk in Vayeishev (again in connection with Onan) "Vayei*ra* be'Einei Hash-m Oso" and the Pasuk "Lo Yegurcha Ra", others cite Rebbi Ami as saying that someone who brings himself to unclean thoughts - will not be allowed to enter into the boundaries that house the Shechinah.

11)

(a)According to ...

1. ... Rebbi Elazar, the Pasuk in Yeshayah "Yedeichem Damim Mile'u" ('Your hands are full of bloodshed) - speaks with reference to those who masturbate.

2. ... Tana de'bei Rebbi Yishmael, the Pasuk "Lo Tin'af" - incorporate those who masterbate with their hands in the Isur of adultery (which generally refers to adultery that one commits with the legs).

(b)The Beraisa states that Geirim (converts) and those who play with children - delay the coming of the Mashi'ach.

(c)The statement concerning converts conforms with one by Rebbi Chelbo, who said (based on the Pasuk in Yeshayah "ve'Nilvah ha'Ger aleihem, ve'Nisp'chu al Beis Ya'akov") - that Geirim are bad for Yisrael like the plague of Tzara'as (of which 'Sapachas' [which means 'joined'] is a branch).

(d)Rebbi Chelbo's reason for saying that is - because a. they are not familiar with the Halachos, thereby bringing punishment on Yisrael, and b. because Yisrael are likely to learn from their wrongdoing.

(e)It cannot however, be due to the fact that Yisrael are responsible for one another (including Geirim) - because Geirim were not included in the Arvus (guarantee-ship) which Yisrael accepted at the Plains of Mo'av.

12)

(a)'Those who play with children' cannot refer to ...

1. ... homosexuality - because homosexuals are even Chayav Sekilah (and do not just delay the coming of the Mashi'ach).

2. ... playing games with children that result in having an emission - because they are compared to the generation of the flood (as we explained earlier).

(b)What it therefore means is - that they marry little girls, who are not yet able to have children, and therefore delay the coming of the Mashi'ach ...

(c)... based on a statement of Rebbi Yossi, who said (based, in turn, on the Pasuk in Yeshayah "Ki Ru'ach mi'Lefanai Ya'atof, u'Neshamos asher Asisi") - that Mashi'ach will not come before all the Neshamos have left Guf (the room in Heaven called 'Guf', where all the Souls that are destined to be born, are awaiting their turn).

13)

(a)We learned in our Mishnah that a man who examines himself for Keri deserves to have his hand severed, which - is either a ruling (like we find with Rav Huna, as we shall see in a moment) or a curse.

(b)Rav Huna severed someone's hand - because he raised it to strike a fellow Jew.

(c)We try to resolve the She'eilah from a Beraisa which discusses a dialogue between Rebbi Tarfon and the Chachamim. Rebbi Tarfon stated there 'Yad le'Amah - Tikatzetz Yado al Tiburo' ('May the hand of someone who touches his Amah be severed whilst it is on his navel').

(d)The Chachamim objected to it because, they claimed - if one severed his hand whilst it was on his navel, his stomach would split open.

(e)To which Rebbi Tarfon replied - that this would be preferable to going down to Gehinom.

14)

(a)We try to prove from the Chachamim's objections - that Rebbi Tarfon must have been referring to a punishment, because if it was a curse, what sense would the Chachamim's objection make (bearing in mind that Hash-m has no problem in severing the hand without splitting open the man's stomach)?

(b)We counter the proof however - by querying Rebbi Tarfon's strange Mashal in that - why the hand has to be on the navel anyway.

(c)We therefore interprets his statement - to mean that anyone who places his hand below his navel deserves to have it severed.

(d)And it was at the conclusion of the ensuing discussion that Rebbi Tarfon commented 'Better for his stomach to split open ... '. The Chachamim ...

1. ... asked him - whether someone who had a splinter lodged in his navel was permitted to remove it; to which he replied in the negative.

