1)

(a)They asked whether a girl under three has Dam Besulim which simply returns after Bi'ah, or whether - she does not have Dam Besulim until she turns three.

(b)The ramifications of the She'eilah are manifest in a case where she sees blood after the first Bi'ah (which took place before the age of three), but not after the second one (which took place after she turned three), where, according to the first side of the She'eilah, the blood did not yet have a chance to return. Whereas according to the second side - since there was no blood after the second Bi'ah, she must have had relations with another man after she turned three, and is therefore a Zonah (and forbidden to marry a Kohen [see also Tosfos DH 'Acher Ba alehah']).

(c)Rav Chiya b'rei de'Rav Ika objected to the first side of the She'eilah - because he saw no reason to take for granted that the blood does not return immediately (in which case, she will be a Zonah either way [see Tosfos ha'Rosh]).

(d)He therefore explained the She'eilah with reference to a case where there was blood after both Bi'os (see Tosfos DH 'Hai Dam Nidah hu') - and we are concerned with the first blood, which is Dam Besulim, according to the first side of the She'eilah, but Dam Nidus according to the second.

2)

(a)Rav Chisda resolved the She'eilah from our Mishnah 'Pachos mi'Ka'an, ke'Nosen Etzba be'Ayin' - when it could just as well have said 'Pachos mi'Ka'an, ve'Lo K'lum', a clear indication that just as the tears that the eye emits are replaced, so too, are the Besulim.

(b)The Beraisa tells the story of Yust'ni, the daughter of Asorus - the son of Antoninus (Emperor of Rome who converted to Judaism), who asked Rebbi at what age a woman is able to get married and at what age she is able to have children.

(c)To her first She'eilah, Rebbi replied three years, and to her second She'eilah - twelve.

(d)She commented with regard to ...

1. ... Rebbi's first reply that - (having married at six), she had wasted three precious years.

2. ... his second reply that - she had given birth already at seven.

3)

(a)We query Yust'ni's second comment from a Beraisa cited by Rav Bibi in front of Rav Nachman, where Rebbi Meir rules that a Ketanah, a pregnant woman and a feeding mother - are permitted to perform Tashmish using a cloth (to prevent her from becoming pregnant).

(b)The reason with regard to ...

1. ... a Ketanah is - for fear that she will become pregnant and die.

2. ... a pregnant woman - for fear that she will become pregnant again and that the second fetus will squash and kill the first one.

3. ... a feeding mother - for fear that she will become pregnant, and will stop feeding her first baby, causing it to die.

(c)Rebbi Meir himself confines his ruling to a girl between the ages of eleven and twelve. It does not apply to one who is...

1. ... under eleven - since she cannot fall pregnant.

2. ... over twelve - because does not need to worry that something might happen to her.

4)

(a)The Chachamim maintain that, irrespective of her age, the above precautionary steps are unnecessary (and therefore forbidden) - because she should continue living her life normally, and Hash-m will look after her (in all three cases), without her having to destroy her husband's Zera ...

(b)... based on the Pasuk in Tehilim - "Shomer Pesayim Hash-m" ('Hashem looks after the fools').

(c)The problem with Yust'ni's statement that she gave birth at seven is that - we just saw in the Beraisa, that it is impossible to become pregnant before the age of eleven.

5)

(a)One of the two answers that we give is based on the Pasuk in Yechezkel "asher Basar Chamorim Besaram" - which compares the body of a Nochri to a donkey (which gives birth quicker than a human being [see also Chidushei Chasam Sofer]).

(b)Alternatively - one cannot rely on the integrity of a Nochri (as the Pasuk says in Tehilim "asher Pihem Diber Shav"), and we therefore assume that Yust'ni lied.

(c)When a woman who had been raped before she turned three, asked Rebbi Akiva whether she was permitted to marry a Kohen - he replied that she was.

6)

(a)She then cited a Mashal to a small child who stuck his finger into a jar of honey twice and his mother scolded him for doing so. When he did it a third time - his mother sucked his finger.

(b)What she meant was that - after the first couple of times, she began to enjoy it (See Seifer 'Eizehu Mekoman').

(c)The Talmidim's reaction to Rebbi Akiva's response (that she was therefore Pasul li'Kehunah) was - one of surprise, because since it is Halachah le'Moshe mi'Sinai that the Bi'ah of a girl under three is not considered Bi'ah, what difference will it make whether she enjoys it or not?

