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REVIEW QUESTIONS ON GEMARA AND RASHI

prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Jerusalem

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Moed Katan 4

1)

(a) Rebbi Yochanan disagrees with the previous explanation (of Rebbi Yitzchak and Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak). He maintains that Raban Gamliel and his Beis Din rescinded the Takanah of Beis Hillel and Beis Shamai min ha'Torah.
What did he learn from a 'Gezeirah-Shavah' "Shabbos" "Shabbos" from Shabbos Bereishis?

(b) Why is his explanation unacceptable?

(c) Rav Ashi amends Rebbi Yochanan's explanation. He explains that in fact, Raban Gamliel and his Beis-Din hold like Rebbi Yishmael (in the Derashah of "be'Charish u've'Katzir Tishbos".
How does that answer the Kashya? How does Raban Gamliel now have the right to cancel Tosefes Sh'mitah?

2)
(a) The Tana of our Mishnah forbids using Mei Kilon (water in a pit) to water a Beis ha'Shalachin because of the trouble involved. According to Rebbi Yochanan, he decrees rain-water (that is flowing and does not involve excessive trouble) in case one will then go on to use Mei Kilon.
Why is rain-water forbidden, according to Rav Ashi?

(b) Rebbi Zeira quotes ... Shmuel who says that one is permitted to water one's field on Chol ha'Mo'ed from rivers that draw their water from pools. What is Shmuel's Chidush? Why might we have thought that this should be forbidden?

(c) With which opinion does Shmuel's opinion conform, with that of Rebbi Yochanan or with that of Rav Ashi?

(d) Rebbi Yirmiyah asked Rebbi Zeira (who permitted watering one's field in Bavel from pools of water), why the pools of Bavel should be any different than Mei Kilon, which might dry up and are therefore forbidden.
What did he reply?

3)
(a) The Tana of the Beraisa permits using the water from pools on Chol ha'Mo'ed, provided a stream flows between them.
Why is that?

(b) Rav Papa adds the requirement that one must be able to water most of the field from that stream at the same time (for obvious reasons).
On what grounds does Rav Ashi maintain that this is nevertheless not necessary?

(c) Under which condition may one water a field from a pool of water (even when there is no stream flowing from it)? Why are we not worried that it may dry up?

(d) Which second condition does Abaye add?

4)
(a) Rebbi Shimon ben Menasya forbids carrying water from a lower field to a higher one. Why?

(b) Rebbi Elazar b'Rebbi Shimon is even more stringent.
What does he say?

5)
(a) When may one water vegetables, and when may one not?

(b) On what grounds did Rabah Tosfa'ah ask Ravina to place a certain man in Cherem one Chol ha'Mo'ed? What was the man doing that displeased him?

(c) Ravina proved to him from a Beraisa that it is permitted to water vegetables as long as one intends to eat them on Chol ha'Mo'ed (i.e. that that is what 'Madlin li'Yerakos ... ' means).
How did Rabah Tosfa'ah interpret 'Madlin li'Yerakos ... '?

(c) Did Rabah Tosfa'ah accept Ravina's proof?

Answers to questions

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

6)

(a) Rav Yehudah translates Ugi'os for the vines (forbidden by our Mishnah on Chol ha'Mo'ed) as 'Banchi'.
What are 'Banchi'?

(b) How do we reconcile this with Rav Yehudah himself, who permitted the people of Tzisa'i to dig 'Banchi' for their vineyards on Chol-ha'Mo'ed?

7)
(a) Rebbi Zeira and Rebbi Aba bar Mamal argue over Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah's reason for forbidding digging the course of a stream in the Sh'mitah year. One of them says because it resembles digging in one's field. What does the other one say?

(b) We suggest that the difference between them will be a case where the water flows along the bed as he digs, since that hardly resembles normal digging.
On what grounds do we reject this suggestion?

(c) So we give the difference as being a case where the digger throws the earth beyond the stream's banks, in which case, it no longer looks as if he is preparing the stream's banks for sowing.
Why does this opinion nevertheless not forbid it because it resembles digging?

8)
(a) The Tana Kama in a Mishnah in Shevi'is says 'Oseh Adam es Zivlo Otzer'. What does he mean?

(b) Rebbi Meir forbids it unless he places it in a ditch three Tefachim deep or on a mound three Tefachim high.
When does Rebbi Meir concede that it is permitted even when there is no ditch or mound?

(c) Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah is the most stringent of all.
What does *he* say?

9)
(a) Ameimar gave Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah's reason for forbidding the digging of a source of a stream because it resembles digging in a field. How does that now create a discrepancy in Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah's own words?

(b) Rebbi Zeira and Rebbi Aba bar Mamal give two reasons as to why the latter case (the Mishnah in Shevi'is) is different. One says because it speaks when he had already dug the ditch (or the mound) beforehand.
What does the other one say?

10)
(a) Rebbi Aba explains 'u'Mesaknin es ha'Mekulkeles' (in our Mishnah) to mean that if one Tefach of a stream that was one Amah deep became stopped up - one is permitted to re-dig the one Tefach.
Why is it obvious that this will be forbidden if the stream had an original depth of ...
  1. ... *three* Tefachim, and *half* a Tefach became stopped up?
  2. ... *twelve* Tefachim, of which *two* Tefachim became stopped up?
(b) Rebbi Aba's She'eilah is in the case of a stream that was originally seven Tefachim deep, five of which became stopped up?
Why should it be ...
  1. ... permitted?
  2. ... forbidden?
(c) Abaye permitted the removal of branches from the river bed on Chol ha'Mo'ed; Rebbi Yirmiyah permitted clearing the source of a river that became stopped-up, and Rav Ashi permitted clearing away a large pile of rubble that had formed in the middle of a river.
What is the reason for all these concessions?
Answers to questions

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