(Permission is granted to print and redistribute this material
as long as this header and the footer at the end are included.)


REVIEW QUESTIONS ON GEMARA AND RASHI

prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Jerusalem

Previous daf

Avodah Zarah 39

1)

(a) Our Mishnah forbids Chilak, as we explained. The Beraisa permits Sultanis and Afitz.
What do they have in common? What is another name for Sultanis?

(b) What does the Beraisa say about Akunas, Afunas ... and Atunas? What do they have in common?

2)
(a) Rebbi Avahu announced in Caesaria that the fat of fish and their eggs purchased from Nochrim were permitted. Why was that?

(b) Abaye said the same about the Chilak of the River Bav.
On what grounds do we reject the suggestion that this was because Tamei fish, which have no ...

  1. ... backbone, cannot exist in such torrential rivers?
  2. ... scales, cannot exist in such salty water?
(c) So what *was* the basis of Abaye's statement?

(d) According to Ravina, this concession was later revoked.
Why was that?

3)
(a) What Si'man does ...
  1. ... Abaye give by which to remember that the sea-donkey is Kasher, whereas the sea-ox is not?
  2. ... Rav Ashi give by which to remember that the Sh'far-fish is Kasher, whereas the Kodesh-fish is not?
(b) And how will we remember that the Kever-fish is not Kasher?

(c) How did ...

  1. ... Rebbi Akiva discover that the fish they brought him in Ginzak was Kasher (even though it resembled a non-Kasher species of fish and its scales were not discernible either)?
  2. ... Rav Ashi discover that the eel-like fish that they brought him in Tamdurya were Kasher?
4)
(a) When Rabah bar bar Chanah arrived in Akra de'Agma they brought him Chilak.
Why did he desist from eating it when he heard someone refer to it as 'Bati'.

(b) What did he discover the next morning?

(c) Which Pasuk in Mishlei did he apply to himself?

5)
(a) Our Mishnah forbids a grain of Chiltis of Nochrim because it was cut with a non-Kasher knife. Bearing in mind that we assume Nochri vessels not to have been used within twenty-four hours, why do we not permit it, based on the principle 'Nosen Ta'am li'Fegam Mutar'?

(b) After Rebbi Levi's death, they asked Rebbi Yochanan whether they were permitted to continue purchasing grains of Chiltis, as they had done during the life-time of Rebbi Levi.
What did he reply?

(c) Rav Huna bar Minyumi purchased Techeiles (for Tzitzis) from the wife of Rav Amram Chasida.
What problem did he have with that which prompted him to ask Rav Yosef a She'eilah?

(d) Rav Yosef did not know the answer, neither did Rav Masna, when the question was put to him on a different occasion.
What did Rav Yehudah from Hagrunya quoting Shmuel say about it?

6)
(a) We corroborate these rulings with a Beraisa.
What does the Tana rule regarding ...
  1. ... the wife, children and members of the household of a Chaver after his death?
  2. ... a Chatzer where T'cheiles is sold?
(b) What does another Beraisa say about the wife or the daughter of an Am ha'Aretz who marries a Chaver, or if his Eved is sold to a Chaver?

(c) This is not necessary however, in the reverse case, where the wife or the daughter of a Chaver marries an Am ha'Aretz or if his Eved who is sold to one, according to Rebbi Meir, and they are believed anyway.
What does Rebbi Yehudah say?

(d) Rebbi Shimon ben Elazar concurs with Rebbi Yehudah.
What story does he relate about the Eishes Chaver who used to tie her husband's Tefilin on his arm? What happened afterwards?

Answers to questions

39b---------------------------------------39b

7)

(a) Rav lists four things that require two seals (when sending them through a Nochri Sheli'ach), and four things that require only one.
'Chavis' requires two seals. If the 'Ches' and the 'Beis' of 'Chavis' stand for Chalav and Basar, what do the 'Yud' and the 'Tav' stand for?

(b) Meat and Techeiles each require two seals due to their value, and milk will be discussed later.
What is the reason for wine?

(c) 'Champag' require only one seal. If the 'Ches' stands for 'Chiltis' and the 'Mem' for Muryas, what do the 'Pey' and the 'Gimel' stand for?

8)
(a) Why does Rav Kahana take out milk from Rav's second list and replace it with (a piece of) fish (which has no specific shape)?

(b) Having already listed meat, why does he then need to add fish?

(c) Shmuel lists only three items in each group.
Which item does he omit from the first list?

(d) He omits bread from the second list.
Why is that?

9)
(a) The Beraisa forbids the purchase of 'Yemach Mecheg' in Syria (from Jewish stores) unless one buys them from a 'Mumcheh' (someone who has a Chezkas Kashrus).
One 'Mem' stands for Muryas. What does the other stand for?

(b) What is the reason for this Chumra?

(c) Why does the prohibition fall away if one eats as a guest of the storekeeper?

(d) This latter ruling supports a statement by Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi. What does Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi say about a Balabos who sends someone a portion of food?

10)
(a) Why does Melach Salkundris bear this title? What does 'Salkundris' mean?

(b) What does this have to do with the prohibition of eating the Melach Salkundris of Nochrim?

(c) According to Rebbi Meir, the black kind of Melach Salkundris is forbidden, the white kind is permitted. Rebbi Yehudah says the opposite.
What does Rebbi Chanina ben Gamliel say?

(d) How does Rabah bar bar Chanah explain this triple Machlokes?

11)
(a) What did one old man do with the Melach Salkundris that would render it Asur irrespective, according to Rebbi Avahu quoting Rebbi Chanina ben Gamliel?

(b) The Mishnah concludes 'Harei Eilu Asurin'.
What do we mean when we explain that according to Chizkiyah, this comes to preclude a case of 'Yadu'a'?

(c) According to Rebbi Yochanan (who argues with Chizkiyah in this point), it comes to preclude Muryas and cheese from Beis Unaiki.
Who is then the author of the Mishnah?

12)
(a) What does our Mishnah say about milk that was milked by a Nochri but supervised by a Yisrael, honey and a bunch of grapes? What common Halachah do they all share?

(b) Will it make any difference if juice is dripping from the grapes?

(c) The list continues with cooked dishes of vegetables into which one does not tend to add wine or vinegar, T'ris that has not been mashed, fish-juice (with Kilchis floating inside it, a whole leaf of Chiltis and 'Zeisei G'luska'os ha'Megulgalin'.
What exactly is the last item?

(d) Finally, the Tana forbids locusts that are sold from a basket, but permits those that are taken from the storehouse.
Why is that?

13)
(a) We learned in a Beraisa that as long as a Yisrael is sitting beside the Nochri's herd, he may drink the milk that the Nochri brings him.
Why can the Beraisa not be speaking when there there are no non-Kasher species of animals in the Nochri's herd?

(b) If on the other hand, there are, why is the milk permitted? Why are we not afraid that the Nochri will bring him milk from the non-Kasher species (seeing as he is seated and cannot see what the Nochri does anyway)?

(c) What is the significance of the fact that the Yisrael is 'sitting' and not standing?

(d) Why is the honey of Nochrim permitted?

14)
(a) What does Shamai say in a Beraisa about grapes that are picked for wine making?

(b) What does Hillel say?

(c) How do we now reconcile this with our Mishnah, which does not consider the juice that drips from the grapes a liquid in this regard?

Answers to questions

Next daf

Index


For further information on
subscriptions, archives and sponsorships,
contact Kollel Iyun Hadaf,
daf@shemayisrael.co.il