(d)We therefore conclude that - Rebbi Akiva was merely testing his Talmidim (and that he too, really agreed that she was permitted).

7)

(a)Our Mishnah rules that a boy becomes eligible to perform Yibum - at the age of nine.

(b)If, after Yibum, he no longer wishes to live with his wife (the Yevamah) - he has to wait until he turns bar-Mitzvah before he can give her a Get.

(c)A nine year-old boy who is Bo'el a Nidah - is Metamei Mishkav Tachton ke'Elyono shel Zov.

(d)And when the Tana says ...

1. ... 'Posel', he means that - the Bi'ah of a nine year-old Kuti or Mamzer invalidates a bas Kohen from eating Terumah.

2. ... 've'Eino Ma'achil Terumah', he means that even though he acquires his Yevamah - in the event that he is a Kohen and she a Yisre'elis, he is not permitted to feed her Terumah.

8)

(a)An animal that the nine year-old boy2 rapes, assuming there ...

1. ... is only one witness (or by his own testimony) - may not be brought as a Korban.

2. ... are two witnesses - must be stoned.

(b)In the first case, the animal cannot be stoned where there is only one witness, because one witness is not believed. Neither can it be stoned if he admits - due to the principle 'Modeh bi'Kenas, Patur' (Someone who admits to a fine, is Patur)..

(c)Any woman who is guilty of incest with him, is sentenced to death. He himself however (and the girl over three in the previous Mishnah) - cannot be punished at the hand of Beis-Din, seeing as he/she is not yet bar/bas-Mitzvah.

9)

(a)The Chachamim in a Beraisa gave a nine year-old boy who performed Yibum with his Yevamah the same Din as Ma'amar (Kidushei Yevamah) by a Gadol - who requires a Get for his Ma'amar and Chalitzah for his Zikah.

(b)The problem this now creates with our Mishnah is - how the Tana can then state 've'Ein Nosen get ad she'Yagdil' (implying that a Get alone will suffice).

(c)So Rav amends our Mishnah to read - 'le'che'she'Yagdil, Yiv'ol ve'Yiten Get' (that he must first be intimate with her, thereby acquiring her min ha'Torah, and only then give a Get).

10)

(a)Our Mishnah rules that the Nedarim of a girl of eleven and a boy of twelve (a Mufla'as Semuchah le'Ishah and a Mufla ha'Samuch le'Ish) - require examination (to ascertain that they know in whose name they are declaring the Neder).

(b)The Tana rules that Nedarim of a girl and a boy who are ...

1. ... under eleven and twelve respectively - are invalid, even if they know in whose name they are declaring the Neder.

2. ... a girl and a boy who are over twelve and thirteen respectively - are valid, even if they do not.

(c)A Gadol who does not understand in whose name he is declaring the Neder is not classified as a Shoteh, since it is only a matter of time before he will understand (whereas a Shoteh is a permanent status).

(d)A Shoteh is - someone who tears clothes, spends the night in a graveyard or goes for walks in the middle of the night (all for no logical reason).

11)

(a)Having taught us that ...

1. ... the Nedarim of an eleven year-old girl need to be examined, the Tana nevertheless sees fit to add that those of a twelve year-old stand - to negate the notion that, once she reaches the age of eleven, she will need to be examined (before any Neder that she declares stands) for the rest of her life.

2. ... the Nedarim of a twelve year-old girl stand, the Tana still sees fit to state that one examines her Nedarim throughout the twelfth year - to negate the notion that, having examined her for the first thirty days of her twelfth year (which are considered a year) and found that she does not know in whose name she is declaring the Neder, we establish her as a Ketanah until she turns twelve.

(b)Had the Tana just inserted that the Nedarim of a twelve year-old girl stand and that one examines her throughout the twelfth year, omitting the statement that the Nedarim of an eleven year-old require examination (and not less) we would have thought that - although S'tam, we do not bother to examine the Nedarim of a girl under eleven, there where we see that she is particularly smart, we will examine her even when she is younger.

(c)And the Tana finds it necessary to add the Din of a girl before the age of eleven and after the age of twelve - to teach us that the Nedarim of the one are invalid, even if she specifically demonstrates that she knows in whose name she is making the Neder, and those of the other, stand, even if she specifically demonstrates that she does not.

12)

(a)Our Mishnah, which precedes the Nedarim of a girl by one year to those of a boy, is the opinion of Rebbi - Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar switches the two.

