Previous daf

1)

(a) In which respect does Rava compare a Tzurva de'Rabbanan to grains below the surface of the earth? What is a Tzurva de'Rabbanan as opposed to 'ha'Hu mi'de'Rabbanan'?

(b) What does ...

1. ... Rava say about a Tzurva de'Rabbanan who becomes angry? What are the ramifications of his statement?
2. ... Rav Ashi say about a Talmid-Chacham who is not hard like iron?

(c) What does ...

1. ... Rav Ashi learn from the Pasuk in Yirmyah "u'che'Patish Yefotzetz Sela"?
2. ... Ravina learn from the Pasuk in Koheles "ve'Haser Ka'as mi'Lib'cha?

(a) What do Eliezer Eved Avraham, Shaul ben Kish and Yiftach ha'Gil'adi have in common?

(b) What was not in order with the request of ...

1. ... Eliezer?
2. ... Shaul?
3. ... Yiftach?

(c) What do we learn from the Pasuk in Yirmiyah "ha'Tzari Ein be'Gil'ad, ha'Rofei Ein Sham"? To whom does this Pasuk refer?

(a) Another Pasuk in Yirmiyah writes "Asher Lo Tzivisi, ve'Lo Dibarti ve'Lo Alsah al Libi".
What is the reference of ...

1. ... "Asher Lo Tzivisi"? What was Meisha's motive?
2. ... "ve'Lo Dibarti"? What proof do we have from the Targum on this Pasuk that Hashem did not agree with what Yiftach did?
3. ... "ve'Lo Alsah al Libi"? If Hashem did not want Avraham to sacrifice Yitzchak, then why did He order him to take him up to Har Hamori'ah?

(b) Why did Rebbi Shmuel bar Nachmeini Amar Rebbi Yonasan not include in his list ...

1. ... Kalev, who promised his daughter to *anyone* would capture Kiryas Sefer (even a slave, even a Mamzer!)?
2. ... Gid'on, who asked Hashem to remove dew from the earth for a whole night?

(a) According to Rebbi Berechyah, K'lal Yisrael did not ask correctly, either.
What was wrong in asking from Hashem that, in their quest to know Him, He should come to them like rain?

(b) What did Hashem answer them?

(c) And what was wrong with asking Hashem to place them like a seal on His heart and on His arm?

(d) What did Hashem answer them there?

(a) 'One only asks for rain close to the rain season'. If the Tana of our Mishnah is referring to 'Mashiv ha'Ru'ach' why does the author of the Mishnah have to be Rebbi Yehoshua?

(b) How do we explain the Mishnah in order to establish it even like Rebbi Eliezer?

6)

(a) According to Rebbi Meir in the next Mishnah, one continues to ask for rain until the end of Nisan.
What does Rebbi Yehudah say?

(b) How does Rebbi Yehudah there seemingly contradict what he said in the first Mishnah (when he differentiated between the Shatz on Shemini Atzeres and the Shatz on the first day of Pesach)?

(c) Rav Chisda tries to reconcile Rebbi Yehudah's two statements by differentiating between asking for rain (until the end of Nisan) and just mentioning it (which one stops already at Musaf of the first day).
On what grounds does Ula describe Rav Chisda's words as being "like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes" (Mishlei)?

(d) How does Ula therefore reconcile Rebbi Yehudah's two statements?

(a) Rav Yosef tries to answer that when Rebbi Yehudah in the next Mishnah says that one asks for rain 'Ad she'Ya'avor Pesach', he means until the first Shatz (the Ba'al Shachris) passes before the Amud on the first day of Pesach.
On what grounds does Abaye reject that answer?

(b) And on what grounds does he reject the suggestion that it is the translator who asks for rain?

(c) Rabah answers that by 'after Pesach', Rebbi Yehudah means until after the time of the *Shechitas* ha'Pesach.
According to him, when would one stop ...

1. ... asking for rain?
2. ... mentioning rain?

(d) On what grounds does Abaye refute that answer too (leaving us with only the answer of Ula to reconcile Rebbi Yehudah's two statements)?

(a) According to the Tana Kama in a Mishnah later, one begins to ask for rain on the third of Mar-Cheshvan.
What does Raban Gamliel say?

(b) How does Rebbi Elazar rule in this regard?

(c) We ask on this from Rebbi Asi Amar Rebbi Yochanan, who rules like Rebbi Yehudah (that one begins mentioning rain at Musaf of Shemini Atzeres at the first possible opportunity - immedaitely after the Chag).
On what grounds does Rebbi Asi refute the Kashya?

(d) How did we initially try to reconcile Rebbi Elazar's ruling with that of Rebbi Asi Amar Rebbi Yochanan?

(a) We refute the previous explanation on the basis of Rebbi Yochanan, who said 'be'Makom she'Sho'eil, Mazkir'.
How do we know that Rebbi Yochanan was not referring exclusively to Nisan, when one *stops* asking for rain?

(b) So we reconcile Rebbi Elazar's ruling (like Rebbi Yehudah) with that of Rebbi Yochanan, who rules like Raban Gamliel, with the words 'Ha Lan, Ha Lehu'.
What does this mean? How are the two opinions now reconciled?

(c) But surely if it rained, the B'nei Eretz Yisrael would have as much of a problem with the people going home after Yom-Tov, as the B'nei Bavel with the fruit in their fields?

(d) How do we finally establish both rulings even by the B'nei Eretz Yisrael?

(a) Rav maintains that, according to Rebbi Yehudah, in Chutz la'Aretz, one begins to say 'Mashiv ha'Ru'ach' at Musaf of Shemini Atzeres, and stops at Minchah, to start saying it permanently on Simchas Torah?

(b) On what grounds does Shmuel refute that?

(c) What does Shmuel therefore say one should do?

(d) What is Rava's conclusion in this matter? What is *Rav's* final word?

Next daf