1)

(a)The Tana says that to declare that good people should bless Hash-m (See Mesores ha'Shas) is akin to Miynus (heresy) ...

(b)... since Resha'im too, are obligated to praise Hash-m.

(c)He also rules that if a Chazan errs in the (as yet unwritten) text of the Amidah - he should be replaced.

(d)The person who is asked to replace him should not decline to do so, because it is a disgrace to interrupt the Tefilah for such a long period.

2)

(a)The replacement resumes from the beginning of the B'rachah that the Chazan erred.

(b)If he skipped an entire B'rachah - then he goes back to the beginning of that B'rachah.

(c)The Mishnah rules that the Chazan should not answer 'Amen' to each of the B'rachos of Birchas Kohanim ...

(d)... in case he has difficulty in remembering how to continue (See Tosfos DH 'Lo Ya'aneh').

3)

(a)The Mishnah forbids a Chazan who is a Kohen - to Duchen ...

(b)... in case he gets confused when he needs to continue with 'Sim Shalom'.

(c)He therefore permits him to Duchen - if he sure that he will be able to continue with ease.

4)

(a)Given that a person who is asked to act as Chazan should initially refuse, the Beraisa compares someone who ...

1. ... does not do so - to a cooked dish that has not been salted.

2. ... refuses excessively - to one that has been over-salted.

(b)The correct procedure therefore, is at first, to refuse, then to hesitate and finally to accede to the request.

(c)Another lists two other things, besides Sarvanus (refusing to act as Chazan) that are bad in excess, but good, when applied modestly. One of them is yeast, the other - salt.

5)

(a)Rav Huna rules that someone who erred whilst Davening the Amidah and omitted something in ...

1. ... the first three B'rachos of the Amidah - must go back to the beginning of the Amidah.

2. ... the middle B'rachos - must go back to 'Atah Chonein'.

3. ... the last three B'rachos - must go back to Avodah ('Retzei').

(b)When Rav Asi says that the middle B'rachos have no specific order, he means - that someone who subsequently remembers that he omitted one of the middle B'rachah may recite it there and then (See Tosfos DH 'Emtza'ios').

(c)Rav Sheishes cites our Mishnah which obligates the replacement Chazan to resume from the beginning of the B'rachah where the first Chazan erred - a Kashya on Rav Asi.

(d)It is not a Kashya on Rav Huna, who obligates the person who errs to go back to 'Atah Chonein' - because he considers all the middle B'rachos to be one B'rachah.

6)

(a)Rav Yehudah states that it is not appropriate to add one's own request - during the first or last three B'rachos of the Amidah.

(b)In fact, the correct place to do so is during the middle B'rachos.

(c)Rav Yehudah's ruling is based on a statement of Rebbi Chanina, who compared ...

1. ... the first three B'rachos of the Amidah to - someone who is declaring the praises of the king.

2. ... the middle B'rachos to - someone who is asking the king for a gift.

3. ... the last three B'rachos to someone who after receiving the gift from the king is about to take leave of him.

7)

(a)When the people complained about a certain Chazan who Davened ...

1. ... a long Tefilah, Rebbi Eliezer asked them - whether his Tefilah was longer than that of Moshe following the sin of the Golden Calf?

2. ... a short Tefilah, he asked them - whether his Tefilah was any shorter than Moshe's Tefilah on behalf of his sister Miriam?

(b)The Tefilah that he Davened after the sin of the Golden Calf ...

1. ... lasted forty days and forty nights.

2. ... consisted five words ("Keil Na, R'fah Na lah!").

(c)Rebbi Ya'akov Amar Rav Chisda learns from the wording of the latter Tefilah - that when Davening for one's friend in his presence, it is not necessary to mention his name.

8)

(a)The Beraisa requires one to bow down - at the beginning and the end of 'Avos' and at the beginning and the end of Hoda'ah ('Modim'), adding that ...

(b)... one should desist from doing so - at the beginning and at the end of any other B'rachah.

9)

(a)Rebbi Shimon ben Pazi Amar Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi said in the name of bar Kapara that ...

1. ... a Hedyot - should do as the Beraisa instructed ...

