1)

(a)What did the Rabbanan tell Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi about the children who had just come to the Beis-Hamedrash?

(b)How did they Darshen 'Alef Beis' and 'Gimel Daled'?

(c)Why, according to them, does ...

1. ... the leg of the 'Gimel' stretch towards the 'Daled'?

2. ... the leg of the 'Daled' stretch towards the 'Gimel'?

3. ... the face of the Daled turn away from the 'Gimel'?

(d)What do the 'Hey' and the 'Vav' represent?

2)

(a)The 'Zayin' and the 'Ches' - stand for 'Zan Oscha' and 'Chan Oscha'. How about the 'Tes', the Yud', the Chaf' and the 'Lamed' stand for?

(b)And how did they explain...

1. ... 'Mem P'suchah u'Mem' S'tumah?

2. ...`'Nun' Kefufah ve'Nun' Peshutah?

3. ... the 'Samech' and the 'Ayin' (besides S'moch Aniyim)?

3)

(a)What is the meaning of ...

1. ... 'Peh' Pasu'ach, 'Peh' Sasum?

2. ... 'Tzadei' Kafuf, 'Tzadei' Pashut? Is this not the same as 'Nun' Kefufah, 'Nun' Peshutah?

(b)What important lesson do we learn from here?

(c)And what did the children Darshen from the Kuf and the Reish? Why does the face of the Reish not face the Kuf, and why does the crown of the Kuf nevertheless lean towards the Reish?

4)

(a)Why does the leg of the Kuf not reach its head?

(b)The Ba'al Teshuvah could crawl underneath the leg of the Kuf and climb into the wide space on its right. We do not however, make him do that, on account of Resh Lakish's D'rashah from the Pasuk in Mishlei "Im le'Leitzim Hu Yalitz, ve'Im la'Anavim Yiten Chen". What does Resh Lakish Darshen from that Pasuk?

(c)'Shin and 'Tav' represent Sheker and Emes. Why are the letters of Sheker consecutive, while those of Emes are far apart, representing the beginning, the middle and the end of the spectrum.

(d)And why do all the letters of Sheker stand on one leg (on a narrow base), while those of Emes stand on a wide base?

5)

(a)What is...

1. AT BaSH?

2. ACHaS BeTAGIFetc.?

3. EL, BaM, GaN DaS. (all acronyms)?

(b)What message did Hash-m convey, via these acronyms ...

1. ... to the Resha'im?

2. ... to the Tzadikim?

(c)On what grounds does Hash-m have pity on Yisrael, and does not send them to Gehinom?

6)

(a)Gehinom claims that all the B'nei Sheis belong to him. To whom is he referring?

(b)How does Hash-m counter Gehinom's claim?

104b----------------------------------------104b

7)

(a)Our Mishnah now discusses the Melachah of Kosev, obligating someone who writes two letters in one bout of forgetfulness. What does the Tana say about someone who writes with ink, sap, paint, dye, glue or Kankantum?

(b)Is one Chayav for writing two letters ...

1. ... on two walls of a house, or on two pages of a ledger?

2. ... on one's skin?

(c)According to Rebbi Eliezer, someone who scratches letters on to his skin (with a sharp point) is Chayav. What do the Chachamim say?

8)

(a)Why is one Patur for writing with liquids, fruit-juices or Avak Derachim on Shabbos?

(b)What are the two meanings of 'Avak Derachim'?

(c)What does the Tana say about someone who writes ...

1. ... with the pen held in the back of his hand, his toes, his mouth or with the pen held under his arm-pit?

2. ... one letter beside a letter that is already written, or over a written script?

3. ... one letter on the ground and one on the ceiling?

(d)Rebbi Yehoshua ben Beseira declares Chayav someone who writes one letter which is an acronym (such as a 'Kuf' for Kashya). What do the Chachamim say?

9)

(a)We translate 'D'yo', 'Sam' (respectively) as ink and arsenic; and Rabah bar bar Chanah translates 'Sikra' as red (anti-rust) paint. How do we translate 'Kuma', and Rabah bar bar Chama Amar Shmuel, 'Kankantum'?

(b)To explain what the Tana comes to include when he says 'u've'Chol Davar she'Hu Roshem', we cite a Beraisa (in connection with Gittin) 'Kasvo be'Mei Tarya O be'Aftza, Kasher'. What is ...

1. ... 'Mei Tarya'?

2. ... 'Aftza'?

(c)What does Rebbi Chiya in a Beraisa, say about a Get that is written with lead, soot or vitriol?

(d)Why the difference?

10)

(a)Rebbi Eliezer brought a proof from Ben Satda, that people do sometimes write on their skin. What did ben Satda do?

(b)How do the Rabbanan counter Rebbi Eliezer's proof?

11)

(a)What was the name of ben Satda's ...

1. ... mother?

2. ... mother's husband?

(b)Then who was Pandira?

(c)We reject Rav Chisda's suggestion that Satda was the name of ben Satda's father (because his name was Pandira, as we just explained). Then who was Satda?

12)

(a)Why does Rabah bar Rav Huna establish the our Mishnah, which declares someone who writes one letter next to existing writing, Patur, not like Rebbi Eliezer?

(b)What does the Beraisa say about someone who writes the last letter in a Seifer-Torah or who weaves the last thread of a garment?

(c)Rabah bar Rav Huna establishes this like Rebbi Eliezer. How does Rav Ashi reconcile it with the Chachamim?

13)

(a)Rav Chisda establishes our Mishnah, which declares Patur 'K'sav al-Gabei K'sav', not like Rebbi Yehudah. Rebbi Yehudah discusses a case where a Sofer wrote the four-letter Name of Hash-m; by mistake however, he meant to write Yehudah (only he then omitted the 'Daled'). What is wrong with that?

(b)What does he rule there?

(c)What do the Chachamim say?

(d)What does Rav Chisda now prove from Rebbi Yehudah?

14)

(a)What does Rebbi Ami say about someone who writes one letter in Teverya, and one in Tzipori?

(b)Why is that?

(c)How do we reconcile this with our Mishnah, which exempts someone who writes two letters on two walls of a house, which cannot be read together?

15)

(a)What does the Beraisa mean when it writes 'Higi'ah Os Achas, Chayav'?

(b)What problem do we have with this ruling?

(c)Rav Sheishes answers the Kashya by establishing the Beraisa where he removed the 'roof' of the 'Ches'. What does he mean by that? How does this solve the problem?

(d)Rava's answer is even more radical. What does he say?

16)

(a)The Beraisa declares Chayav someone who means to write one letter (such as a Ches), but by mistake, writes two. What is the case?

(b)What problem do we have with the Beraisa?

(c)How do we reconcile the two Beraisos?