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Avodah Zarah 4

1) [line 1] "KI HINEH HA'YOM BA, BO'ER KA'TANUR; V'HAYU CHOL ZEDIM V'CHOL OSEH RISH'AH KASH, V'LIHAT OSAM HA'YOM HA'BA... ASHER LO YA'AZOV LAHEM SHORESH V'ANAF." - "For, behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven; and all the arrogant, and all who do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that comes shall burn them up, says HaSh-m Tzevakos, so that it will not leave them root nor branch." (Malachi 3:19)

2) [line 6] "V'ZARCHAH LACHEM YIR'EI SHEMI SHEMESH [TZEDAKAH U'MARPEI BI'CHNAFEHA [V'YTZASEM U'FISHTEM K'EGLEI MARBEK.]" - "But to you who fear My name the sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in its wings [and you shall go forth leaping like calves from the stall.]" (Malachi 3:20)

3) [line 7] MIS'ADNIN BAH - they will be refreshed, rejuvenated by it
4) [line 8] "... V'YTZASEM U'FISHTEM K'EGLEI MARBEK." - see above, entry #2
5) [line 15] "SHAKAI, LO METZANUHU SAGI CHO'ACH..." - "HaSh-m, we have not found Him [to be too] great in strength, [and [with Him there is] justice and much righteous; He does not oppress [for no reason].]" (Iyov 37:23)

6) [line 16] "NEDARI BA'KO'ACH" - "glorified with strength" (Shemos 15:6)
7) [line 17] BI'SHE'AS HA'DIN - at the time of judgement (when it is His will to be merciful)
b) [line 17] BI'SHE'AS MILCHAMAH - against idol worshippers (RABEINU CHANANEL)

8) [line 17] "CHEMAH EIN LI; [MI YITNENI SHAMIR SHAYIS BA'MILCHAMAH, EFSE'AH VAH ATZISENAH YACHAD.]" - "Fury is not in Me; [who would set the briers and thorns against Me in battle? I would step through them, I would burn them together.]" (Yeshayah 27:4)

9) [line 19] SHE'KEVAR NISHBATI - since I have already sworn [not to rage against them]

10) [line 19] MI YITNENI SHE'LO NISHBATI - who could give Me [the opportunity to rescind My oath] as if I did not swear (and I would then rage against the evildoers of Yisrael)

11) [line 22] AVAKESH BA'NIGNI SHELAHEM - I will look at (a) their historical chronicles (RASHI); (b) their acts (TOSFOS)

12) [line 23] "ACH LO V'IY YISHLACH YAD, IM B'FIDO LAHEN SHU'A." - "But [there] in the mound [of the grave] He will not stretch out His hand, [even] if they (the buried) would cry out [to Him] about His trouble [which comes] to them." (Iyov 30:24) - The Gemara that follows interprets this verse to refer to the gradual punishment of Yisrael over the generations, to insure that they remain in existence as a nation.

13) [line 24] "AVAH AVAH, AVAH ASIMENAH; GAM ZOS LO HAYAH, AD BO ASHER LO HA'MISHPAT U'NESATIV." - "A ruin, a ruin, a ruin will I make it; such a thing has never been, until the executor of judgement comes, and I will deliver him into his hands." (Yechezkel 21:32) - The Gemara interprets this verse as referring to the sudden destruction of the idols worshippers

14a) [line 26] PID SHEL TARNEGOLES - (O.F. bechedure) the pickings of a chicken
b) [line 26] SHE'MENAKRIN BA'ASHPAH - that peck in a garbage heap
15) [line 27] ANI METZARFAN L'CHESHBON GADOL - I join them to create a great sum

16) [line 28] MESHAV'IN LEFANAI - supplicate before Me
17) [line 29] "V'ANOCHI EFDEM V'HEMAH DIBRU ALAI KEZAVIM" - "[Woe to them, for they have fled from Me! Destruction to them, because they have transgressed against Me!] I would have redeemed them, but they have spoken lies against Me." (Hoshea 7:13)

18) [line 31] "VA'ANI YISARTI CHIZAKTI ZERO'OSAM, V'ELAI YECHASHVU RA." - "Though I have trained them and strengthened their arms, yet they plan evil against Me." (Hoshea 7:15)

19a) [line 33] MISHTABE'ACH LEHU REBBI AVAHU L'MINEI B'RAV SAFRA D'ADAM GADOL HU - Rebbi Avahu praised Rav Safra as a great person/Talmid Chacham, in front of the Minim
b) [line 33] MINEI - the Jewish infidels or idolaters, who were constantly interested in disproving traditional Judaism from the verses of Tanach