(b)Rav Chisda ascribes Rebbi's reasoning to the word "Vayiven" (in the Pasuk in Bereishis [in connection with the formation of Chavah] "va'Yiven Hash-m es ha'Tzeila") - by connecting it the word 'Binah' (understanding) which teaches us that Hash-m blessed women with a superior understanding (see Tosfos ha'Rosh).

(c)Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar interprets "Vayevi'ehah" (in the Pasuk "va'Yiven Hash-m es ha'Tzeila ... va'Yevi'ehah el ha'Adam") like Resh Lakish, who, in the name of Rebbi Shimon ben Menasya, (based on the venacular of overseas cities) explains the Pasuk to mean that - Hash-m brought Chavah to Adam with plaited hair (since overseas, they referred to plaits as 'Beniyasa').

(d)Rav Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak ascribes a more advanced intelligence to boys, according to Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar, to the fact that - they spend in time in Cheder studying Torah (see Tosfos DH 'she'ha'Tinok').

13)

(a)When they asked whether Toch Z'man (the eleventh year by a girl and the twelfth, by a boy) is considered before the due time or after it, they could not have been referring to Nedarim (see Tosfos DH 'Ileima') - since our Mishnah clearly defines Toch ha'Zeman by Nedarim (which is neither like the one nor like the other).

(b)They must have therefore been referring to - a Mufla ha'Samuch le'Ish who transgressed a La'av min ha'Torah, and they asked whether he is punishable at the hand of Beis-Din (bear in mind the Sugya in Sanhedrin which considers a Katan obligated to observe the Mitzvos Lo Sa'aseh, but exempts him from punishment).

(c)Rav and Rebbi Chaninah hold 'Toch Z'man ke'Lifnei ha'Zeman' (and he is Patur) - Rebbi Yochanan and Rebi Yehoshua ben Levi - 'Toch ha'Zeman ke'le'Achar ha'Zeman' (and he is Chayav).

(d)When Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak gave a Si'man to remember who said what) as the Pasuk in Megilas Rus "ve'Zos Lefanim be'Yisrael", he meant that - Rebbi Chaninah (whose name has a feminine ending, like "Zos" [and who was a Yisrael, as opposed to Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who was a Levi - Tosfos ha'Rosh]) holds 'Toch Zemano ke'Lifnei Zemano' (see also Hagahos ha'Bach).

14)

(a)We query Rebbi Yochanan ... from our Mishnah 'Achar Z'man ha'Zeh Af-al-Pi she'Amru Anu Yod'in le'Shem Mi Nadarnu ... , le'Shem Mi Hikdashnu, Nidreihem Neder ... ' - implying 'Toch ha'Zeman) ke'Lifnei ha'Zeman'.

(b)Even though our Mishnah is confined to Nedarim, and we specifically precluded Nedarim from the She'eilah, we can nevertheless resolve the She'eilah from there, because (we initially think) it is otherwise superfluous, as we pointed out earlier (and so we learn it 'Im Eino Inyan').

(c)Rava tried to counter this proof from the Reisha 'Kodem ha'Zeman ha'Zeh, Af-al-Pi she'Amru ... Ein Nidreihem Neder' - from which we can extrapolate that 'Toch ha'Zeman ke'le'Achar ha'Zeman' (like Rebbi Yochanan and Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi).

15)

(a)We conclude however, that Rava misunderstood Rav Hamnuna's proof - in thinking that it was based on the inference, as we explained.

(b)In fact, Rav Hamnuna's proof is not from the inference, but - from the actual statement, which must be speaking after Simanei Gadlus have grown (otherwise he would still be a Katan) ...

(c)... and which implies that even with Simanim, 'Toch Z'man ke'Lifnei ha'Zeman' ('Im Eino Inyan' [since, as far as Nedarim is concerned, the Mishnah does not need to teach us this, as we have already pointed out]).

16)

(a)Rebbi Zeira cites the Pasuk "Ish ki Yafli Lindor Neder" (which must be speaking where the man has brought Simanim that he is a Gadol [as we explained earlier]), which comes to include - a boy who is bar-Mitzvah, whose Nedarim are valid, even though he does not know in whose name he is declaring the Neder (see Tosfos ha'Rosh).

(b)We can now extrapolate from the Pasuk that - before he turns Bar-Mitzvah (Toch Zemano), even if he has grown Simanim, they are still considered to be a wart (like Lifnei Z'mano) ...

(c)... a further proof for Rav and Rav Chanina.