1)

(a)We now discuss the source of 'Notrikun' - which means an acronym.

(b)Rebbi Yochanan citing Rebbi Yossi ben Zimra quotes the Pasuk "Ki Av Hamon Goyim Nesaticha" - which is the acronym of Avraham.

(c)The 'Alef' stands for 'Av' (Nesaticha ba'Umos'), the 'Beis' 'Reish' stand for - 'Bachur (Nesaticha ba'Umos' [a father in wisdom, and a youth in strength]).

(d)The 'Hey', the 'Mem' and the 'Vav' in Hamon teach us that Avraham was considered by Hash-m as 1. a 'Hamon Chaviv (a beloved multitude)', 2. 'a Melech' and 3. 'a Vatik' (distinguished) among the nations, whereas from the 'Nun' we learn - that he was also considered 'Ne'eman' in their eyes.

2)

(a)Rebbi Yochanan himself cites the Pasuk "Anochi Hash-m Elokecha", which he Darshens 'Ana Nafshi Kesivas Yehivas' - meaning that Hash-m Himself wrote and gave the Torah (or perhaps that Hash-m [Kevayachol] wrote and gave us His Nefesh, the Torah).

(b)In the first interpretation, the Rabbanan explain 'Amirah Ne'imah (a pleasant Torah) Kesavis Yehavis (I wrote and gave you)'. Alternatively, they interpret it as - 'Yehivah Kesivah, Ne'emanim Amarehah (I gave it in writing, its words are reliable)'.

(c)The Tana'im And Amora'im add a number of other sources for Notrikun. They Darshen from ...

1. ... "Ki Yarat ha'Derech Lenegdi" - 'Yar'ah, Ra'asah, Natsah' (in connection with Bil'am's ass) 'It saw, it was afraid and it turned aside' [de'Bei Rebbi Nasan]).

2. ... "Karmel" (in connection with Chadash) - stands for 'KaR (when the outer casing of the wheat-kernel) MaLei' (is full [de'Bei Rebbi Yishmael]).

3. ... "ve'Hu Kilelani Kelalah Nimretzes (in connection with Shim'i ben Geira)" - 'No'ef Hu, Mo'avi Hu, Rotzei'ach Hu, Tzorer Hu, To'eivah Hu (he is an adulterer, a Mo'avi, a murderer, an enemy and an abomination' [Rav Acha bar Ya'akov])'.

4. ... "Mah Nedaber u'Mah Nitztadak" ( in connection with Yosef's brothers, after the goblet was found in Binyamin's sack) - 'Nechonim Anachnu, Tzadikim Anachnu, Tehorim Anachnu, Dakim Anachnu, Kedoshim Anachnu (we are right ... pure ... clean ... and we are holy [Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak]).

3)

(a)The Chachamim in our Mishnah rule that someone who writes one letter on Shabbos morning and one in the afternoon is Patur - because he had sufficient time in between to remember that it is Shabbos, and a Yedi'ah in between a Melachah that one performs twice divides.

(b)According to Rabban Gamliel however - he is Chayav ...

(c)... because he holds that a Yedi'ah does not divide between two half-Melachos ('Ein Yedi'ah la'Chatzi Shiur'), whereas the Rabbanan hold 'Yesh Yedi'ah la'Chatzi Shi'ur').

4)

(a)Our Mishnah now discusses weaving and related Melachos. According to the Chachamim, the Shiur for weaving is two threads. Rebbi Eliezer holds that initially, the Shi'ur is three threads, but that if one merely adds to a woven garment, then one is Chayav even for one thread.

(b)The Shi'ur for ...

1. ... weaving a sieve or a basket is two Batei Nirin (the top row and the bottom row of the Eirev).

2. ... sewing is two threads, and for tearing, it is tearing sufficient fabric to stitch two threads.

