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REVIEW QUESTIONS ON GEMARA AND RASHI

prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Jerusalem

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Ta'anis 6

TA'ANIS 6 & 7 - dedicated by Dovid and Zahava Rubner of Petach Tikva l'Iluy Nishmas his late mother, Mrs. Seren Rubner. May Hashem grant all of her offspring with joy, fulfillment, and all that they need!

1)

(a) "Yoreh" means teaches.
What does the early rain in Mar-cheshvan teach people to do?

(b) It can also mean to water, because it waters the earth right down to the depths.
What other connotations does "Yoreh" have?

(c) Why do we initially think that "Yoreh" does not have a connotation of shooting, to say that if we fail to keep Torah and Mitzvos, it will descend in a destructive manner, to destroy the fruit that is still on the trees, the plants and the trees?

(d) What is "Malkosh" the acronym of? What leads us to believe that it does not have the connotation of destroying the fruit that is still on the tree and the plants?

2)
(a) We then suggest that "Malkosh" could be the acronym of 'Mal' (to cut down) and 'Kash' (hard).
What might it cut down and what might it be hard on?

(b) We finally conclude that our starting point is "Yoreh" (and not "Malkosh"). The source that convinces us that "Yoreh" can only be for a Berachah, is the Pasuk in Yoel the end of which the Tana quoted in our Mishnah.
What does the Pasuk there say?

(c) One particular B'rachah of Malkosh is that it fills the pits with water. It is also a potential curse inasmuch as it is 'Ma'aleh Saka'in'.
What does 'Ma'aleh Saka'in' mean?

3)
(a) How do we learn that the Yoreh does not occur in Kislev from the words "be'Ito (Yoreh u')Malkosh"?

(b) We now explain "Malkosh" as the acronym of '*Mal* *Kash*yusan shel Yisrael'.
What does that mean?

(c) A second acronym is 'she'Me*mal*ei Tevu'ah be'*Kash*eha'.
What does that mean?

(d) What is the third acronym of "Malkosh"?

4)
(a) The Yoreh consists of three rainfalls. According to Rebbi Meir, the first occurs on the third of Mar-Cheshvan and the second, on the seventh. When does the third rainfalls occur?

(b) According to Rebbi Yehudah, the first and second falls correspond to the second and third falls of Rebbi Meir. Likewise, the first and second falls according to Rebbi Yossi, correspond to the second and third falls of Rebbi Yehudah.
When does the third fall occur ...

  1. ... according to Rebbi Yehudah?
  2. ... according to Rebbi Yossi?
(c) In which month does the Yoreh occur, according to Rebbi Yossi?

(d) When do the Yechidim (the Gedolei ha'Dor) begin fasting (if there is no rain), according to Rebbi Yossi?

5)
(a) Rav Chisda rules like Rebbi Yossi. Others quote Rav Chisda as ruling like Raban Gamliel (in a second Beraisa). According to the Tana Kama of that Beraisa, one asks for rain on the third of Mar-Cheshvan. What does Raban Gamliel say?

(b) In yet a third Beraisa, Raban Shimon ben Gamliel says that if rain fell for seven consecutive days, that will cover either the first and second fall of the Yoreh, or the second and third.
Like which Tana (in 4b.) does Raban Shimon ben Gamliel hold, Rebbi Meir, Rebbi Yehudah or Rebbi Yossi?

(c) What is the function of ...

  1. ... the *first* of the three falls of the Yoreh?
  2. ... the *third* fall?
(d) According to Rebbi Zeira, the *second* fall marked the time-period of Nedarim.
What does this mean?
Answers to questions

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6)

(a) According to Rav Z'vid, the second fall of the Yoreh marked olives. What does he mean?

(b) Everyone is permitted to take Leket, Shikchah and Pei'ah from the corn from the time the Nemushos have been. According to Rebbi Yochanan, this means old men with walking-sticks.
What does it mean, according to Resh Lakish?

(c) When may they take Peret and Olelos? What are 'Peret' and 'Olelos'?

7)
(a) According to Rav Papa, the second fall of Yoreh marked the turning-point with regard to traversing 'Shevilei ha'Reshus'.
What does that mean?

(b) According to Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak, it marks the Bi'ur of fruit in the Sh'mitah-year.
Which fruit?

(c) What is the meaning of the word 'Revi'ah' (one of the falls of rain currently under discussion)? What did Rav Yehudah mean when he said 'Mitra Ba'alah de'Ar'a'?

(d) How much rain needs to fall in order not to have to fast ...

  1. ... during the first Revi'ah?
  2. ... during the second Revi'ah?
8)
(a) What did Rav Chisda mean when he said that rain that comes before 've'Atzar' is not included in "ve'Atzar"?

(b) How does Abaye qualify Rav Chisda's statement?

(c) Rav Yehudah bar Yitzchak said that morning clouds do not portend blessing.
How does Abaye reconcile this with the folk-saying that if the rain is coming down in the early morning, then the grain-merchant may as well fold his sack and go to sleep on it (because, due to the abundance of rain, everyone will be house-bound, and he will not be able to sell his grain anyway)?

9)
(a) A year in which Teives is dry is a good year, says Rav Yehudah, because the paths are dry for the Talmidim to go to Yeshivah (though it is not clear why specifically Teives).
What is the Gemara's second reason for this?

(b) How do we reconcile this with Rav Chisda, who said that if rain muddies the paths in Teives, it is a sign of a good year?

(c) Rav Chisda says that if rain fell on one area but not on another, this is not included in the curse of "ve'Atztar" (because the one can then assist the other).
How do we reconcile this with the statement of Rav Yehudah Amar Rav, who, explaining a Pasuk in Amos, says that if one section of land receives rain and not the other, both suffer "ve'Atzar"?

(d) How does Rava support this answer from the expression used by Amos "Chalakah Achas *Timatar*" (the Pasuk to which Rav Yehudah Amar Rav refers)?

10)
(a) What does Rebbi Avahu mean when he says that one recites a Berachah over rain when 'the Chasan goes out to meet the Kalah'?

(b) According to Rav Yehudah Amar Rav, the Berachah reads 'Modim Anachnu Lach ... al Kol Tipah she'Horadta Lanu'.
What did Rebbi Yochanan add to that?

(c) We initially thought that the Berachah concludes "Baruch ... Rov ha'Hoda'os'.
How does it really end?

(d) What does 'Rov ha'Hoda'os' mean? What did we initially take it to mean?

Answers to questions

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