PAUSING IN YEHEI SHEMEI RABA
(Rava): One should (also) not pause for a breath between Rabah and Mevorach.
Question (R. Safra, reverently): That is not the same as Baruch ha'Ba b'Shem Hash-m (above) since here he intends to complete the phrase.
REPEATING THE PESUKIM ACCORDING TO CUSTOM
Rebbi would repeat the Pesukim from Ana onward.
R. Elazar b. Parta would repeat more Pesukim.
Question: What additional Pesukim did he repeat?
Answer (Abaye): From Odecha onward.
THE BERACHAH OVER HALEL ACCORDING TO CUSTOM
(Abaye): The custom only determines the Berachah at the conclusion, whereas prior to Halel he must make a Beracha.
This is based on the teaching of R. Yehudah citing Shmuel that one makes a Berachah on a Mitzvah before its performance (Over L'asiayasan).
Question: How does "Over" come to mean "before?"
Answer (R. Nachman b. Yitzchak): Pasuk in Shmuel II.
Answer (Abaye): Pasuk in Bereishis.
Alternate Answer: Pasuk in Michah.
MISHNAH: ESROG OF SHEMITAH
One who wishes to acquire an Esrog on Shemitah must receive it as a gift.
PURCHASING FROM AN AM HA'ARETZ ON SHEMITAH
Question: What if he does not wish to give it as a gift?
Answer (R. Huna): He absorbs its price into an inflated price for the Lulav to encourage him to give the Esrog.
Question: Why can't he purchase it outright?
Answer: Since we must not give Shemitah money to an Am ha'Aretz.
The Beraisa teaches that we must not give him more than the value of three meals before Shabbos
We are thus assuming that he will spend the money and not horde it for after Shemitah.
If one forgot and gave him money for the Esrog, he must transfer the Kedushah of the money (now in the hands of the Am ha'Aretz) onto fruits in his possession.
He treats those with Kedushas Shevi'is.
The allowance to give him the value of three meals is restricted to produce which we know had been Hefker (if the produce was taken from a protected area, one must not purchase any amount from him at all).
Question (R. Sheshes): But the Beraisa indicates that, when dealing with (the various) produce (items listed which, presumably are) from Hefker, we are not restricted in the amount we may purchase from him!?
Answer (R. Sheshes): The allowance of the Beraisa is also limited to the value of a day's meals (Bichdei Man) as confirmed by Rabah bar bar Chanah (that the allowance is Bichdei Man).
Question: How does the word Man come to refer to meals?
Answer: The Pasuk in Daniel.
Question: Why only restrict the purchase of an Esrog, the Lulav should have the same problem!?
Answer: The Lulav does not have Kedushas Shevi'is since the Lulav cut for Sukos is from the sixth year.
Question: The Esrog picked then is also, surely, from the sixth year!?
Answer: The status of the Esrog is determined by the date in which it was picked.