(c)When Rebbi Yitzchak arrived in Bavel, he cited Rebbi Eliezer as saying 'two threads' (and not three). According to one explanation, Rebbi Eliezer will agree that if the threads are thin, then one is Chayav for weaving even two threads initially - because thin threads do not easily come undone, like thick ones do.

(d)Alternatively, Rebbi Eliezer requires three threads when the threads are thin, whereas two will suffice when they are thick - because two thin threads are not readily noticeable; whereas two thick threads, are.

5)

(a)The Beraisa reiterates the Machlokes between Rebbi Eliezer and the Chachamim, only he gives the width of the edge of the garment as only three Batei Nirin (which are very close to each other on the weaving-loom). The Shi'ur of the width of the middle of the garment is - 'ki'M'lo ha'Sit' (the space between the extended fore and middle fingers).

(b)And the reason that one is Chayav for less at the edge is - because it is generally made of a different material ...

(c)... which the Tana therefore compares to the narrow belt, which is no more than three Batei Nirin widths wide and which a person sometimes weaves for himself as an independent item of clothing.

(d)Our Mishnah states 'ha'Oseh Sh'tei batei Nirin be'Nirin', which means, according to Abaye - that each thread of the Shesi must be arranged through two Batei Nirin and once over the thread of the 'Nira' (see Tos. Yom-Tov).

(e)Our Mishnah includes two Batei Nirin that someone arranges 'be'Kirus' - which is a 'fabric' woven out of the creepers that grow around a date-palm.

6)

(a)In spite of having already learnt the Melachos of tearing and sewing, together with the Avos Melachos in Perek K'lal Gadol, the Tana saw fit to repeat them here, the former as an introduction to 'ha'Korei'a al-M'nas Litfor Sh'tei Tefiros' and 'ha'korei'a ba'Chamaso ve'al Meiso', which we about to learn now (in the next Mishnah), respectively.

(b)'ha'Korei'a al Menas Litfor Sh'tei Tefiros' - speaks when there is a bulge in the woven fabric, and one makes a tear at the edge of the fabric, and then sews it together with the bulge removed.

7)

(a)Our Mishnah rules that someone who ...

1. ... tears Keri'ah in his anger or for his deceased relative is - Patur.

2. ... destroys something in order to repair it - is Chayav, and the Shi'ur is equivalent to that of the Tikun.

(b)The Shi'ur the Tana gives for ...

1. ... bleaching, combing, dyeing and spinning is - a double M'lo ha'Sit.

2. ... weaving is - a single M'lo ha'Sit (the distance between the extended fore and middle fingers, as we explained earlier).

(c)In order to be Chayav - one needs to weave at least two threads.

8)

(a)To reconcile the Reisha of our Mishnah with the Beraisa 'ha'Kore'a ba'Chamaso u've'Evlo ve'al Meiso, Chayav' - we establish the former by someone who is not his relative, and the latter by someone who is.

(b)Seeing as our Mishnah, like the Beraisa, says 'Meiso', we amend our answer to read 'a relative over whom one is not obligated to mourn'.

(c)Besides one's personal relatives - the Tana obligates one to tear Keri'ah for a deceased Talmid-Chacham ...

(d)... and when the Tana says (in this connection) 'ha'Kol Kerovav', he means - that, like one's relative, one is obligated to mourn for him.

(e)In any event, one Must tear K'ri'ah for any deceased person - if he is present at the moment of death (because every Jew has learnt some Torah and kept some Mitzvos. Consequently, he is like a Seifer-Torah which burned, for which one is obligated to tear Keri'ah).

9)

(a)Another Beraisa explains that one's children are liable to die young - because he does not mourn sufficiently for Talmidei-Chachamim who died.

(b)On the other hand, someone who cries over Talmidei-Chachamim who die - merits forgiveness for all his sins.

10)

(a)Someone who tears Keri'ah on a close relative on Shabbos - has fulfilled the Mitzvah, despite the fact that he is Chayav Kareis for having performed a Melachah on Shabbos.

