Menachem Mendel

Daf Yomi recently covered some discussion about urinating rabbis. I previously posted on the subject here, here, and here.

Posted on January 2nd, 2012 under Daf Yomi, Talmud, Talmud Study. Comments: 2

The following is an example of how a scribal error made its way to the commonly used printed editions of the Talmud. The example is from Bechorot 38b. Florence II-I-7: איני והא’ רב אידי בר אבין א’ רב יצחק בר אשייאן אדר וניסן לח London – BL Add. 25717 402: איני והא’ (רבא ידי)[רב אידי] [...]

Posted on December 23rd, 2011 under Daf Yomi, Manuscripts, Talmud, Talmud Study, Textual Studies. Comments: 1

The beginning of tractate Bechorot has some interesting discussion about relations between Jews and Gentiles. The following statement is found on Bechorot 2b: והא אמר אבוה דשמואל: אסור לאדם שיעשה שותפות עם הגוי, שמא יתחייב לו שבועה, ונשבע לו בשם עבודת כוכבים שלו, והתורה אמרה: (שמות כג) לא ישמע על פיך! Has not the father [...]

Posted on November 17th, 2011 under Daf Yomi, Jewish-Gentile Relations, Talmud, Talmud Study. Comments Off

Ḥullin 137b has a nice piece of dialogue that illustrates rabbinic awareness of the difference between the Hebrew of the Sages and the Hebrew of the Torah. This source addresses the question about the plural ending of masculine nouns, whether it is -im or -ot. Now for the source from Ḥullin. כי סליק איסי בר [...]

Posted on November 10th, 2011 under Daf Yomi, Hebrew, Talmud. Comments Off

The following baraita is found on Ḥullin 94a. While the overall message of D and E is clear, don’t mislead other people, F seems to addressing general meal-related behavior. For all of those who like to speak about the culture of the rabbis, these examples, especially E and F, should keep you busy. The quick [...]

Posted on October 4th, 2011 under Daf Yomi. Comments Off

Ḥullin 58a (original, English trans.) is one of the places in the Talmud where the phrase כח דהיתרא עדיף (“the strength of the lenient ruling is preferable”) appears. Many people are familiar with the use of the phrase in post-Talmudic literature, where it signifies the preference to rule leniently in questions of law. What some [...]

Posted on September 1st, 2011 under Daf Yomi, Jewish Law, Legal Theory, Rabbinic Authority, Rabbinic Literature, Talmud. Comments: 2

Rabbi Dov Linzer has a good post about some of the recent discussions in Daf Yomi, We Don’t Add to the List of Treifot-Really? Rabbi Linzer addresses the discussion found in the Gemara as to whether it is possible to add to the list of conditions that are fatal to an animal and therefore make [...]

Posted on August 23rd, 2011 under Daf Yomi, Jewish Law, Manuscripts, Rabbinic Literature. Comments Off

On Ḥullin 10a it is written that physical dangers are taken more seriously than ritual prohibitions, חמירא סכנתא מאיסורא. This phrase has been used in two different manners. The first is to speak about the importance of avoiding dangerous situations in general, while the second specifically addresses the tension between ritual prohibitions and the possibility [...]

Posted on July 6th, 2011 under Daf Yomi, Jewish Law, Jewish-Gentile Relations, Talmud. Comments Off

Today Daf Yomi began Ḥullin. Many years ago I was able to study most of the first two chapters with Rabbi Aryeh Strikovsky and I am looking forward to rediscovering some marginalia from that shiur. The tractate begins by addressing who is qualified to ritually slaughter animals. See this older post about women as ritual [...]

Posted on June 28th, 2011 under Daf Yomi, Gender, Talmud, Talmud Study. Comments Off