1)

(a)The Mishnah in Pe'ah forbids somebody who has enough food for two meals from taking from the Tamchuy - which means the soup kitchen which is distributed daily.

(b)The 'Kupah' on the other hand - was Tzedakah funds, that was distributed every Erev Shabbos, for the poor who came from a more refined background, who were too embarrassed to take daily from the Tamchuy.

(c)A poor man needed to have - fourteen meals to be ineligible to take from the Kupah.

2)

(a)The Mishnah appears to go not like ...

1. ... the Chachamim, according to whom - a recipient from the Kupah ought to receive fifteen meals (an extra meal for Shalosh Se'udos).

2. ... Rebbi Chidka, according to whom he ought to receive sixteen meals (another extra meal for Shabbos day).

(b)We ...

1. ... establish the Mishnah like the Rabbanan - and we instruct the poor man to eat the meal that he would normally eat after Shabbos, before Shabbos goes out (for Shalosh Se'udos). Clearly, the community are not obligated to provide the poor man with Melave Malka.

2. ... attempt to establish it like Rebbi Chidka - by instructing the poor man to eat three meals on Shabbos day, and to reserve his one Friday meal for Friday night.

(c)We reject that attempt however - on the grounds that it would be illogical to make him fast the whole of Friday.

(d)We therefore establish the author of the Mishnah as Rebbi Akiva (in order to avoid establishing it not like Rebbi Chidka), who holds - 'Asei Shabatcha Chol, ve'Al Titztarech la'Beriy'os' (a person should rather treat his Shabbos like a weekday, than to have to honor Shabbos by borrowing from others).

3)

(a)The Mishnah in Pe'ah states that one gives a poor man who is just passing through, a loaf of bread worth a Pundiyon, when four Sa'ah of wheat are worth a Sela (which works out at just enough for two meals). Should he remain over Shabbos - he receives three meals, one for Friday night, and two for Shabbos daytime.

(b)The author of the Mishnah could well be Rebbi Chidka - and it speaks when he arrived with one meal in his satchel. He eats the meal that he brought with him on Friday night, and the three which he receives, during the day.

(c)When he leaves, he will not leave empty-handed - because the Gabai Tzedakah will give him one meal to take away with him.

(d)A poor man who remains in town over night also receives 'Parneses Linah' - which Rav Papa defines as a bed (presumably with a blanket) and a cushion.

4)

(a)The Beraisa now discusses washing dishes on Shabbos, which the Tana permits - provided one needs them. Consequently, after the Friday night meal, one may wash them for Shabbos morning, and after the Shabbos morning meal, for Se'udas Shelishis. But after Se'udas Shelishis, the washing of dishes is prohibited.

(b)Washing drinking cups, on the other hand - is permitted all day. This is because, whereas for eating, there are fixed meal-times, there is no fixture for drinking - i.e. one tends to drink at any time (until dusk, when, assuming one has already Benched after Se'udas Shelishis, both eating and drinking are forbidden until after Havdalah).

(c)Rebbi Shimon ben Pazi ... in the name of bar Kapara learns each of the three punishments from which someone who fulfills the Mitzvah of eating three meals on Shabbos is spared, from a 'Gezeirah-Shavah' "Yom" "Yom" (which is written by each of the three meals, as we learned above). The Pasuk "Hinei Anochi Shole'ach Lachem es Eliyah ha'Navi Lifnei Bo Yom Hash-m" refers to the punishment of the pangs of Mashi'ach (the hard time that Talmidei-Chachamim will go through before Mashi'ach comes), the Pasuk ...

1. ... "Yom Evrah ha'Yom ha'Hu" refers to - the judgment of Gehinom.

2. ... "be'Yom Bo Gog" to - the pre-Mashi'ach battles with Gog and Magog.

5)

(a)Rebbi Yochanan in the name of Rebbi Yossi learns from the Pasuk "Az Tis'anag Al Hash-m ... ve'Ha'achalticha Nachalas Ya'akov Avicha" - that someone who enjoys Shabbos (in the manner which will be prescribed shortly) will receive an unlimited inheritance (his reward is endless), as we learn from the fact that the Navi mentions specifically 'Ya'akov', and not Avraham or Yitzchak. This is because, whereas Hash-m said to Avraham "Kum His'halech ba'Aretz, le'Orkah u'le'Rochbah" (a limited area), to Yitzchak "Ki Lecha u'le'Zar'acha Eten es Kol ha'Araztzos ha'El" (a limited area) - to Ya'akov, he promised "u'Faratzta Yamah va'Kedmah, ve'Tzafonah va'Negbah" - an unlimited area.