20) [line 33] SHAVKU LEI MICHSA DI'TELEISAR SHENIN - they let him off from paying taxes for thirteen years (see Gemara Bava Basra 8a, where it states that the Rabanan are exempt from paying any taxes)

21) [line 34] ASHKECHUHU - they (the Minim) found him (Rav Safra)
22) [line 34] "RAK ESCHEM YADATI MI'KOL MISHPECHOS HA'ADAMAH; AL KEN EFKOD ALEICHEM ES KOL AVONOSEICHEM" - "Only you have I known of all of the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." (Amos 3:2)

23a) [line 35] MAN D'IS LEI SISYA/SUSYA - one who has (a) anger, fury; (b) a mad horse
b) [line 36] B'RACHAMEI MASIK LEI? - Does he (a) vent his fury against his friend? (b) cause his friend to ride on the mad horse?

24) [line 37] RAMU LEI SUDRA B'TZAVAREI - they threw a scarf around his neck [and started to choke him]

25a) [line 40] B'TANA'EI - in Mishnaic literature
b) [line 40] BI'KERA'EI - in verses
26) [line 40] ANAN DI'SHECHICHINAN GABAICHON - I, who often have dealings with you (Rebbi Avahu was a confidant of the secular authorities -- Kesuvos 17a)

27) [line 41] RAMINAN A'NAFSHIN U'ME'AININ - I put my mind to delving into [these types of questions]

28) [line 42] ADAM SHE'NOSHEH MI'SHENEI VENEI ADAM - a person who demands repayment of a loan from two people

29) [line 42] NIFRA - he (the creditor) takes repayment
30) [line 44] CHULIN HU LACH - it is profane for You
31) [line 45] "... V'HICHRATI MIMECH TZADIK V'RASHA." - "[And say to the land of Yisrael, 'Thus says HaSh-m: Behold, I am against you, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath,] and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.'" (Yechezkel 21:8)

32a) [line 45] TZADIK SHE'EINO GAMUR - a righteous person who is not entirely righteous
b) [line 45] TZADIK GAMUR - an entirely righteous person

33) [line 46] "UMI'MIKDASHI TACHELU" - "[Slay the old, the youths and maidens, little children and women, but come not near any man upon whom is the mark, and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began with the old men who were before the house." (Yechezkel 9:6) - "My sanctuary" refers to the most righteous people of the nation.

34a) [line 46] MIKDASHI - My sanctuary
b) [line 46] MEKUDASHAI - My holy ones, i.e. the most righteous people
35) [line 47] LIMCHOS - to lodge a protest
36) [line 48] "KEL ZO'EM B'CHOL YOM" - "[HaSh-m is a righteous judge, and] a G-d Who has indignation every day." (Tehilim 7:12) - Even though HaSh-m vents his fury every day, there are survivors.

37) [line 48] "LIFNEI ZA'MO MI YA'AMOD..." - "Who can stand before His indignation? [And who can abide in the fierceness of His anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by Him.]" (Nachum 1:6)

38) [line 49] KAMAH ZA'MO? - How long does his fury last?
39) [line 49] ACHAS ME'53,848 B'SHA'AH - one part out of 53,848 of an hour (see Girsa Section to Berachos 7:2)

40) [last line] V'EIN KOL BERIYAH YECHOLAH L'CHAVEIN OSAH REGA - and not creature can pinpoint that instant

4b---------------------------------------4b

41) [line 3] B'IDNA - at the time
42) [line 5] BI'RETIVA SHADA'I LAH - I sent it out to pasture (Bil'am was embarrassed that he did not ride on a horse)

43) [line 6] "VA'TOMER HA'ASON... " - "And the donkey said to Bil'am, 'Am not I your donkey, upon which you have ridden ever since I was yours to this day? [Was I ever wont to do so to you?' And he said, 'No.']" (Bamidbar 24:30)

44) [line 7] LI'TE'INA B'ALMA - only for carrying loads (Bil'am was embarrassed that he rode on a donkey)

45) [line 8] AKRAI B'ALMA - only upon chance occasions
46) [line 11] "U'SEHI LO SOCHENES" - "[And his servants said to him, 'Let there be sought for my lord the king a young maiden; and let her stand before the king,] and be his attendant'" (Melachim I 1:2)

47) [line 14] "AMI ZECHOR NA MAH YA'ATZ BALAK MELECH MO'AV, U'MEH ANAH OSO BIL'AM BEN BE'OR, MIN HA'SHITIM AD HA'GILGAL, LEMA'AN DA'AS TZIDKOS HASH-M." - "O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moav planned, and what Bil'am the son of Be'or answered him, from the [Plains of] Shitim to the Gilgal; that you may know the righteousness of HaSh-m." (Michah 6:5)

48) [line 20] (ME'OVDEI KOCHAVIM) MI'SON'EIHEM SHEL YISRAEL - (lit. from the enemies of Yisrael) from Yisrael

49a) [line 21] SARID - a remnant
b) [line 21] PALIT - a refugee

50) [line 22] "MAH EKOV LO KABO KEL; U'MAH EZ'OM LO ZA'AM HASH-M?" - "How can I curse? HaSh-m has not cursed. How can I anger? HaSh-m has not become angry." (Bamidbar 23:8)

51) [line 23] V'CHAMAH ZA'MO? REGA - And how long does his fury last? An instant.