2. ... a Kohen Gadol - should bow down at the end of every B'rachah, and ..

3. ... a king - at the beginning and the end of every B'rachah.

(b)Rebbi Yitzchak bar Nachmeni quotes Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi differently. According to him ...

1. ... a Kohen Gadol bows down - at the beginning and at the end of every B'rachah, whereas ...

2. ... a king - bows down at the beginning of the Amidah and does not straighten himself until the end.

(c)The reason for these distinctions is - because the greater the person, the more he needs o humiliate himself before Hash-m.

10)

(a)The Beraisa learns from the Pasuk ...

1. ... in Melachim "Vatikod Bas Sheva Apayim Eretz" - that 'Kidah' means falling on one's face.

2. ... in Melachim (in connection with the Tefilah of Shlomoh ha'Melech) "Kam mi'lifnei Mizbach Hash-m mi'Kero'a al Birchav" - that 'K'ri'ah' (with a 'Kaf' [in the Torah]) means - falling on one's knees.

3. ... in Vayeishev (in connection with Yosef and his brothers) "Ha'vo Navo ... Lehishtachavos lefanecha Artzah?" [in the Torah] means - falling on the ground, hands and feet outstretched.

(b)Rav Chiya b'rei de'Rav Huna saw - Abaye and Rava being Matzli Atzlu'yi ...

(c)... by which he meant - that when they fell on their faces during Tefilah, they went down on their sides, and not with hands and feet outstretched.

11)

(a)To resolve the contradiction between the Beraisa that considers bending one's knees in 'Hoda'ah' praiseworthy and the Beraisa which considers it despicable - we establish the former at the beginning of the B'rachah and the latter at the end.

(b)When the Rabbanan asked Rava why, despite the second Beraisa, he bent his knees both at the beginning and at the end of Hoda'ah, Rava replied that he took his cue from both Rav Nachman - and Rav Sheishes.

(c)All these Chachamim reconcile what they did with the Beraisa ...

1. ... that forbids it - by establishing the Beraisa by Hoda'ah of Hallel, and the 'Hoda'ah' in the Beraisa ...

2. ... that states 'ha'Kore'a be'Hoda'ah u'be'Hoda'ah shel Hallel, Harei Zeh Meguneh' - by Hoda'ah of Birchas ha'Mazon.

12)

(a)The Mishnah, which considers it a bad sign if someone errs in the Amidah, adds that if a Shali'ach Tzibur errs - it is a bad sign for those whom he represents ...

(b)... due to the principle 'Shelucho shel Adam Kamoso'.

(c)They say that, when Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa Davened on behalf of the sick - he knew who would recover and who would die.

(d)What they asked him how he knew, he replied - that he knew by the fluency of the Tefilah whether it was accepted or not.

13)

(a)When the Gemara asked with regard to which B'rachah the Mishnah considers an error a bad sign, Rebbi Chiya ... quoting Chad de'bei Rebbi answered - 'Avos'.

(b)Others quote him in connection which a Beraisa which initially requires a person to try and muster Kavanah for the entire Amidah. The Tana adds - that if one cannot, one should at least have Kavanah for one B'rachah.

(c)Rebbi Chiya ... quoting Chad de'bei Rebbi comment that - the Tana is referring to 'Avos'.

(d)Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi quoted the Pasuk in Yeshayah "Borei Niv Sefasayim Shalom Shalom la'Rachok, ve'la'Karov Amar Hash-m u'Refasiv" - as the source for Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa's distinction between where his Tefilah came out fluently and where it didn't.

14)

(a)Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Yochanan states that all the positive prophesies of the prophets were directed at three groups of people: those who marry off their daughters to Talmidei-Chachamim, those who do business with Talmidei-Chachamim - and those who benefit Talmidei-Chachamim with their property.

(b)The Pasuk there "Ayin Lo Ra'asah Elokim Zulasecha Ya'aseh li'Mechakeh Lo" refers - to the Talmidei-Chachamim themselves.

(c)By this Rebbi Chiya bar Aba meant - that their reward is beyond the scope of even the Nevi'im to describe.

(d)By the same token, he claimed that ...

