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Prepared by Rabbi P. Feldman
of Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim
Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld


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Menachos 34

1) WHICH DOORWAYS REQUIRE A "MEZUZAH"

(a) (Rav Huna): If there is an opening in the ceiling to the attic, if there is only one doorway (at the top or bottom of the staircase leading to it), it requires a Mezuzah; if there are two, both require Mezuzos.
(b) Inference (Rav Papa): This teaches that if a room is open to porches on all four sides, all require Mezuzos.
(c) Objection: This is obvious!
(d) Answer: The Chidush is, even though he normally uses one of them more than the others (since when he made them, all were needed).
(e) (Ameimar): A corner opening (neither of the walls reaches to the corner, like this __ ' ) requires a Mezuzah.
(f) Question (Rav Ashi): But it has no doorposts!
(g) Answer (Ameimar): The ends of the walls are its doorposts (even though the gap between them is not in line with either wall, rather, on a diagonal).
(h) Rav Mari visited Shmuel; he saw a Mezuzah on an opening with only a left doorpost.
1. Rav Mari: Do you hold like R. Meir (who requires a Mezuzah when there is only one doorpost? He only says this when it is on the right, not on the left!
i. (Beraisa) Suggestion: Perhaps the Mezuzah should be out on the left side!
ii. Rejection: "Beisecha" - we read this 'Bi'asecha', it must be on your right side when you enter.
(i) Question: How do we learn this from "Beisecha"?
(j) Answer (Rabah): 'Bi'asecha' - the way you enter, i.e. on the right;
1. (Most) people move their right foot first when they begin walking.
2. (Rav Shmuel bar Acha): "(A chest was put)...Etzel ha'Mizbe'ach mi'Yamin b'Vo Ish Beis Hash-m" (people enter the Mikdash from the east; the chest was on the right, on the side people enter).
(k) Question: Where do we find that R. Meir requires a Mezuzah when there is only one doorpost?
(l) Answer (Beraisa - R. Meir): A Mezuzah is required even if there is only one doorpost;
(m) Chachamim say, it is exempt.
(n) Question: What is Chachamim's reason?
(o) Answer: It says "Mezuzos" (plural, there must be two doorposts).
(p) Question: What is R. Meir's reason?
(q) Answer (Beraisa - R. Yishmael): "Mezuzos" - there must be two doorposts;
1. Question: Why does it repeat "Mezuzos" (plural) in the second Parshah?
2. Answer: This is a Ribuy followed by another Ribuy, this always comes to exclude;
i. We exclude (the need for) one of the two doorposts.
(r) R. Akiva: We need not expound that way - it says (to put the blood of Korban Pesach in Mitzrayim) "...V'Al Shtei ha'Mezuzos";
1. Question: Why must it say "Shtei", we would have known that "Mezuzos" refers to two!
2. Answer: This teaches that whenever it says 'Mezuzos' without specifying two, it refers to one.
(s) (Beraisa) Suggestion: "U'Chsavtam" - perhaps the Parshiyos should be written on the actual stones (of the doorpost)!
(t) Rejection: It says here 'Kesivah', like it says regarding a Get (Rashi; Tosfos - Megilas Sotah, or the extra Torah a king writes);
1. Just as there he writes in a Sefer, also here.
2) THE "PARSHIYOS" IN "TEFILIN"
(a) (Mishnah): The four Parshiyos in Tefilin are Me'akev each other, even one Kesav (letter) is Me'akev.
(b) Objection: This is obvious (we learn from Mezuzah, there it says "U'Chsavtam", the Kesav must be Tam (complete))!
(c) Answer #1 (Rav Yehudah): The Mishnah teaches that even the Kotz of a 'Yud' is Me'akev.
(d) Objection: Also this is obvious (if it is missing, the letter is invalid)!
(e) Answer #2 (Rav Yehudah): The Mishnah teaches that if a letter is not surrounded by blank parchment on all four sides, it is Pasul.
34b---------------------------------------34b

(f) (Beraisa - R. Yishmael): Two occurrences of 'Totafos' are written missing the 'Vov' (as if it says 'Totafas', singular) - we only learn one from each of those, and two from "Totafos" written with a 'Vov', making four in all, teaching that there are four compartments in the head Tefilin;
1. R. Akiva says, we do not need to expound thusly - in Katfi (a place) 'Tat' means two; in Afriki, "Fos' means two.
(g) (Beraisa) Suggestion: Perhaps the four Parshiyos should be written on four parchments, each should be put in its own Bayis (box) made from a separate piece of hide!
(h) Rejection: "Ul'Zikaron Bein Einecha" - it should be only one remembrance;
1. To fulfill both verses, the four Parshiyos are written on separate parchments, each is put in its own Bayis, all four Batim are made from one piece of hide;
2. If the Parshiyos were written on one parchment and (the Klaf was folded like an accordion, so) each Parshah was in its own Bayis, this is Kosher.
3. Rebbi says, there must be a space between the Parshiyos (Rashi; Rosh - between the Batim);
4. Chachamim say, there need not be.
5. All agree that a string must separate the Batim (some say, only if the Parshiyos are on one parchment); if the separation between Batim is not recognizable (from the outside), it is Pasul.
(i) (Beraisa): The Parshiyos for Shel Yad (the hand Tefilah) are written on one parchment;
1. If they were written on separate parchments and put in one Bayis, this is Kosher;
2. R. Yehudah says, the parchment must be glued (or sewn) together - "V'Hayah Lecha l'Os Al Yadecha" - just as externally there is only one Os (i.e. Bayis), also internally (there must be only one parchment).
3. R. Yosi says, there is no need to attach the parchments.
4. R. Yosi: R. Yehudah agrees that if someone has two head Tefilin but no Shel Yad, he wraps leather around one of them (so it will appear like one Bayis) and ties it on his arm.
(j) Objection: R. Yehudah argues precisely in this case, he says that there must be only one parchment inside!
(k) Answer (Rava): From R. Yosi's words we learn that R. Yehudah retracted.
(l) Question: R. Chananyah said in the name of R. Yochanan that Shel Yad may be used for the head, but not vice-versa, because we ascend in Kedushah, we do not descend! (If R. Yehudah retracted, this is not like either Tana.)
(m) Answer: R. Yosi permits using a Tefilah *prepared* (but not yet used) for the head for the hand (this is not considered descending in Kedushah), but not if it was worn on the head.
1. According to the opinion that preparation has significance, we must say that he stipulated from the beginning that he may use it for the hand.
(n) (Beraisa #1): The order of the Parshiyos - from the right, "Kadesh Li" and "Ki Yevi'acha"; "Shma" and "V'Hayah Im Shamo'a" are on the left (Rashi - Shma is next to Ki Yevi'acha; R. Tam - it is on the far left.)
(o) Contradiction: Another Beraisa (#2) gives the opposite order!
(p) Answer (Abaye): Beraisa #1 gives the order (from right to left) from the perspective of someone facing the wearer, Beraisa #2 is with respect to the wearer (Rashi; Shimusha Raba switches these.)
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