(b)And Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak learns from the Gezeirah Shavah of "ve'Ha'achalticha al Bamasei Aretz" and "ve'Atah al Bamoseimo Sidroch" - that someone who enjoys Shabbos will be spared from being subservient to the nations.

(c)Rav learns from the Pasuk "ve'His'anag al Hash-m ... " - that someone who enjoys Shabbos - will also have all the requests of his heart fulfilled.

(d)We know that the 'Oneg' in the Pasuk refers to Oneg Shabbos - from the preceding words in Tehilim "VeKarasa la'Shabbos Oneg".

(e)According to Rav Yehudah b'rei de'Rav Shmuel bar Shilas Amar Rav, one fulfills the Mitzvah of Oneg Shabbos through eating a beet-dish, large fish and heads of garlic. Rav Chiya bar Ashi quotes Rav as saying that whatever one eats le'Chavod Shabbos falls will suffice for this purpose. Rav Papa however - defines it as - even if it is only little fish fried in flour with the oil of their innards - if that is all one can afford (It appears from Rashi that, even according to the first opinion, whatever is Chashuv at that time, is considered Oneg Shabbos.

6)

(a)Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Yochanan learns from the Pasuk "Ashrei Enosh Ya'aseh Zos ... Shomer Shabbos me'Chalelo" (which he Darshens as 'Machul Lo') - that even someone who observes Shabbos properly, is forgiven for all his sins, even if he serves idols like the generation of Enosh (Adam's grandson, in whose days the concept of idolatry was initiated) did. This means that he serves idols, not as alternative deities, but as servants of Hash-m, whilst still believing fully in Hash-m's Omnipotence, like the generation of Enosh did. Otherwise, how meaningful can his Shabbos observance possibly be?

(b)Had Yisrael not broken the first Shabbos after Marah (by leaving the Techum Shabbos to collect Manna), they would have been eternally invincible. Their immediate punishment was an attack by Amalek. (In fact, the Parshah of their grumbling - when they had no water - interrupts between the two Parshiyos - indeed, Chazal ascribe Amalek's attack to their doubting whether, or not, Hash-m was in their midst (when they asked "ha'Yesh hashem Bekirbeinu im Ayin?" [the numerical value of Amalek = Safek]. The explanation must be that Shabbos is the basis of Emunah, and that any weakness in Emunah is the direct result of Chilul Shabbos. In other words, Amalek attacked because they had doubts in Emunah, and these doubts were a direct result of their Chilul Shabbos.)

(c)The significance of that Shabbos is - that it was the first Shabbos since they had been commanded?

(d)Rebbi Yochanan in the name of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai learns from the Pasuk "Koh Amar Hash-m la'Sarisim Asher Yishmeru es Shabsosai (plural)... va'Havi'osim el Har Kodshi" - that if only Yisrael would keep two Shabbasos properly, they would be redeemed immediately.

7)

(a)Rebbi Yossi wished his pot to be with those who ate three meals every Shabbos. What Rebbi Yossi meant when he wished his lot to be with those who completed Hallel every day - was that he wished to join those who recited Pesukei de'Zimra (with reference to either "Hallelu es Hash-m" and "Hallelu Keil be'Kodsho", or to all the Hallelu-Kah's).

(b)He cannot have meant what he said literally - since, as Mar says, it is forbidden to recite Hallel every day.

(c)And when he wished that he would be among those who Davened 'im Dimdumei Chamah', he meant - that he would Daven (Shacharis) as the sun rose (like the Vasikin, and Ma'ariv as it set.

8)

(a)Rebbi Yossi wished that he would die from a stomach ailment - because such a death is the mark of Tzadikim, most of whom die from stomach ailments (since it is very painful and serves as an atonement for one's sins).

(b)He also wished to die - whilst occupied with a Mitzvah (though it is not clear why the merit of the Mitzvah should not shield over him (as long as he is performing it) - as the Pasuk writes in Mishlei - "Shomer Mitzvah Lo Yeida Davar Ra").

(c)When Rebbi Yossi said that he wished he was ...

1. ... among those who brought in Shabbos in Teverya, and who brought Shabbos out in Tzipori - he was referring to the fact Teverya lies at the foot of the mountain, whilst Tzipori lies at the top. Consequently, in Teverya, they would bring Shabbos in early (due to the early setting of the sun), whereas in Tzipori, they would bring Shabbos out late (because when the sun had already set in Teverya, it was still fairly high there). What Rebbi Yossi (who actually lived in Tzipori) was saying, was what a commendable thing it is to prolong the Shabbos by bringing it in early and bring it out late.