(b)We reconcile our Mishnah, which rules 'ha'Korei'a ba'Chamaso, Patur' with the Beraisa, which says 'Chayav' - by establishing the former like Rebbi Shimon, who holds 'Melachah she'Einah Tzerichah le'Gufah, Patur', and the latter like Rebbi Yehudah, who holds 'Melachah she'Einah Tzerichah le'Gufah, Chayav'.

(c)Rebbi Avin explains that, despite the fact that someone who tears his clothes in a fit of temper is Mekalkel (destroying the article), he is Chayav according to Rebbi Yehudah - because the Tana refers specifically to someone who tears Keri'ah in order to gain the awe of his family, that they should learn to fear him (which is not an act of destruction).

11)

(a)Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar in the name of ... Raban Yochanan ben Zakai compares tearing one's clothes in a fit of anger - to serving idols, since it demonstrates that one has fallen into the clutches and control of one's Yeitzer ha'Ra (today, he causes a person to fly into a temper, tomorrow, he will order him to go and serve idols, and once again, he will be powerless to resist).

(b)Rebbi Avin learns from the Pasuk "Lo Yihyeh B'cha El Zar" - that one should not nurture within oneself a foreign god (which is how the Pasuk describes the Yetzer ha'Ra).

(c)Rav Yehudah used to pull out loose tufts from a garment in a show of anger, whilst Rebbi Aba used to break the lid of a barrel - Rav Acha bar Ya'akov used to break vessels that were already broken ...

(d)... whereas Rav Sheishes used to - pour brine of small fish over his poor maidservant's head.

12)

(a)Rebbi Shimon ben Pazi in the name of ... bar Kapara, learns from the Pasuk "Nodi Safartah Atah Simah Dim'asi be'Nodcha" - that Hash-m takes the tears of anyone who weeps for a Talmid-Chacham who died, and places them in his treasury.

(b)Rav Yirmiyah Amar Rav states that someone who is lax in eulogizing a Talmid-Chacham - deserves to be buried alive.

(c)And he learns this from a Pasuk in Yehoshua (in connection with his death) - where Hash-m almost dropped a mountain on them, because they were lax in eulogizing him properly.

(d)Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Yochanan explains that someone who is lax in eulogizing a Talmid-Chacham's properly will not live long - because if he does not care about the life of a Talmid-Chacham being snuffed out, in Heaven they will not care about life being snuffed out either.

(e)He learn this from the Pasuk "be'Sa'as'ah be'Shalchah Terivenah" - which is the source for the concept of 'Midah ke'Neged Midah'.

13)

(a)Rebbi Yochanan explained the Pasuk ...

1. ... "... Yemei ha'Zekeinim Asher He'erichu Yamim Acharei Yehoshua" (to reconcile it with what he just said) to mean - that they only lived many days, but not years (when Chazal however, said ['Eino Ma'arich Yamim', they meant years] bearing in mind that Chazal's terminology does not always tally with that of the Pasuk).

2. ... "Lema'an Yirbu Yemeichem" (when Rebbi Chiya bar Aba queried his previous answer), he replied - that that Pasuk means years ...

(b)... because it is written in connection with B'rachah, and 'Yamim' by B'rachah means years.

(c)Rebbi Yochanan referred to Rebbi Chiya bar Aba as - Bavla'i, because he moved to Eretz Yisrael from Bavel.

14)

(a)Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Yochanan rules that if one of a group of brothers or friends died - then the rest of the them should worry (because the Midas ha'Din currently has jurisdiction over them).

(b)Some say - that it is the oldest brother who died, whereas according to others - it is the youngest.

(c)The first opinion holds - that if the Midas ha'Din caught up with the head of the household, then there is good reason for the rest of them to worry. Whilst according to the second opinion - Divine retribution tends to begin from the youngest before spreading to the rest of the family.