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REVIEW QUESTIONS ON GEMARA AND RASHI

prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Jerusalem

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Yevamos 121

1)

(a) Rebbi Yehudah ben Bava disagrees with the Tana Kama in our Mishnah, who holds that Simanim tend to change after three days. In his opinion, not all people, places or times are the same.
What are the two ways of interpreting his opinion?

(b) What did Rav Dimi from Neherda'a rule with regard to the man who drowned in Karmi and whom they brought to Bei Hedya only after three days (and Rava with regard to a similar episode of a man whose body they retrieved from the river Diglas after three days)? Is there any significance in how soon after they brought the bodies up on to dry land, they testified?

(c) How do those rulings appear to resolve the quandary we have regarding Rebbi Yehudah ben Bava's opinion?

(d) But we finally establish those cases like the Rabbanan, on the grounds that water is different.
What does this mean? How do we reconcile this with what we learned earlier, that water causes the wound to swell?

2)
(a) According to Rebbi Meir, a woman is not permitted to marry on the basis of a witness who testifies that her husband fell into water and disappeared, irrespective of whether it is Mayim she'Yesh Lahem Sof, or Mayim she'Ein Lahem Sof.
Why is that?

(b) What did Rebbi Meir testify about a man who fell into a large pit?

(c) What did Rebbi Yossi testify about a blind man who entered a cave to bathe? In which point does he argue with Rebbi Meir?

(d) In another episode, Rebbi Yossi testified about a man whom they lowered (on a rope - see Tosfos Yom-Tov) into the sea via his leg, which they eventually pulled up minus the body.
What did the Chachamim rule in that case?

3)
(a) What constitutes 'Mayim she'Yesh Lahem Sof'?

(b) What did Shmuel reply when Rav suggested placing a Shamta on Rav Shilo for permitting the wife of a man who had disappeared in the lake of Samki?

(c) Seeing as it was a very large lake, and fell under the category of Mayim she'Ein Lahem Sof, what did Rav Shilo reply when they asked him why he issued such a ruling? What caused him to make this mistake?

(d) Shmuel applied the Pasuk in Mishlei "Lo Ye'uneh la'Tzadik Kol Aven". Which Pasuk from Mishlei did Rav apply to Shmuel?

4)
(a) Rebbi told the story of two men who were spreading nets in the Jordan River (Mayim she'Ein Lahem Sof).
What happened to one of the men when he entered a Mechilah shel Dagim (a man-made cavity [for trapping fish] on the bank of the mouth of the river).

(b) What did Rebbi exclaim at the outcome of the story?

(c) Why do we not contend with the possibility of a Mechilah shel Dagim even by Mayim she'Yesh Lahem Sof?

5)
(a) On what grounds does Rav Ashi permit the wife of a Talmid-Chacham to remarry by Mayim she'Ein Lahem Sof?

(b) His opinion however, is not accepted.
What is the Halachah? Which leniency emerges from this ruling?

(c) Raban Gamliel once came across a wrecked boat in mid-ocean, which he recognized as the one that was used by Rebbi Akiva. When he reached dry land, there was Rebbi Akiva!
What had happened to him? What do we learn from his actions?

(d) A similar incident occurred to Rebbi Akiva, when he found a wrecked boat in mid-ocean.
Who had been the occupant of that boat?

6)
(a) If witnesses testified that a man fell into a lion's den, his wife is not permitted to marry; into a snake-pit, she is.
Why the difference?

(b) On what grounds does the Tana Kama disagree with Rebbi Yehudah ben Bava, who even forbids the wife to marry in the latter case, because he contends with the possibility of his being a snake-charmer?

Answers to questions

121b---------------------------------------121b

7)

(a) According to the Tana Kama, is a woman permitted to marry on the basis of evidence that her husband fell into ...
  1. ... a heated furnace?
  2. ... a caldron of boiling wine or oil?
(b) On what grounds does Rebbi Acha differentiate between oil and wine?

(c) How does the Tana Kama counter Rav Acha's argument?

8)
(a) Rebbi Meir (in our Mishnah) proves from the man who fell into the large pit and who reappeared after three days that, even in a case of Mayim *she'Yesh* Lahem Sof, the woman is forbidden to marry. The Rabbanan counter this with the principle 'Ein Mazkirin Ma'aseh Nisim'.
What miracle were they referring to?

(b) What did Rebbi Yochanan say about someone who swore that he would not sleep for three days?

(c) The miracle to which they referred could not have been that the man survived without eating.
From where do we know that it is possible to survive three days without eating?

(d) Rebbi Meir counters that there were whole buildings in that pit, on which the man was able to lean and sleep (so it was not really a miracle at all).
How does he counter the Chachamim's argument that those buildings were made of marble, which is slippery (and on which one cannot lean)?

9)
(a) After how many hours was the daughter of Nechunyah Chofer Shichin saved from drowning?

(b) How was she saved from drowning? Who saved her?

(c) Why did Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa say Shalom the first two hours? How did he know that she would not drown in the third?

(d) In which regard did Rebbi Aba quote the Pasuk in Tehilim "u'Sevivav Nis'arah Me'od", and Rebbi Chanina the Pasuk "Keil Na'aratz ... ve'Nora al Kol Sevivav"? What sad event were they referring to?

10)
(a) The Tana Kama of our Mishnah accepts Eidus Ishah from someone who testifies that he heard from women that someone had died.
Do they need to tell him that in the form of testimonys?

(b) Rebbi Yehudah is still more lenient. He even permits testimony that one hears from children.
What did he hear the children saying? How do we know that they actually went to the burial?

(c) And how do we know that they are not referring to their pet locust who had just died?

11)
(a) What distinction does the Tana make between a woman or a child who testify and a Nochri (who is also believed by Eidus Ishah)?

(b) Rav Yehudah Amar Shmuel restricts the Chumra pertaining to a Nochri to where his intention is to actually permit the woman to marry, but not if he just intended to testify.
How do we know what his intentions are?

(c) Rebbi Yochanan disagrees. According to him, that is the opinion of Rebbi Oshaya be'Rebbi (or b'Rivi).
What do the eighty-five elders say? In which case then, does the Tana of our Mishnah permit the testimony of a Nochri?

(d) What is an example of 'Masi'ach Lefi Tumo'?

12)
(a) Following the testimony of a witness who testified that Chasa had drowned in Mayim she'Ein Lahem Sof, what did Rav Nachman say that prompted Chasa's wife to go and remarry?

(b) What do we learn from the fact that nobody protested at what she did?

(c) According to others, Rav Nachman actually permitted Chasa's wife to remarry.
Why was that?

(d) What is the final outcome of the Sugya? Was Rav Nachman's ruling correct?

13)
(a) What did that Nochri tell a certain Jew in an effort to force him to cut some fodder and feed it to his animal on Shabbos?

(b) When the wife of the man whom the Nochri had mentioned came before Abaye to ask for permission to remarry, he was uncertain what to answer. Eventually, Rav Yosef, who was as sharp as a knife, learned this Halachah from a Beraisa.
What does the Tana say about a Nochri who says that the fruit he is selling is Orlah or Neta Revai?

(c) The same will apply if he is selling fruit from Azeikah.
Why is that? Where is he selling the fruit?

(d) Why can 'shel Azeikah' not be referring to Sh'mitah produce that had been guarded?

Answers to questions

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