2. ... from the Moshivei Beis-ha'Medrash, and not from the Ma'amidei Beis-ha'Medrash he meant - that it is a great merit to call people to come and learn Torah when the time falls due (like the Rebbes used to do, when they called their young Talmidim to come and learn), but not to remind them to stop learning and go and eat.

3. ... from the Gaba'ei Tzedakah, and not from the Mechalkei Tzedakah he meant - that collecting Tzedakah funds (which requires only two people), is a great Mitzvah which is relatively easy to perform, since it does not deprive anyone of their rights. But when it came to distributing the Tzedakah (which requires three Gaba'im, because it necessitates a careful assessment how much each Ani is to receive) one is always prone to overestimate the needs of one poor man, and give him more than his needs, at the expense of other needy recipients (for which they will have to give a reckoning later).

(d)Rebbi Yossi also stated that he wished to be among those who were suspected of doing things of which they were innocent - since this is a relatively painless source of atonement for one's sins.

(e)Rav Papa attested - that he was actually suspected of doing something of which he was innocent.

9)

(a)Rebbi Yossi stated - that he had performed five Be'ilos, and had conceived five sons, all of whom would later become 'cedars' (great men).

(b)However, this cannot possibly be correct - since every Jewish man is Chayav to fulfill the Mitzvah of Onah (a Talmid-Chacham, every Friday night). What he therefore really said was that only five times did he perform two consecutive Be'ilos, from which his five exceptional sons were conceived.

(c)Four of his sons were called R. Eliezer, R. Chalafta, R. Avtilas and R. Menachem. The name of the fifth (and best known) of his sons was - R. Yishmael.

(d)Vardimus was not a sixth son, but alias Menachem (who has already been mentioned). He was called by that name, because his face was (beautiful-looking) like a Vered (a rose).

(e)Rebbi Yossi used to call ...

1. ... his wife - his house, and ...

2. ... his ox - his field (because that was how he viewed them with his Seichel, as opposed to his emotions).

10)

(a)Rebbi Yossi never looked at his Milah. Yet he was he not called Kadosh, like Rebbi would later be. This is - because Rebbi was called Rabeinu ha'Kadosh (not merely because he did not look at his Milah, but) - because he never touched his body below the belt.

(b)When Rebbi Yossi got undressed, he was careful - to remove his undershirt without turning it inside out. In the process, he took care to cover himself first with his sheet because of Tzeni'us.

(c)Rebbi Yossi held his friends in such high esteem, that he would have done anything they asked of him - even to go to Duchen with the Kohanim (without reciting a Berachah - see Tosfos DH 'Ilu').

(d)When Rebbi Yossi said ...

1. ... that he had never said something and turned back - he meant that he never needed to deny having said anything about anybody, either stressing his Midas ha'Emes, or how much care he took never to say anything derogatory about anyone that he would later need to deny (see Rashi in Erchin end of 15b); or that because anything that one is willing to say into the person's face is not subject to Lashon ha'Ra.

2. ... that he kept the Mitzvah of Tefilin and of Tzitzis - he meant that he never walked four Amos without them.

11)

(a)Rav Nachman claimed to have observed - Shalosh Se'udos on Shabbos meticulously ...

(b)... whereas Rav Yehudah lay the same claim to 'Iyun Tefilah' (Davenning with great devotion).

(c)Rav Huna b'rei de'Rav Yehoshua claimed that he never went four Amos - without his head being covered.

12)

(a)Rav Sheshes claimed that he was particular about the Mitzvah of Tefilin, whereas Rav Nachman's special Mitzvah was - Tzitzis.

(b)When Rav Yosef asked Rav Yosef b'rei de'Rabah what his father's special Mitzvah had been, he replied - that it was the Mitzvah of Tzitzis ...

(c)... so much so, that, on one occasion, when his Tzitzis tore while he was climbing a ladder - he refused to move until he had fixed them.

13)

(a)When Abaye (who was a Rosh Yeshiva) saw a Talmid-Chacham who had completed a Masechta - he would arrange a Siyum for him ... not for any Talmid-Chacham, but for all Talmidim learning in his Yeshiva.

(b)Rava (in his capacity as Dayan) would not go to sleep before he had tried to find merits for the Talmidei-Chachamim who had asked him to judge their cases.

(c)Mar bar Rav Ashi disqualified himself from judging Talmidei-Chachamim, because he loved them as much as he loved himself - and one is not permitted to act as a judge over one's own flesh and blood.