2. ... objected - that the splinter would cause his stomach to split open, causing him to make his conclusive comment.

15)

(a)Our Mishnah permits a Chareshes, a Shotah, a Suma or a demented woman to eat T'rumah - provided there are women available to examine, and subsequently Tovel her.

(b)The problem with the fact that the Tana inserts Chareshes in our Mishnah is - why she cannot do this herself.

(c)This is based on a Beraisa, where Rebbi related how a Chareshes who lived in his vicinity - used to examine herself, following the instructions of her friends.

(d)We reconcile Rebbi with our Mishnah - by differentiating between ...

1. ... a Chareshes who is deaf, but not dumb (Rebbi), and ...

2. ... a deaf-mute (our Mishnah).

(e)In support of this, the Mishnah in T'rumos explains - that whenever the Chachamim refer to a Cheresh (to distinguish it from a Pike'ach), they are always referring a deaf-mute.

16)

(a)Regarding the insertion of a Suma in our Mishnah, we ask why she cannot examine herself - by which we mean that she performs the actual physical Bedikah by herself, and hands the cloth to her friends to inspect.

(b)To answer this question, Rebbi Yossi b'Rebbi Chanina - erases 'Suma' from the Mishnah.

(c)The difference between a Shotah and a Nitr'fah Da'atah is - that the former constitutes a mental illness, whereas the latter is the result of a physical one.

17)

(a)The Beraisa rules that if a Kohen Shoteh wants to eat T'rumah, people must first Tovel him - then, wait for nightfall to arrive, taking care not to let him fall asleep, before feeding it to him.

(b)We consider a Shoteh who falls asleep, Tamei - because we suspect that he had an emission.

(c)The Chachamim objected to Rebbi Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok, who prescribed a leather pouch for the Shoteh to wear, which they would examine before feeding him T'rumah - in that if anything, the heat generated by the leather pouch will cause him to have an emission.

(d)When ...

1. ... Rebbi Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok asked the Chachamim what the poor fellow was supposed to do in order to eat T'rumah, according to them - they replied that he had the option of staying awake after nightfall and eating (as we explained).

2. ... in another Beraisa, the Chachamim asked whether, according to Rebbi Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok, a drop of Keri as big as a mustard-seed might not get lost in the leather pouch, Rebbi Elazar replied - that he could wear a metal pouch.

18)

(a)Abaye confines Rebbi Elazar's ruling to copper, which barely absorbs.

(b)And he bases this on a Mishnah in Parah. The Shi'ur of water that is required to be in the bowl that contains the Mei Chatas is - sufficient to dip the ends of the hyssop twigs and sprinkle on the Tamei person, plus the little that is absorbed by them.

(c)Rebbi Yehudah says there that we consider the stalks of the hyssop as if they were copper - which absorbs very little, as we just explained.

19)

(a)We can extrapolate from the Chachamim of Rebbi Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok's objection - that one should not wear pants.

(b)The problem with that is - that the Bigdei Kehunah included pants.

(c)We answer that the pants referred to by Rebbi Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok were pants with a pouch, whereas those worn by the Kohanim did not have a pouch, but hung loosely below the genital area, like a Pamlanya shel Perushim (or shel Parashim) ...

(d)... pants worn by people who are Tzenu'im (or by horse-riders).

20)

(a)The Kohanim's pants stretched from the loins to the bottom of the thighs, and they had Shenatzim - straps (in the form of a belt that could be tied and untied).

(b)We already explained that they did not have a 'Beis ha'Ervah' (a pouch). When the Tana adds that they did not have a Beis ha'Re'i either - he is referring to the lower back which used to fit tightly to the lower back of the wearer, absorbing all the sweat from that part of the body (something that would have been immodest for the Kohanim to wear).

(c)By 'Beis ha'Ervah' and 'Beis ha'Nekev - he might also be referring to a hole in the front and the back of the pants, that could be untied and re-tied when necessary.