Explanation: This is thin rain. It is good even for Partzida under Kala, i.e. seeds under a stone, like wheat under the ground.

Explanation: [The thin rain] arouses and makes sprout Pili, i.e. those [seeds] standing in cracks in the ground.

Explanation: Eliezer, Sha'ul and Yiftach [asked improperly].

Question: Why don't we list also Kalev ben Yefunah? He said "whoever will strike Kiryas Sefer and capture it, I will give to him my daughter Achsah for a wife"!

We could ask like we criticized Sha'ul, that perhaps a Mamzer or slave [would conquer it]!

Answer #1: Kalev said that he will give his daughter... He meant "whoever can return the Halachos forgotten during the mourning over Moshe, I will give to him my daughter Achsah."

Answer #2: Some say that she was called Achsah because anyone who saw her became angry at his wife. Surely this is because they saw excessive modesty in her;

Kalev relied on her merit and his to help her get a Zivug (spouse) appropriate for her deeds;

This is like it says in Sotah (2a), that matches are made [only according to one's deeds].

Question: Why doesn't it say regarding Eliezer Avraham's slave, like we say below regarding Sha'ul, perhaps he will get a Mamzeres or Shifchah...?

Answer #1 (Rashi): Regarding Eliezer, the concept of Mamzer did not apply yet, for the Torah was not given yet.

Answer #2: Regarding [marrying] a woman, people are particular only about appearance.

Question: How can we say that Eliezer asked improperly? He merely said "the one to whom I will say 'please tilt your flask...";

If he will see that she is lame or blind, he will not say to her [to give to him water]!

Answer: It means that perhaps she will be lame or blind, and [this includes] even if she has a wooden leg and he (Eliezer) will not see this, or she has nice eyes but she cannot see at all.

Explanation: I.e. [is there no doctor] to permit Yiftach's vow? There was Pinchas! Why didn't Yiftach go to him to permit his vow?

Rather, it was due to haughtiness. He said "I will not go to him, for I am a judge and leader. Rather, he will come to me."

Pinchas said "he will come to me. I am a Navi! Through me, she will be permitted, for I will permit the vow and exempt her."

Conclusion: In the end, both of them were punished. Yiftach was punished, and his limbs fell off before he died, like it says "he was buried in cities of Gil'ad";

Pinchas was punished. It says "beforehand, Hash-m was with him."

Note: Rashi (Shoftim 11:39) says that after this episode, he lost Ru'ach ha'Kodesh. The primary opinion holds that Eliyahu is Pinchas. It seems that his Ru'ach ha'Kodesh returned only when Sefer Melachim mentions Eliyahu. For the hundreds of years in between, there is virtually no mention of him in Tanach (PF).

Explanation: You (Rav Asi) said that the Halachah follows R. Yehudah in this matter. I.e. in the Mishnah R. Yehudah says that on the last Yom Tov of Sukos, the latter Shali'ach Tzibur mentions, and the first does not mention;

Above, we equate request to mention. The Gemara asked a contradiction "until when do we request? Until the end..."

The Gemara answered "you cannot challenge one Amora from another." (They may argue with each other!)

Explanation: We answer that that is for stopping. I.e. when we cease to request, we cease to mention. However, we begin to mention before [requesting];

This is because mention is appeasement for request. Therefore, there is no concern if he mentions first.

Explanation: For people of Bavel, it is until after the seventh of Cheshvan, for they have Peros in the fields;

This is not a concern in Eretz Yisrael, for their Peros can be dry without taking them to the fields.

Explanation: [They request immediately,] for one who begins to mention, begins to request.