1. ... the prophets prophesied about - the era of Mashi'ach.

2. ... Yeshayah ha'Navi say "Ayin Lo Ra'asah Elokim Zulasecha" - about the era of Olam ha'Ba (after Techi'as ha'Meisim).

15)

(a)In this point however, he disagrees with Shmuel, who cited - the only difference between nowadays and Mashi'ach as being our subservience to the nations of he world, which will cease with the arrival of Mashi'ach.

(b)He extrapolated it from the Pasuk in Re'ei - " ... for the needy will never cease from the land".

16)

(a)Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Yochanan also said - that all the prophecies of the Nevi'im pertain exclusively to ...

1. ... the Ba'alei Teshuvah. As for ...

2. ... the Tzadikim - the Pasuk writes "Ayin Lo Ra'asah Elokim Zulasecha".

(b)In this point, he disagrees with Rebbi Avahu, who said - that the greatest Tzadikim do stand there where the Ba'alei Teshuvah stand.

(c)He learned this from the Pasuk in Yeshayah "Shalom Shalom la'Rachok, ve'la'Karov ... " - which mentions those who came from far (the Ba'alei Teshuvah) before those who were near to begin with (the Tzadikim).

(d)Rebbi Yochanan interprets "la'Rachok" - as those who were always far from sin, and 'la'Karov" as those who were close to sinning.

17)

(a)According to Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi, "Ayin Lo Ra'asah Elokim Zulasecha" refers to wine that has been fermenting in its grapes since the six days of the Creation. Rebbi Shmuel bar Nachmeni interprets it - as Eden, which nobody has ever seen ...

(b)... since Adam ha'Rishon was (not in Eden, but) - in the Garden.

(c)And we know that Gan and Eden are not one and the same - because the Torah describes how - "A river emerged from Eden to water the Garden".

18)

(a)The Beraisa cites an incident where the son of Raban Gamliel fell ill, and that he sent - two Talmidei-Chachamim to Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa to Daven for their recovery.

(b)The latter went up to the attic to fulfil Raban Gamliel's request.

(c)Upon his return, he told two emissaries - that they may return, since the sick boy's fever had subsided.

(d)When they asked him whether he was a Navi - he replied that he was neither a Navi nor the son of one, and, and that he knew about the boy's recovery from the fact that his Tefilah emerged fluently.

19)

(a)Before leaving Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa's house, Raban Gamliel's emissaries recorded the exact date and time that their host had Davened.

(b)When they reported to Raban Gamliel - they discovered that the sick boy had recovered at the exact same time as Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa had Davened for him.

(c)The moment Raban Gamliel's son recovered, he asked for - a glass of water.

20)

(a)On another occasion, when Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa went to learn Torah by Raban Yochanan ben Zakai, it was the son of Raban Yochanan ben Zakai who fell ill.

(b)When the latter asked him to Daven on behalf of his son - he placed his head between his knees and proceeded to Daven.

(c)When Raban Yochanan ben Zakai's son recovered immediately, he exclaimed - that had he placed his head betwen his knees all day, nobody (in Heaven) would have taken any notice.

(d)When his wife asked him whether this meant that Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa was greater than him, he replied that he was not, only that whereas Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa was like an Eved before the king (who has constant access to his master), he was like a prince (who needed to make an appointment before being allowed to enter).

21)

(a)Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Yochanan rules that a room in which one Davens must have - windows ...

(b)... since it causes one to cast one's eyes Heavenwards, thereby increasing one's Kavanah.

(c)He learned this from a Pasuk (in Daniel) "Ve'chavin Pesichan leih be'Aliseih ... ' - with reference to Daniel himself.

(d)The room in which he Davened was situated - in the attic (which is what 'Aliseih' means) ...

(e)... and it faced - Yerushalayim.

22)

(a)Rav Kahana considered it a Chutzpah to Daven in a valley - because Davening in an enclosed area brings on the fear of Hash-m, causing one to Daven with a broken heart.

(b)Based on the Pasuk in Tehilim "Ashrei N'suy Pesha K'suy Chata'ah", he also considered it a Chutzpah to - publicize one's sins See Tosfos DH 'K'suy Chata'ah'.