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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 31

1)

(a) Rav Masna attributes Chamishah-Asar be'Av to the dead of Beitar.
What does that mean?

(b) They also instituted 'ha'Tov ve'ha'Meitiv' following the same incident. What are the two connotations of the Berachah of 'ha'Tov ve'ha'Meitiv'?

(c) What is the significance of the words 'ha'Tov ve'ha'Meitiv'?

2)
(a) Rabah and Rav Yosef present the final reason for the institution of Chamishah-Asar be'Av in connection with the cutting of the wood for the Beis Hamikdash. As a result of that, it became known as 'Yom Tavar Magal'.
What is the significance of 'Yom Tavar Magal'?

(b) Why did they stop cutting wood for the Mizbei'ach then?

(c) The main thrust of this being a reason for Chamishah-Asar be'Av being a Yom-Tov seems to be the fact that since the nights now become longer, there is more time to study Torah (and David wrote in Tehilim "Pikudei Hashem Yecharim, *Mesamchei Leiv"*). The Beraisa says about someone who does not avail himself of the opportunity to learn extra 'mi'Ka'an va'Eilech, de'Lo Mosif Yasif'.
How does Rav Yosef explain this statement?

3)
(a) A princess would borrow a dress from the daughter of the Kohen Gadol.
From whom would the daughter of ...
  1. ... the Kohen Gadol borrow?
  2. ... the deputy Kohen Gadol?
  3. ... the Kohen Gadol for war?
(b) We learned in our Mishnah that all the borrowed dresses required Tevilah. This extended even to dresses that came straight from their owners' wardrobes even though they had not even been worn.
Why was that?

(c) Was it customary for men to go out to the vineyards whilst the girls were dancing there?

4) In spite of our Mishnah, the Beraisa divides the groups of girls into three.
What did ...
  1. ... the beautiful ones among them say?
  2. ... the ugly ones?
***** Hadran Alach, bi'Sheloshah Perakim u'Selika Lah Maseches Ta'anis! *****

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