52) [line 24] V'CHAMAH REGA? - And how long is an instant?
53) [line 25] REGA K'MEIMREI - (lit. "Rega" like it is voiced) an instant is as long as the time that it takes to say the word "Rega"

54) [line 26] "KI REGA V'APO; CHAYIM BI'RETZONO" - "For His anger lasts but a moment; in His favor is life; [weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.]" (Tehilim 30:6)

55) [line 27] "CHAVI CHI'M'AT REGA, AD YA'AVOR ZA'AM" - "wait a small moment, until the wrath passes" (Yeshayah 26:20)

56) [line 28] KI CHIVRA KARBALTA D'TARNEGOLA - when the comb of the rooster turns white

57) [line 30] SURAIKEI SUMKEI - (O.F. tajes) red speckles. It seems that at a certain point in the morning these red speckles on the comb turn white.

58) [line 31] BI'KRA'EI - by asking him questions on verses in the Torah
59) [line 31] NAKAT TARNEGOLA - he took a rooster
60) [line 31] UKMEI BEIN KAR'EI D'ARSA - he stood it at the foot of his (Rebbi Yehoshua Ben Levi's) bed

61) [line 32] ALATYEI - I will curse him
62) [line 32] NIMNEM - he dozed
63) [line 33] "GAM ANOSH LA'TZADIK LO TOV." - "Also a person who is not good will punish the righteous" (Mishlei 17:26) - The Gemara reads this phrase as, "Also it is not good for a righteous person to mete out punishment."

64) [line 34] LO LITZLI INISH TZELOSA D'MUSFEI BI'TELAS SHA'EI KAMAISA D'YOMA B'YOMA KAMA D'REISH SHATA B'YACHID - when he is alone (not with a quorum of people who are praying), a person should not pray the Musaf prayer (of Rosh HaShanah) in the first three hours of the day of Rosh HaShanah

65) [line 35] KEIVAN D'MIFKID DINA - since he is being remembered in judgment
66) [line 35] DACHAFU LEI MIDCHI - he might be punished (lit. pushed away)
67) [line 36] NEFISHA ZECHUSEI - their merit is great
68) [line 36] D'YACHID D'TZAFRA - a person who is alone, with regard to the weekday morning prayer

69) [line 38] TORAH... EIN HA'KADOSH BARUCH HU OSEH LIFNIM MI'SHURAS HA'DIN; DIN... OSEH LIFNIM MI'SHURAS HA'DIN - when HaSh-m is learning Torah, about which the verses use the word "Emes" - "truth," if He were to sit in judgment He would not compromise. With regard to judgment, however, about which the verses do not use the word "Emes," when He would sit in judgment, He would compromise.

70) [line 38] LIFNIM MI'SHURAS HA'DIN - (lit. further inside from the line of the law) to go beyond what the law requires

71) [line 39] YOM ME'ID TARAF BA'EGEL SIMAN - this is a mnemonic device for remembering the four statements of Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi that follow:

1. *Yom* refers to "Mai di'Chesiv, Asher Anochi Metzavecha *ha'Yom*..." (line 40)
2. *Me'id* refers to "Kol Mitzvos she'Yisrael Osin ba'Olam ha'Zeh Ba'os *u'Me'idos*..." (line 41)
3. *Taraf* refers to "Kol Mitzvos she'Yisrael Osin ba'Olam ha'Zeh Ba'os *v'Torfos*..." (line 43)
4. *ba'Egel* refers to "Lo Asu Yisrael Es *ha'Egel*... " (line 46)
72) [line 44] TORFOS - shatter, mix up
73) [line 47] "MI YITEN V'HAYAH LEVAVAM ZEH LAHEM L'YIR'AH OASI KOL HA'YAMIM..." - "O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all of My commandments always, [that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!]" (Devarim 5:26)

74) [line 48] "V'LIBI CHALAL B'KIRBI" - "My heart is dead within me." (Tehilim 109:22) - The heart in this verse refers to the Yetzer ha'Ra.

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